Raul L. Martinez
Encyclopedia
Raul L. Martinez is a former mayor
of Hialeah, Florida
, United States. He is a Democrat
and was mayor for 24 years, first elected in 1981 and was the Democratic congressional candidate for Florida's 21st congressional district
in 2008.
Raul is the son of Leonides (Chin) Martínez-Calderín (1925–2007). Chin Martinez was the head of the taxi drivers retirement fund in Cuba during the 1950s, and used his connections to prevent his brother's assassination, Alfredo Martínez Calderín, who then joined Raul Castro in the II Frente Oriental Frank País. Alfredo's son, Rubén Martínez Puente, is presently a general in the Cuban Army.
.
In 1993, Martinez won re-election by 273 votes, because of a 2 to 1 margin amongst absentee ballots. http://raulmartinez08.com/martinez-back.htm The election was thrown out by a state judge who ruled that "overzealous" and "unscrupulous" campaign workers forged so many absentee ballots as to taint the entire vote. http://raulmartinez08.com/martinez-mess.htm Martinez won a special election that was called in 1994. Martinez was again re-elected mayor in 1997 and 2001 where for the second time in his career ran unopposed. He has run and won 9 times as Mayor of Hialeah.
Mr. Martinez has received numerous gubernatorial appointments amongst them the Florida State Commission on Hispanic Affairs from 1979 to 1982, where he was elected Chairman in 1981, and on the Governor's Commission on the Statewide Prosecutor's Function from 1984 to 1985. In 1985, he was appointed by then Governor Bob Graham
to the Democratic Policy Commission's Roundtable on Defense and Foreign Policy, as well as to the State Comprehensive Planning Committee.
Mr. Martinez is a past-president of the Dade County League of Cities, the Florida League of Cities and served on the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities
. He is Chairman of the South Florida Employment and Training Consortium and was the founding vice-chairman of the Beacon Council, a Miami-Dade County development agency composed of public and private sector leaders. The Mayor also served on the High Speed Rail Franchise and Environmental Review Committee.
In 2004, he was the Parliamentarian
to the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston
.
On December 13, 2005, Hialeah City Hall was renamed as the “Raul L. Martinez Government Center” in recognition to his 24 years as mayor and 4 years as a councilman.
In 2007, the Republican
controlled Florida legislature
renamed 49 Street in Hialeah as "Mayor Raul L. Martinez Street".
in Florida's 18th congressional district
, left vacant after the death of Claude Pepper
. State Senator Ros-Lehtinen’s husband, Dexter Lehtinen
, the acting US Attorney for South Florida initiated an investigation on alleged accusations of extortion and racketeering. In 1990, he presented his findings to a grand jury
that indicted Martinez on eight charges of extortion
and racketeering.http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/388228.html http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/388228.html
The indictment led to Raul Martinez's suspension from office and trial. In July 1991, Martinez was convicted for six counts of conspiracy
, extortion and racketeering and sentenced to 10 years in prison. http://www.raulmartinez08.com/martinez-sentenced-91.htm Martinez appealed the decision and the appellate judges ordered a new trial in 1994, citing” flawed jury instructions and blatant jury misconduct”. The mayor's second trial ended March 26, 1996 in a hung jury. And the third trial, which began April 22, 1996, resulted in an acquittal on one count of extortion and deadlocked on five remaining counts (by a vote of 11 to 1 in favor of an acquittal).
The U.S. Attorney at that time, Kendall Coffey, (a Clinton appointee
who was confirmed by a Republican U.S. Senate) ultimately dropped the remaining five charges. The Clinton Justice Department then opened a case against Mr. Lehtinen on charges of "misconduct" and potential conflicts of interest for investigating a "a potential political rival of his wife." Mr. Lehtinen resigned his position as US Attorney.
show "A Mano Limpia
" his intention to run in the November 2008 election for the Florida 21st congressional district
seat held by Republican Lincoln Diaz-Balart
. Martinez officially announced his candidacy the following day at the Raul L. Martinez Government Center (Hialeah City Hall). Martinez lost to Diaz-Balart, garnering 42% of the vote.
In February 2007, when a "caustic" press release from Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer
criticized Hillary Clinton's presence at a fundraiser at the ex-mayor's home, Martinez responded by using profane language. http://www.raulmartinez08.com/martinez-nasty.htm http://www.raulmartinez08.com/martinez-tirade.htm
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Hialeah, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States. He is a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and was mayor for 24 years, first elected in 1981 and was the Democratic congressional candidate for Florida's 21st congressional district
Florida's 21st congressional district
Florida's 21st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. Based in South Florida, the district is located in Miami-Dade County and includes many of the western suburbs of Miami such as Hialeah, Olympia Heights, and Cutler...
in 2008.
