In the first two weeks of April, during the final stretch of Coral Gables’ municipal election season, Mayor Vince Lago’s political action committee, Coral Gables First, raised $152,250 and spent $180,086, according to newly filed campaign finance records.

Combined with its first-quarter activity, the PAC has raised $541,250 and spent $508,395 since January 1. The second-quarter report, covering April through June, captures financial activity timed around Lago’s April 8 re-election and the April 22 runoff in which Richard Lara, his preferred commission candidate, won a seat.

Checks from familiar power brokers

The second-quarter contributions came almost entirely in large-dollar checks from developers, contractors, and business executives with interests in Coral Gables and the greater Miami area. The largest single contribution during the period came from 2000 Ponce Owner LLC, which gave $40,000 in two $20,000 installments. The company is controlled by Jakub Hejl, founder of Westside Capital Group, a prominent real estate investment firm with holdings in Coral Gables.

Other significant contributors included:

• Mastec, Inc. – $10,000 from the Mas family, a politically connected Miami-based dynasty in infrastructure and telecom.
• Ponce Park Residences LLC – $10,000 from developer Allan Morris, whose firm is building another high-end residential tower in downtown Coral Gables.
• MOCCA Construction – $8,000 from the local contracting firm owned by Alex Pirez.
• REZ Real Estate Services LLC – $5,000 from broker Saulo Perez.
• Parcel H1 Property LLC – $5,000 from a corporate entity affiliated with Codina Partners, a major development firm in South Florida.
• Manny Kadre, a Coral Gables-based attorney and business executive – $5,000 personally and an additional $5,000 through JLR Long Island LLC, an entity he manages.
• Ignazio Caltagirone, developer of Via Veneto, a luxury townhome project on Palermo Avenue – $5,000.

One group of contributions—totaling $15,000—came from executives associated with Leon Medical Centers, a prominent healthcare network:

• Benjamin Leon III, the company’s CEO – $5,000.
• Lourdes Leon Vega, senior vice president and Leon’s sister – $5,000.
• ASASKA Investments, led by Albert Maury who is also the CEO of Leon Medical Centers Health Plans – $5,000.

All contributions were dated between April 2 and April 18, concluding four days before the runoff. No additional contributions were reported for the remainder of the second quarter.

Political spending with trusted firms

Though contributions ended mid-April, Coral Gables First continued spending through June, issuing payments for consulting, media, outreach, and events. Of the $180,086 spent in the quarter, more than $150,000 went to three firms closely tied to Mayor Lago’s past campaigns:

• Berthier Group Inc. – $76,747. The firm is led by Jesse Manzano, a longtime political consultant to the mayor. Manzano also heads Tridente Strategies and was responsible for campaign strategy, polling, digital outreach, and canvassing.
• The Artisan Agency and Artisan Media Group – Combined $56,749. Both are run by Danny Bustamante, a communications and mail consultant whose clients span Republican and conservative campaigns across Florida. The Artisan firms handled video production, mail and digital ads.
• BYG Strategies Inc. – $19,017. Led by Brian Y. Goldmeier, a veteran South Florida fundraiser who has worked with Lago in past cycles, BYG handled donor engagement and fundraising logistics.

Additional expenditures included:

• $6,787 for a campaign brunch at Loews Coral Gables Hotel, hosted during the final days of the runoff campaign.
• $2,834 in legal services from Meyer, Blohm and Powell, a Tallahassee-based law firm.
• $1,000 to the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County, the PAC’s only political contribution reported during the quarter.

Season of spending ends, for now

The PAC’s most recent contribution came on April 18, just days before the April 22 runoff. No further fundraising and little political spending was reported for the remainder of the second quarter.

Coral Gables First was created in 2016 by former Mayor Jim Carson, then operated by Raúl Valdés-Fauli, and now serves as the main political committee aligned with Mayor Lago. The PAC played a prominent role in both his re-election and in supporting Lara’s successful campaign, using a combination of mail, canvassing, digital advertising, and fundraising outreach.