Miami City Commissioner Joe Carollo is in hot water yet again as Bar owners in Little Havana maintain their accusations of ongoing political revenge, despite a jaw-dropping $63 million judgment awarded against him in a previous federal lawsuit for civil rights violations. According to a notice filed by the owners of Ball & Chain in U.S. District Court, Carollo and the City of Miami are allegedly conducting a baseless investigation to concoct false evidence against them, a continuation of Carollo's purported vendetta.
The $63.5 million penalty stems from charges that Carollo misused his position to intimidate the owners after they supported his political adversary. As reported by NBC Miami, the bar owners contend that the city is unlawfully surveying them by hiring a private investigator to interview current and former employees about their work experiences during the pandemic. "It’s a continuation of a campaign to punish (them) for speaking out against the corruption and misconduct that pervades City Hall," the filing alleges.
However, Carollo disagrees, insisting that the city "has every right" to probe into the businesses due to their ongoing lawsuits against the city. He defended the city's actions saying, "The city is doing what it has to to protect itself," in a statement obtained by NBC Miami.
On the other hand, the owners' attorney, Jeff Gutchess, argues that the amount of pandemic relief funds received by the business is irrelevant to the damages sought in the pending lawsuits. According to NBC Miami, the owners are pushing for an injunction to shield them from "further illegal retaliation," and have asked the judge to appoint a magistrate to ensure any actions taken by the city against their companies are constitutional.
According to the Associated Press, the massive verdict in favor of the businessmen was broken down into $8.6 million in compensation and $25.7 million in punitive damages to Fuller, in addition to $7.3 million in compensation and $21.9 million in punitive damages to Pinilla. Carollo's lawyer Benedict Kuehne expressed disappointment with the jury's decision and announced the intention to appeal.
