HANDLING THE CASH
Hoskins says he didn't tell anyone how to vote

In his statement to the FDLE, Hoskins admitted handing over the cash but insisted he did not tell anybody how to vote.

Hoskins told investigators that Molina got worried when word spread through the neighborhood and too many people started showing up.

Hoskins got worried, too. He still had not received his $500, and the money was running out. He said Molina told him he didn't have it all and would have to pay him later. Hoskins cursed Molina and walked off.

Hoskins described the votes-for-dollars scheme as a failure.

"It was a minor sort of thing that didn't pan out, " said one source familiar with Hoskins' statement.

Both Hoskins' attorney and the FDLE said they could not talk about Molina.

"We are conducting an ongoing criminal investigation and have been talking to numerous people, " said Doyle Jourdan, the FDLE's regional director in Miami. "Citizens have been cooperating. We can't really comment further."

"There's a pending investigation, " attorney Grey said. "It would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time."

Alvarez, Suarez's chief of staff, expressed surprise at the allegations against Molina. He said Molina is a respected member of the community and the people making the claims lack credibility.

"This would not be admitted in a court of law, " Alvarez said Friday afternoon. "You are trusting the word of street people."

Alvarez said the mayor has been trying to find Hoskins for several days and requested the help of retired Miami police officer Charles Wellons, a campaign coordinator, to track him down.

"We needed to find this guy to ask him what he said about the votes being bought, " Alvarez said. He said Suarez wants to get to the bottom of the vote buying.

Two days after the St. John operation, Molina was part of the crowd at Miami City Hall celebrating Suarez's swearing-in. At the time, he said Carollo's complaints about absentee voter fraud were just sour grapes.

"We ran the cleanest campaign ever in Miami, " Molina said. "Mayor Suarez is known for running clean campaigns, and we did everything by the book. That is why we were so successful. I personally witnessed it."