Miami commissioner accused of pushing and injuring code officer at illegal nightclub
Update: On April 2, Miami police released two body camera videos that do not show a physical altercation between Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla and code inspector Suzann Nicholson. Read more here.
A Miami code inspector has accused Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla of injuring her during an altercation at an illegal late-night party in his district in February — the latest in a string of controversies for the former state senator, who has lost political allies and power at City Hall in recent weeks.
Díaz de la Portilla vehemently denies the allegation.
But according to code compliance officer Suzann Nicholson, the commissioner became aggressive with her after she confronted security at 722 NW 22nd St. just after midnight on Feb. 21 during a regular joint inspection with Miami police.
Public records show the property, a former pallet supplier, looked like a partially open-air nightclub under the name “Museum Miami” but had no permits or city approvals to operate. The bar was serving drinks after the countywide midnight curfew.
When Nicholson asked to see permits, a manager introduced her to Díaz de la Portilla, who was standing inside a VIP area, according to Nicholson’s attorney, Matthew Baldwin. That night, the commissioner denied representing the unpermitted business, but Baldwin said Díaz de la Portilla was belligerent, at one point pushing Nicholson in a way that caused her to step backward awkwardly, leading to injury.
“She didn’t know who he was until he took off his mask and said something to the effect of ‘Do you know who I am? I’m going to call the mayor in the morning,’ “ Baldwin told the Miami Herald. “At some point he started poking her in the shoulder. She called her supervisor, the supervisor asked to speak to [the commissioner] directly. He refused. Then he started poking her again. That’s when she stepped back and rolled her ankle.”
Miami New Times first reported the allegations Thursday after Nicholson told the publication she suffered a sprained hip and now requires physical therapy. Nicholson referred Herald reporters’ questions to Baldwin, who told the Herald that Miami police witnessed the incident and that Nicholson is being evaluated for treatment and is currently on light duty. He did not specify the nature of her injury.
“We’re evaluating all our options and navigating the city of Miami political animal,” he said.
The commissioner denied any wrongdoing in a statement to the Herald. He pointed to a police incident report on the venue’s closure that noted the commissioner’s presence but did not describe any altercation involving him.
“Anyone who knows me can attest that there isn’t an ounce of truth to this story,” Díaz de la Portilla said in a text message. “There are no pictures or videos that show anything inappropriate and the police report shows that nothing happened.”
Emails obtained through a public records request show Nicholson told her supervisors that she’d met Díaz de la Portilla during the inspection. In an email sent at nearly 4 a.m. Feb. 21, Nicholson wrote that she’d been taken to Díaz de la Portilla after requesting licenses and permits for the establishment to operate.
Nicholson later issued several violations. The joint task force with police has cited many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic for violating curfew and face-mask requirements.
Nicholson took several photographs of the event that night, showing a food truck, portable toilets, and dozens of people, many without masks, at the site. An Instagram account with the same name and logo displayed in Nicholson’s photographs described Museum Miami as a performance and event venue with more 15,000 square feet of open air outdoor space. The account had no posts Thursday afternoon.
One of Nicholson’s photographs shows a man in a blazer standing in what looks like a VIP area, near three women in lingerie. Nicholson told the New Times the man is Díaz de la Portilla. The commissioner did not respond to the Herald’s question about the picture.
In an email sent to her supervisors on March 8, Nicholson referenced the alleged physical contact.
“I attempted to speak with you regarding the incident with the commission on February 21, during the unpermitted special event inspection,” Nicholson wrote to Eric Nemons, the city’s assistant director of code compliance, and Assistant City Manager Natasha Colebrook-Williams. “During the poking and pushing, I lost my footing and although I didn’t fall I assumed I was okay. Since then I have been having issues with my left hip and I would like the incident documented.”
On Thursday, Díaz de la Portilla said Nicholson was fabricating a story to claim workers compensation. He emphasized that Nicholson’s email to supervisors referencing pushing and poking came 16 days after the alleged incident. The commissioner also said he was not responsible for checking on businesses’ permits when he visits them.
“I have visited countless businesses that are investing in my community to create jobs and revitalize our economy during these difficult times. That’s my job,” he said. “I don’t ask for licenses during these visits. That’s up to police and code enforcement.”
Nicholson’s allegations cap a whirlwind few weeks in Miami city politics, with Díaz de la Portilla in the thick of it.
Controversy erupted after an employee he recruited for the redevelopment agency he chaired was pulled over in a city vehicle last month and later fired amid accusations she held a no-show job. The commissioner defended the employee, Jenny Nillo, who had recently served time in federal prison for mortgage fraud. He said he hired her to be his “eyes and ears” in the agency’s office, but she ended up doing work for his district office instead.
Díaz de la Portilla was ousted as the CRA’s chairman during a heated March 25 commission meeting where a former political ally, Commissioner Joe Carollo, called for a series of votes to strip Díaz de la Portilla of power.
This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 7:31 PM.