Family
Former Hialeah Mayor Raul L. Martinez has launched Martinez & Fernandez Public Relations in Miami Lakes to provide counsel to a variety of clients in the field of public relations, media relations, government relations, brand management, crisis management and consulting. Mr. Martinez and his wife, Angela Callava, have two children, Aida Martinez-Ruiz and Raul L. Martinez Jr. and three grandchildren, Isabella Sofia Ruiz, Raul Leonides Martinez III, and Lucas Oliver Martinez.Raul is the son of Leonides (Chin) Martínez-Calderín (1925–2007). Chin Martinez was the head of the taxi drivers retirement fund in Cuba during the 1950s, and used his connections to prevent his brother's assassination, Alfredo Martínez Calderín, who then joined Raul Castro in the II Frente Oriental Frank País. Alfredo's son, Rubén Martínez Puente, is presently a general in the Cuban Army.
Early years and schooling
Mr. Martinez arrived in the United States in May 1960 and has been a resident of Hialeah since 1969. He graduated from Miami Senior High School. He received an Associate in Arts Degree from Miami-Dade College (then known as Miami Dade Junior College and later named MIami Dade Community College) and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Florida International UniversityFlorida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
.
Public service
Raul L. Martinez began his public service career in 1971 as a member of Hialeah's Minority Group Housing Committee. In 1976 he was appointed to the Personnel Board and later in 1977 elected to the Hialeah City Council. In 1981, Martinez was elected mayor and re-elected in 1983. In 1985 he became the first Hialeah mayor in 44 years to run unopposed. He was re-elected in 1987 and in 1989 he was elected to a four-year term.In 1993, Martinez won re-election by 273 votes, because of a 2 to 1 margin amongst absentee ballots. http://raulmartinez08.com/martinez-back.htm The election was thrown out by a state judge who ruled that "overzealous" and "unscrupulous" campaign workers forged so many absentee ballots as to taint the entire vote. http://raulmartinez08.com/martinez-mess.htm Martinez won a special election that was called in 1994. Martinez was again re-elected mayor in 1997 and 2001 where for the second time in his career ran unopposed. He has run and won 9 times as Mayor of Hialeah.
Mr. Martinez has received numerous gubernatorial appointments amongst them the Florida State Commission on Hispanic Affairs from 1979 to 1982, where he was elected Chairman in 1981, and on the Governor's Commission on the Statewide Prosecutor's Function from 1984 to 1985. In 1985, he was appointed by then Governor Bob Graham
Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
to the Democratic Policy Commission's Roundtable on Defense and Foreign Policy, as well as to the State Comprehensive Planning Committee.
Mr. Martinez is a past-president of the Dade County League of Cities, the Florida League of Cities and served on the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities
National League of Cities
The National League of Cities is an American advocacy organization representing 19,000 cities, towns, and villages, and encompassing 49 state municipal leagues....
. He is Chairman of the South Florida Employment and Training Consortium and was the founding vice-chairman of the Beacon Council, a Miami-Dade County development agency composed of public and private sector leaders. The Mayor also served on the High Speed Rail Franchise and Environmental Review Committee.
In 2004, he was the Parliamentarian
Parliamentarian (consultant)
A parliamentarian is an expert on parliamentary procedure who advises organizations and deliberative assemblies. This sense of the term "parliamentarian" is distinct from the usage of the same term to mean a member of Parliament....
to the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
On December 13, 2005, Hialeah City Hall was renamed as the “Raul L. Martinez Government Center” in recognition to his 24 years as mayor and 4 years as a councilman.
In 2007, the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
controlled Florida legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
renamed 49 Street in Hialeah as "Mayor Raul L. Martinez Street".
Trials
In 1989, Mayor Martinez was expected to run against State Senator Ileana Ros-LehtinenIleana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. She is a member of the Republican Party....
in Florida's 18th congressional district
Florida's 18th congressional district
Florida's 18th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. Based in South Florida, the district includes portions of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The Miami-Dade section includes most of the city of Miami, the South Beach section of Miami Beach, and many of...
, left vacant after the death of Claude Pepper
Claude Pepper
Claude Denson Pepper was an American politician of the Democratic Party, and a spokesman for left-liberalism and the elderly. In foreign policy he shifted from pro-Soviet in the 1940s to anti-Communist in the 1950s...
. State Senator Ros-Lehtinen’s husband, Dexter Lehtinen
Dexter Lehtinen
Dexter Wayne Lehtinen is an American attorney, former politician, interim U.S. Attorney for south Florida and a law professor. He is the husband of U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. He is of Finnish ancestry....
