Is David Rivera already imprisoned by his own truth?

Al’s Loupe

Is David Rivera already imprisoned by his own truth?

By Alvaro F. Fernandez
alvaro@progresoweekly.com

Under normal circumstances David Rivera would probably be facing the possibility of jail time based on the information divulged by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), which appeared in The Miami Herald recently. But David Rivera is a politician. And as a former member of the Florida legislature Rivera is protected by a law enacted in Tallahassee that sets the statute of limitations to two years for persons like David who misuse political funds.

The law is different for you and me. According to Fred Grimm of The Miami Herald, in Florida the statute of limitations for non-politicians who commit financial crimes is from three to five years. Leave it to the boys and girls in Tallahassee to cover their asses so as to make it almost impossible to indict them for stealing money. As Grimm says in his column, “A two-year limit, given the complexities of sorting through campaign records, virtually immunizes a politician from prosecution.”

So there you go. Unless the federal government does a better job than the state, David Rivera remains a free man. The FBI and the IRS are currently investigating Rivera’s involvement in a $510,000 payment made by Flagler Dog Track to David’s mother and her partner while he was a Florida state representative.

According to The Miami Herald reports, based on FDLE memos, here are just a few of the acts of jugglery perpetrated by David Rivera:

• There were his juicy and profitable two for one deals: Serving as his own campaign treasurer, Rivera is accused of double-billing his campaign account as well as his legislative travel account. In other words, one pays the bill and the other… well it’s up to you to decide where that money went.
• Rivera often used campaign funds to pay for expenses on his personal credit cards. (No wonder this time around and after all this information has come to light David’s having such a hard time raising campaign contributions.)
• There’s the case of $175,000 in political donations that Rivera had NEVER disclosed. Let me explain, if it’s not in the books… where do you think that money ended up?
• Then there’s close friend, lobbyist and ‘campaign consultant’ Esther Nuhfer who was paid by the Rivera campaign $250,000 and days later withdrew, IN CASH, $190,000 from her business accounts. I wonder?! Was that ‘minor withdrawal’ money she needed to have on hand to do her grocery shopping?
• How about the case of Rivera’s mother who received payments in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for work done by Rivera for Flagler Dog Track. I suppose David preferred people didn’t know he was charging for work done on behalf of gambling interests in Florida – while he was a state legislator. That’s why a cashier’s check of more than $95,000 endorsed by his mother, which suddenly disappeared into thin air, is so interesting. You try it – make almost $100,000 disappear…

One can write a Carl Hiaassen novel based on Rivera’s shenanigans. And you’d probably agree this guy deserves to spend some time behind bars. But in my case I could care less if he serves time – or doesn’t.

What I can’t get through my thick skull is the fact that people in Miami would still vote for him. Are we that stupid in this town?

Finally, I understand those who insist that David deserves a much-needed vacation in prison. But if what news reports and law enforcement memos point to are true, then Rivera is already shackled by something greater than an iron gate. That’s his inability to accept who he is.

Based on what has been written in newspapers lately about our resident crooked U.S. congressman, might David Rivera be gay? And if he were, I have finally found a reason to feel sorry for the SOB. And not for the speculation that he is gay. (Heck David, it’s 2012! There’s nothing wrong with following your bliss.)

It’s just that a memo written by the FDLE gives the impression that David Rivera feels he must fool his conservative, republican followers. It says that during their investigation of Rivera, he told them that “as a single man running as a political conservative, it was necessary for him to appear at campaign-related events with a female escort.” In other words, David would not want his constituency to get the wrong impression.

And what impression might that be David? That he doesn’t mind them thinking he’s a crook, but, as for what he wrongly defines as his manhood…