Disgraced Miami commissioner pleads guilty to misdemeanor charge
BY DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
Disgraced Miami Commissioner Angel Gonzalez pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of misusing his public position to get his a daughter a no-show job with a politically connected construction company.
The plea ends the political career of Gonzalez, 65, a three-term commissioner representing Allapattah who tendered his resignation last week as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
The state attorney's office said Gonzalez broke the law when he asked the head of Delant Construction about getting a job for his daughter, Elizabeth Gonzalez, 28.
Delant's Juan Delgado hired her for $500 a week between July 2004 and May 2006, earning $47,000 without working a minute. Elizabeth Gonzalez, 28, is not charged in the case.
He accepted the plea in court flanked by his lawyer, Jack Blumenfeld, and prosecutor Joseph Centorino.
``Mr. Gonzalez, how do you intend to plea?'' County Judge Samuel J. Slom asked him.
``Guilty, sir,'' Gonzalez replied.
Prosecutors could find not clear evidence that Delgado got anything in return directly from Gonzalez, although the commissioner's votes were favorable to the builder.Gonzalez pleaded guilty to a second-degree charge of exploiting his public position.
Delgado, a one-time leader of the powerful Latin Builders Association, was granted immunity from prosecution for his role in the case. He is facing fraud charges in connection with an unrelated corruption case.
Under the plea deal, Gonzalez will serve six months of probation and agree to cooperate with prosecutors in any other corruption probes. He cannot run for office, or seek government work, until after 2010.
Gonzalez must also pay $7,500 in investigative costs to the state attorney's office and the county's ethics commission. He also cannot make any public statements about the case without permission from prosecutors or risk violating the agreement.
``Before you do or say anything, you should seek the guidance of your lawyer,'' Slom warned the politician. ``You don't want to be questioned and brought back to court.''
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