MIAMI – A federal judge ordered the city of Miami to begin garnishing Commissioner Joe Carollo’s wages in order to satisfy a massive multi-million dollar legal judgement.
Over the summer, a federal jury found that Carollo, a longtime figure in Miami politics, violated the rights of two Little Havana businessmen, ordering he pay them a an eye-popping $63.5 million.
The businessmen, Bill Fuller and Martin Pinilla, had accused Carollo of retaliating against them for supporting a political opponent. They said he used code enforcement and other city resources to harass and intimidate them.
“We believe the city of Miami and its insurers will pay for the compensatory damages portion and the attorneys’ fees, we believe they’re legally obligated to pay for it, but they are prohibited by Florida public policy from covering the punitive damages portion,” their attorney, Jeff Gutchess, said. “We’re trying to collect all of the money we can from Joe Carollo individually to compensate for the punitive damages the jury awarded, which were in excess of $47 million.”
Fuller spoke alongside his attorney Wednesday.
“Our determination is stronger than it’s ever been before and we are going to collect every single dollar that we can from Joe Carollo,” Fuller said.
The judge’s order to garnish 25% of Carollo’s paycheck came down on Tuesday and Carollo’s legal team has 20 days to dispute it.
The commissioner, defiant and promising to fight back, said so at a news conference Wednesday. He continues to maintain that he, in fact, is the victim in the case.
“When you’re the head of a household, when you make more money than your spouse, your wages cannot be garnished and that is the case with me,” he said. “I can show you of history how many times my death was celebrated and those who were celebrating it are no longer with us. I’m still here. Last man standing.”
He then said about the judge, “I’ll go where he wants to send me. Out in the street.”
Carollo’s salary from the city is just about $58,000.
Watch Carollo’s full interview with Local 10 News here: