Miami, FL
Charges dropped against former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, attorney
MIAMI – More than a year after announcing charges, Broward prosecutors have dropped the criminal case against former Miami City Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla and attorney William Riley.
Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor, who took over the case’s prosecution, made the announcement Wednesday.
Diaz de la Portilla, 60, who served on the Miami city commission representing District 1 from 2020 until he was suspended from office shortly after his arrest on corruption charges in September 2023, was accused of secretly taking in tens of thousands of dollars from owners of a private school.
The commissioner and Riley, 49, were accused of laundering approximately $245,000 in concealed political contributions to support the construction of Centner Academy’s athletic complex on public land in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood.
In a statement, Pryor said that after “a substantial follow-up investigation and extensive depositions of witnesses, we have concluded that there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction.”
“When the arrests were made, I promised that our prosecutors would pursue justice in this matter and that is what we have done,” he said.
In a closeout memo, prosecutors wrote, “The evidence does not demonstrate corrupt intent, unlawful benefits, or falsification of records. Witness testimony is unreliable and lawful actions have been misconstrued as criminal.”
“Substantial follow-up investigations and depositions have occurred that revealed that the foundation of this entire investigation was misguided and buttressed by unverified information,” prosecutors wrote, calling the case “purely circumstantial.”
Diaz de la Portilla, who consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing, tried to regain his seat in the 2023 election, but lost to challenger Miguel Gabela under the cloud of criminal charges.
Those charges are now a thing of the past.
This is a developing story. Stay with Local 10 News and Local10.com for updates.
Read the closeout memo:
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An investigation is underway in Miami Gardens after police say a toddler was bitten in the face by two pit bulls on Tuesday.
Miami Garden police told CBS News Miami that officers responded to reports of a dog bite involving a child in the 3600 block of Northwest 191st Street just before 7 p.m.
When officers arrived, they said they were told that a 2-year-old was in the backyard of a home when he was bitten in the face by two pit bulls.
The child was rushed to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.
No other information was released, and police said the incident remains under investigation.
What I would have done is taken my lumps and rolled with Ewers during the 2026 season. From my understanding, the reality of Willis’ deal is two years x 22.5M. After that, the Dolphins can part with him, no harm, no foul. Hiwever, don’t you think that the Dolphins could have used that money, considering their salary cap situation, in other areas? Yeah, to me, this is a textbook Steve Ross engineered deal where the Dolphins are bidding against themselves and hoping against hope that they’re not as bad as they’re predicted to be.
As for Willis, he reminds me of another ex-Green Bay QB named Matt Flynn. Like Willis, Flynn was the 2nd string QB at GB and shined in a couple of relief appearances for Aaron Rodgers during the 2011 season. He is best remembered in Green Bay for his record-setting 480-yard, 6-touchdown game in 2011 versus the Lions. That set him up for a big contract with Seattle, but he never really did anything there due to the emergence of Russell Wilson.
Former CBS News Miami anchor and longtime South Florida resident Eliott Rodriguez announced his candidacy for U.S. Congress in Florida’s 27th Congressional District on Tuesday morning.
He will now embark on a campaign that’s centered on lowering the high cost of living, restoring accountability in Washington, D.C., and bringing people together to deliver results for families in Miami-Dade, his campaign said in the announcement.
“I didn’t plan to run for Congress,” Rodriguez said in his announcement. “But I cannot stay silent. For 48 years, you trusted me to tell the truth and listen to your stories. Today, like so many families, I am concerned that Washington is not delivering for South Florida. My parents taught me that citizenship is not just a right – it is a responsibility. And now, I am answering that call.”
Why is Eliott Rodriguez running for Congress?
In his announcement, Rodriguez explained why he decided to run for Congress. He said the decision was deeply personal.
In recent months, he said he’s spoken with families, seniors, small business owners and young people who are struggling to afford to stay in a community they love.
“South Florida has now become one of the least affordable housing markets in the United States, with families here spending more of their income on rent and mortgages than almost anywhere in the country,” Rodriguez said in his announcement.
According to the campaign, Florida’s 27th Congressional District is widely viewed as one of the most competitive battlegrounds in the country.
In the race for Congress, Rodriguez will challenge incumbent María Elvira Salazar.
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