Community leaders expected to call for Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo’s resignation

MIAMI – Community leaders and former elected officials are expected to call for Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo’s resignation on Tuesday.

This comes after he was ordered to pay more than $63 million dollars in damages to two Little Havana business owners.

It was a five year battle with between the business owners, Bill Fuller and his partner Martin Pinilla, and the commissioner. Fuller and Pinilla, who own the popular Ball & Chain bar and lounge along with several other properties, claim they lost millions after Carollo sent code enforcement and police after them for supporting a political rival back in 2017.

In the suit, the owners claimed that Carollo pressured code enforcement officers to visit at least two of their venues on dozens of occasions and that he wanted to have their liquor licenses pulled.

The Miami Herald reported that one of the businesses closed while another relocated out of the area. 

Last week a jury ruled that Carollo violated their right to free speech and the two business owners felt vindicated. Now they think Carollo should no longer have a seat at the table in Miami City Hall.

“Joe Carollo, what he has done to us, our business, to our employees, is wrong and he does not deserve to be an elected official,” said Pinilla.

Carollo, 68, has been in public office for several decades. While he is responsible for the damages awarded to the business owners, taxpayers are on the hook for Carollo’s $2 million in legal fees. Commissioners are expected to seek some more clarity on who needs to make these payments, but as of right now, there is no official word.