Some of Carlos Curbelo’s business partners
MIAMI – Miami-Dade School Board Member Carlos “Crybaby” Curbelo may not want to disclose who the clients of his lobbying firm are, but public records may shed a little light on at least some of his business partners throughout the years.
His company, Capitol Gains – the one he has listed under his wife’s name – also employs lobbyist Roy Schultheis. He is one of the original members of the Capitol Gains “team,” along with Nicole Rapanos, who is now the campaign manager.
Schultheis describes himself on LinkedIn as “Partner at Capitol Gains and Principal Broker at Investment Bankers Group Inc. DBA Capitol Gains Finance.”
Both Schultheis and Curbelo worked together on the Fred Thompson presidential bid in Florida n 2007 and each registered as lobbyists with the state in 2012 for Genting and it’s interests in a waterfront casino resort in downtown Miami. Schultheis also registered for XTec, a Miami-based manufacturer of sophisticated security and authentication systems that earlier this year was awarded a $102.8-million, 10-year contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and could be in line for work with the U.S. Navy.
That’s right: The wannabe congressman’s business partner lobbies a firm that got a $100-million federal contract.
Maybe this is why he doesn’t want us to know who his clients are.
Ladra called Curbelo and left him a voice mail message and also sent an email to him and one of his campaign aides regarding some of the people he’s done business with. I’ve gotten no response but I suspect I won’t since I haven’t heard directly from Curbelo – a coward who would rather falsely accuse me of extortion on TV – since Political Cortadito exposed the fact that he hides his business under his wife’s name.
God bless public records.
Curbelo and Schultheis, who contributed $2,600 to Curbelo for Congress, only billed (or said they billed) between $40,000 and $60,000 in 2012 for their representation. That same year, Curbelo made $100,000 salary from Capitol Gains, his lobbying firm even though he put it under his wife’s name in 2009. One would imagine Schultheis made something also.
In 2009, when Schultheis first registered as a lobbyist for Capitol Gains and XTec, he also registered for Areas, USA, a subsidiary of a Spanish company which may be doing business in Cuba. Prior to having found that connection, Ladra was told by very good sources close to Curbelo that he himself had worked for Areas, securing a concession’s contract at eight Florida Turnpike rest stops the firm was recently awarded.
This does not provide a conflict of interest, necessarily, for Curbelo’s elected office at the School Board. But it could present a problem for his congressional campaign in a predominantly Hispanic district with a high number of high performing Cuban voters.
Maybe this is why he doesn’t want us to know who his clients are.
For the entire article, click here.
Ladra is the alter ego of Elaine de Valle, who worked for 18 years at the Miami Herald and was on two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams, including one that uncovered widespread election fraud and overturned a Miami election.
(From the blog Political Cortadito)
