Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert steered roughly $3.2 million in taxpayer funds over three years to a youth sports nonprofit run by his own deputy chief of staff, an arrangement that has no physical office, hasn't filed a federal tax return since 2023, and isn't registered as a charity with the state. The commission approved 28 separate funding requests from Gilbert between 2023 and March 2026 that sent money to the organization, FYFL United, even as Gilbert now stands as the Democratic nominee for Florida's 24th Congressional District.
As first reported by Florida Bulldog, FYFL United is administered by Sandra Pierre-Paul, who earns $165,500 annually as Gilbert's deputy chief of staff. The nonprofit received county funds earmarked for community support and outreach, spring break trips, summer youth internships, and laptop giveaway events, according to the outlet's review of county records. Money moving through the group was also redirected to projects associated with Gilbert himself, the Florida Bulldog reported, including fully paid trips he led for high school students to historical sites in multiple cities.
The funding history traces back to May 2023, when the county commission approved $90,000 for FYFL United to cover community events and a laptop giveaway, followed by $74,000 across two more funding requests that same year. The pace accelerated in 2024 and 2025, when 22 separate requests delivered $2.6 million to the organization, including $200,000 for a spring break trip and $370,000 for a summer youth internship program. As recently as this year, the commission approved $150,000 for FYFL United on January 21 and another $100,000 on March 3, both for community program and event support.
No Office, No Tax Filings, No State Registration
FYFL United lists its principal address as a P.O. box inside a Staples store in Miami's Edgewater neighborhood and has no physical office, per the Florida Bulldog's reporting. The group has not filed a Form 990 tax return since 2023, even though 501(c)(3) charities must file annual returns once revenue exceeds $50,000. Its only tax filings on record show $54,241 in revenue and $1,974 in expenses in 2021, followed by an e-postcard in 2022 claiming revenue below the $50,000 threshold — and nothing filed with the IRS for 2023, 2024, or 2025.
Under Florida's Solicitation of Contributions Act, certain non-exempt charitable organizations collecting more than $50,000 in contributions must register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. FYFL United is not registered as a charitable organization with the state, according to the Florida Bulldog's review, despite taking in millions in county grants. The organization's website was taken offline in mid-August and restored four days after reporters sought comment, and its Facebook and Instagram pages have sat dormant with no new posts since November 2025, even as FYFL United teams continued playing in other South Florida leagues this season.
Ethics Experts Flag Possible Legal Exposure
Caroline Klancke called for independent audits and investigations into Gilbert, Pierre-Paul, and FYFL United, saying the matter would be ripe for examination if a complaint were filed. Ben Wilcox separately said the use of taxpayer money combined with Pierre-Paul's connection to Gilbert raises serious corruption concerns.
No formal law enforcement charges or ethics board rulings have been issued against Gilbert, Pierre-Paul, or FYFL United as of this reporting.
How Commissioner Discretionary Funds Work
Miami-Dade's discretionary spending exceeds $4 million annually.
Akeem Brutus said FYFL United served as fiscal agent for programs created, sponsored, and administered through the District 1 county commission office — the seat Gilbert held before resigning effective January 3, 2027 to run for Congress. The programs funded through that arrangement included five spring break trips since 2021 that served approximately 250 high school students and 20 adult chaperones and law-enforcement personnel, traveling to eight states and Washington, D.C. FYFL United also paid roughly 120 to 150 high school students $15 an hour and college students $18 an hour for summer internships, according to the Florida Bulldog's reporting.
A Political Backdrop Shaped by Resignation and Succession
Gilbert, 54, served as Mayor of Miami Gardens from 2012 to 2020 before winning election to the Miami-Dade County Commission in November 2020 and later serving as Commission Chair from December 2022 to December 2024, according to Florida Politics. Before the August 18 Democratic primary for Florida's 24th Congressional District, State Sen. Shevrin Jones surged in late polling, as Hoodline reported. The seat is being vacated by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, and the minority-majority district covers Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, North Miami, Little Haiti, Brownsville, and other parts of northern Miami-Dade and southern Broward counties.
Gilbert's departure from the commission also set off a local succession contest: Miami-Dade School Board member Dr. Steve Gallon III and Linda Julien had confirmed they were running to succeed him in District 1.
