FBI agents arrest two Florida mayors in graft probe

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

MIAMI | Tue Aug 6, 2013 6:21pm EDT

(Reuters) - FBI agents arrested two Florida mayors at their City Hall offices on Tuesday on corruption charges, alleging the two men separately accepted bribes in connection with purported government contracts awarded to their Miami-area towns.

Manuel Marono, the mayor of Sweetwater, and Michael Pizzi, the mayor of Miami Lakes, both appeared in Miami federal court hours later. Each faces a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion.

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Two lobbyists were also charged in the case and are expected to surrender to authorities on Wednesday, Ferrer said.

The arrests came after a two-year investigation prompted by a tip, authorities said. During an undercover operation, FBI agents posed as officials at a fictitious, Chicago-based not-for-profit company that claimed to help local governments obtain federal grants.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/06/us-usa-florida-mayors-idUSBRE97516G20130806

[House of Roberts]

1. Took a bit of digging

apparently Marono is a Republican, and Pizzi is a Democrat, so this is a draw, partisanly.

[olddad56]

2. This happened in Florida. I'm schocked, just schocked.

[demwing]

3. Everytime I see an outrageous headline...

I chant my mantra: "Please don't let it be my state, please don't let it be Florida"