FBI checks envelopes used in probe of Rep. David Rivera

[flamingdem]

Source: Miami Herald

A key witness in a federal grand jury case involving Congressman David Rivera is still missing, but she left important evidence behind for investigators: at least four envelopes that had been stuffed with unreported campaign cash.

Ana Alliegro, a Republican political operative, delivered the cash-stuffed envelopes to a Hialeah mail house that sent out fliers in a congressional race against a Rivera political rival, the mail house owner told the FBI.

The FBI has the envelopes to check for fingerprints and handwriting comparisons.

Also in the hands of FBI agents: at least six invoices initially made out to the attention of David Rivera — all marked paid “cash” — to cover the mailings for Democratic primary challenger Justin Lamar Sternad, a suspected Rivera straw-man candidate. The congressman, documents and interviews show, demanded that his name be removed from the invoices, with Wite-Out.

Alliegro went missing two weeks ago, shortly after her computer was seized by FBI agents and just hours before she was scheduled to talk to a federal prosecutor about her involvement in the Rivera-Sternad operation. She also had been jailed by Miami cops on an old suspended driver-license warrant.

“Am I worried? Yes,” Mauricio Padilla, her lawyer, said Friday. “I have not heard or seen her. This has never happened to me before.”

Enrique “Rick” Yabor, who represents Sternad, said he and his client would not comment. MORE AT LINK



Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/21/v-print/3014731/fbi-checks-envelopes-used-in-probe.html#storylink=cpy

No link yet.

---

This is the first news on this for a while, glad something is happening.

The noose is tightening around right wing Cuban American crook Rep. Rivera's neck. In spite of the fact that he disappeared his friend Ana Alliegro, last reported seen at the Biltmore Hotel in Naples getting a massage, to avoid her incrimination of him. No doubt she's enjoying a vacation, her mom says she's "fine" on his crooked $

[DollarBillHines]

1. The picture on the wall is so fitting.

Crooks, all.

[flamingdem]

2. Isn't that perfect?

Back in 1980 I thought Reagan was our doom, but now I see worse things could happen!

[flamingdem]

3. Dirty Secret With Miami Dade Fraud - It's A Family Affair. By Geniusofdespair

http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2012/09/dirty-secret-with-elections-by.html

Mothers and fathers are suppose to teach children to do the right thing. When you look at our elections here in Miami Dade County, the parents are being implicated with the children. Nice. The parent is scum and so is their demon off-spring. I really shouldn't be using Rosemary here in the photo, she was an innocent, it was the devil dad who was the creator of the evil child. Here in Miami Dade county, I think of the movie Rosemary's Baby, since we have many parents who participate in devilish behavior with their children.

You have Ana Alliegro's mother covering for her daughter's terrible behavior. "She's safe." Well, where? No wonder Ana has a 2007 arrest record -- mug shot, have a copy of it -- not sure if she was convicted. She proudly calls herself a "Conservative bad girl" on her twitter account. That probably makes her mother proud. Heard her father might work in law enforcement. That is too hard for me to accept.

You then have U.S. Congressman David Rivera working out illegal/unethical deals with his mother and God mother. All three knew what they were doing. No wonder David Rivera doesn't know right from wrong. Shadow Banker, Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina, has the example of his uncle who admits to collecting absentee ballots illegally for years and the uncle even insisted to police that he won't ever stop. Now you have Commissioner Bovo's aide Anamary Pedrosa participating, together with her mother, in illegal absentee ballot collection.

What is wrong with these families? What is the wiser generation teaching the younger generation? To cheat? To lie? To win at any cost? These people are dregs of humanity. The whole lot of them. MORE AT LINK

[Judi Lynn]

8. It's so plain to see why the Cuban people wanted this greedy criminals OUT of power

in Cuba, far away from controlling the Cuban government ever again.

They just brought their corruption to Miami with them!

Love the links. Thank you.

[flamingdem]

11. I'm glad the Feds are involved

We'll see if they get anywhere with this but it seems too high profile to sweep under the carpet. I love the way the mother of Ana Alliegro says she's done nothing wrong at the same time not admitting where she's hiding

[flamingdem]

4. From the comments: the reason this matters - Rivera's business partner is Marco Rubio

YQue_

Rivera is a slam dunk for the Feds. They won't even break a sweat putting him away.

The big payoff is when Rivera begins squealing to try to keep from doing 20 in the Big House, and starts telling all he knows about Marquito's financial skulduggery.

That's what I'm looking forward to.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/21/3014731/fbi-checks-envelopes-used-in-probe.html#storylink=cpy

[pscot]

5. Really interesting comment thread

to that Miami Herald article.

[flamingdem]

7. The comments are funny

It's highly entertaining to follow this story and read the comments! The mentions of the "boleteros" here it's boloteros is very interesting. It looks like the tried and true way to win in Miami Dade is with absentee ballots and that these are sold by middle men! Rivera is probably hoping he'll win using this method.. again!

for instance:

Papi_Chulo

I hope Romney and Ryan make joint campaign appearances here in MIami with David Rivera. Bring the Boloteros along as well...

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/21/3014731/fbi-checks-envelopes-used-in-probe.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

[pscot]

9. Amazing story about the absentees

that catapulted Rivera into Congress. And he was Rubio's roommate? Where? In prison? I have a friend who lives in Hialeah. He's married to a Castro loyalist. I'm going to have to ask him to fill me in.

[flamingdem]

10. If you remember

please fill me in on what he says.

I'm wondering how the anti-Castro crowd is taking this since he's one of theirs. He's extreme even for them however. His latest effort was to prevent Cubans who arrive and get permission to stay from returning to Cuba in the usual 366 days. That wasn't popular with Cubans in Miami because it was too stringent.

One little nasty is that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is too friendly with this crowd. I understand she needs to survive in Florida but I hope she doesn't help Rivera. In another article the comments referred to potential pressure on her from the likes of Ros-Lehtinen to help Rivera.

[pscot]

12. I seem to remember she refused to campaign against Ros-Lehtinen

for a fellow Dem. Too cozy by half.

[wordpix]

6. he did what Rmoney told him to do: self-deport

[Judi Lynn]

13. Update: David Rivera defends himself in TV interview

Posted on Sunday, 10.14.12
David Rivera defends himself in TV interview

U.S. Rep. David Rivera played a tape recording to try to discredit a vendor who has said Rivera had a hand in a Democratic primary candidate’s campaign.

By Patricia Mazzei
[e-mail]

In his first sit down English-language television interview in weeks, U.S. Rep. David Rivera defended himself Sunday against a federal grand-jury investigation into his alleged involvement in a primary campaign against his Democratic opponent.

At one point, Rivera pulled out a black Sony tape recorder and held it up against his lapel microphone to play a recording of what he said was a telephone message from an FBI witness in the case.

The FBI is investigating whether Rivera illegally funneled secret money to Justin Lamar Sternad, who lost in the Aug. 14 primary to Joe Garcia. Garcia now faces Rivera.

“No federal agency has ever stated or confirmed that I am under investigation for anything,” Rivera told WPLG-ABC 10’s Michael Putney on This Week in South Florida.

More: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/14/3049995/david-rivera-defends-himself-in.html#storylink=cpy

[flamingdem]

14. That vendor was an FBI informant I believe

I'll have to mosey over to the Miami blogs to see the latest commentary