, the acting US Attorney for South Florida initiated an investigation on alleged accusations of extortion and racketeering. In 1990, he presented his findings to a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
that indicted Martinez on eight charges of extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
and racketeering.http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/388228.html http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/388228.html
The indictment led to Raul Martinez's suspension from office and trial. In July 1991, Martinez was convicted for six counts of conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
, extortion and racketeering and sentenced to 10 years in prison. http://www.raulmartinez08.com/martinez-sentenced-91.htm Martinez appealed the decision and the appellate judges ordered a new trial in 1994, citing” flawed jury instructions and blatant jury misconduct”. The mayor's second trial ended March 26, 1996 in a hung jury. And the third trial, which began April 22, 1996, resulted in an acquittal on one count of extortion and deadlocked on five remaining counts (by a vote of 11 to 1 in favor of an acquittal).
The U.S. Attorney at that time, Kendall Coffey, (a Clinton appointee
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
who was confirmed by a Republican U.S. Senate) ultimately dropped the remaining five charges. The Clinton Justice Department then opened a case against Mr. Lehtinen on charges of "misconduct" and potential conflicts of interest for investigating a "a potential political rival of his wife." Mr. Lehtinen resigned his position as US Attorney.
Congressional election 2008
On January 21, 2008, Mr. Martinez announced on the America TeVeWJAN-CA
WJAN-CA is a Spanish-language Independent station in Miami, Florida. The station runs news, along with other Spanish-language programming. The station mostly talks about Cuba and its regime. The station also broadcasts news programming from CNN en Español....
show "A Mano Limpia
A Mano Limpia
A Mano Limpia is a local Spanish-language talk show on WJAN-CA in Miami, Florida, hosted by Oscar Haza. Numerous guests who have appeared on the show include Delfin Fernandez, Pedro Sevcec, Lech Wałęsa, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and others....
" his intention to run in the November 2008 election for the Florida 21st congressional district
Florida's 21st congressional district
Florida's 21st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. Based in South Florida, the district is located in Miami-Dade County and includes many of the western suburbs of Miami such as Hialeah, Olympia Heights, and Cutler...
seat held by Republican Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Lincoln Rafael Díaz-Balart was the U.S. Representative for from 1993 to 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate...
. Martinez officially announced his candidacy the following day at the Raul L. Martinez Government Center (Hialeah City Hall). Martinez lost to Diaz-Balart, garnering 42% of the vote.
Controversies
In June 1999, during a protest of more than 400 persons blocking an expressway in Hialeah, the city's then police chief, Rolando Bolanos, was hit in the head with a rock. Bolanos called Martinez to the scene and, during the battle, Martinez punched a butcher, Ernesto Mirabal. Mr Mirabal was charged with battery on an elected official, resisting arrest with violence and inciting a riot. The charges against Mirabel were later dropped. http://www.raulmartinez08.com/martinez-punch.htmIn February 2007, when a "caustic" press release from Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer
Jim Greer
James Greer is an American politician, serving from 2006 to 2010 as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Previously, Greer served as Deputy Mayor of Oviedo, Fla., worked as a lobbyist in Tallahassee for the restaurant and bar industry, and ran a company called Regulatory Compliance...
criticized Hillary Clinton's presence at a fundraiser at the ex-mayor's home, Martinez responded by using profane language. http://www.raulmartinez08.com/martinez-nasty.htm http://www.raulmartinez08.com/martinez-tirade.htm
Footnotes
- Progresso Weekly article
- The Miami Herald article "Battle of the Titans: Martinez vs. Diaz-Balart"
- Alfonso Chardy & Laura Figueroa, Congressional candidates Martinez, Díaz-Balart start swinging, Miami Herald, Jan. 23, 2008
- The Miami Herald; Losing Castro Will Redefine Cubans' Issues by Ana Menendez, January 23, 2008, page 1B
- The Miami Herald; Martinez Should Run by Alonso R. del Portillo, January 19, 2008, page 26A
- The Miami Herald; Neither Lehtinen nor Ros Lehtinen responded to Herald phone calls for comment, January 21, 2008
- The Miami Herald; Timing of investigation raises questions about 'the motivation of the prosecution February 17, 1991
- The Miami Herald; Lehtinen declined to comment about the timing of the investigation. February 17, 1991
- The Miami Herald; Lehtinen wanted to neutralize Martinez as a political rival of his wife, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen February 15, 1991
- The Miami Herald; Justice Investigating Miami U.S. Attorney for Misconduct April 20, 1990
- The Miami Herald; "Martinez insists he is not interested in changing the four-decades' old embargo against Cuba." January 21, 2008
- El Nuevo Herald; "The embargo should not be modified in any way" - Raul Martinez, January 21, 2008
- Maria Elvira Live show on Mega TV, January 15, 2008; "It's very troubling that the congressman of that district (Lincoln Diaz-Balart) gets his news on Cuba from El Granma."
External links
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Site with news stories on Raul Martinez