The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust has dismissed complaints against prominent Coral Gables activist Maria Cruz from two men with ties to Mayor Vince Lago.

Brian Goldmeier, a fundraiser for Lago, and Jorge Arrizurieta, a lobbyist and Lago’s former appointee to the city’s Board of Adjustment, filed the complaints separately. The commission found no probable cause for Goldmeier’s complaint and ruled Arrizurieta’s complaint legally insufficient.

Cruz suggested in published reports that her criticism of Lago may have influenced the complaints. “It’s obvious that they are trying to intimidate me,” she said.

In the first complaint, Goldmeier, who recently moved to Aledo Avenue, alleged that Cruz misused her volunteer position on the city’s code enforcement board by intervening in a case involving an orchid he had nailed to a tree in front of his home. Cruz had reported the violation, followed up via email, and questioned why Goldmeier received a warning instead of a citation. Goldmeier argued that her involvement was politically motivated due to his ties to Lago.

“Because it is known that I am a consultant for many elected officials in Miami-Dade County, some of whom Ms. Cruz does not support, I was concerned about her involvement in the complaint,” Goldmeier wrote.

Cruz stated she was unaware the house belonged to Goldmeier. He filed the complaint six months after the incident, shortly after Cruz led an unsuccessful recall effort against Lago, which fell short by 117 signatures.

While dismissing the complaint, the ethics commission issued Cruz a letter of instruction on proper recusal procedures. The letter emphasized three steps: publicly disclosing the recusal and the nature of the conflict, leaving the meeting during discussions and votes, and filing a written disclosure with the Coral Gables City Clerk. Although Cruz recused herself from a vote on the case in the fall of 2023, she had first provided an explanation of her involvement.

The second complaint that Arrizurieta filed alleged that Cruz acted as an unregistered lobbyist. The commission found the claim legally insufficient, stating that Cruz was not lobbying because she was not compensated for representing any entity. According to both Miami-Dade and Coral Gables ethics codes, individuals advocating for themselves or residents without compensation are exempt from lobbyist registration requirements.

“The complaint fails to allege that Ms. Cruz worked on behalf of a principal, as is required for her to be considered a lobbyist,” the commission’s final order stated. “If Ms. Cruz was not working on behalf of a principal, then it appears that she would be ‘lobbying’ on behalf of herself, which
is exempted by provisions in both the City and County Code.”

With both complaints dismissed, Cruz remains active in city affairs.