MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – In a unanimous opinion Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court suspended the law license of former state lawmaker and Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco for one year after an investigation found that he made dishonest statements related to a campaign finance scandal.
Grieco, 48, practices criminal defense and ran unsuccessfully for Miami Beach mayor in 2023. He served as a Democrat in the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022 after sitting on the dais in Miami Beach from 2013 to 2017.
Recommended Videos
He stepped down as commissioner in 2017 after pleading no contest to accepting a campaign contribution through a straw donor.
Florida Bar investigators found that he “made multiple false or misleading statements” to local media outlets “and by extension the public,” claiming no involvement with the organization at the center of the case, the opinion states.
“We find that competent, substantial evidence in the record supports the referee’s finding that Grieco deliberately engaged in a pattern of dishonest conduct by making repeated false or misleading statements,” justices wrote.
That referee had recommended a 90-day suspension of Grieco’s law license, but the court disagreed and ordered a much harsher punishment.
“The suspension will be effective 30 days from the filing of this opinion so that Grieco can close out his practice and protect the interests of existing clients,” the ruling states. “If Grieco notifies this Court in writing that he is no longer practicing and does not need the 30 days to protect existing clients, this Court will enter an order making the suspension effective immediately.”
Local 10 News contacted Grieco and his attorney, Benedict Kuehne, seeking comment Thursday afternoon and had not yet received responses as of the publication of this article.