Dade mayor goes to Qatar, a client of her campaign chief
Qatar is paying to play host to Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who is visiting this week along with her 2020 campaign manager Christian Ulvert, who works for the Persian Gulf country as part of a U.S. lobbying team.
The country is hosting soccer’s World Cup this year, drawing protests for its human-rights record for criminalizing same-sex relationships and alleged mistreatment of migrant workers. Qatar is governed by a ruling family, functioning as a monarchy.
Also on the trip, according to a list released by Levine Cava’s office: Miami-Dade commissioners Oliver Gilbert and Keon Hardemon; Miami city commissioners Alex Díaz de la Portilla and Christine King; Levine Cava chief of staff Johanna Cervone; and James McQueen, a former Hardemon top aide who is now head of Miami’s Overtown Community Redevelopment Agency.
Levine Cava’s office said Tuesday afternoon Qatar covered about $5,000 in travel expenses for the mayor and her chief of staff, Johanna Cervone, including air fare, lodging, and meals. Qatar also covered the expenses for Miami-Dade and Miami commissioners on the four-day trip, according to representatives of attendees.
News of the trip first came from a notice Miami-Dade posted on its website to comply with Florida’s Sunshine Law, which governs meetings between elected officials. Because the delegation includes two county commissioners, the notice listed four days of events where they may attend together.
In statements from her office and social media posts, Levine Cava has suggested she’s talking with Qatar, a wealthy oil-producing nation, about the country possibly providing financial backing for one or more county infrastructure projects.
“I sat down with His Excellency Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie to learn about
Doha’s world-class public transit system, and to explore ways we can partner on transit investments,” Levine Cava wrote in a post with a photo of her and the Qatari minister who oversees public works. A statement from her office said the trip was partly to explore “infrastructure collaboration.”
No details were shared on what kind of infrastructure project Qatar might back in Miami-Dade. Miami-Dade is seeking non-county financing for transportation projects as part of the 2016 SMART Plan that seeks to build six new transit routes.
On Tuesday, Levine Cava also posted a video on Twitter of her and Gilbert at a World Cup stadium. “We’re visiting Qatar,” she said, then mentioned Miami-Dade’s bid to land World Cup games during the North American tournament in four years. “Miami-Dade 2026, here we come.”
Last year, Ulvert, owner of Edge Communications in Miami, was included in federal registration papers for a Qatar lobbying team in Florida, run by Rubin Turnbull & Associates. In a text message Tuesday, Ulvert said he handled “public affairs” for Qatar, and traveled to the country for the trip but not as part of the county delegation. “I’m here with Qatar,” he said.
Though not a county employee, Ulvert remains a frequent adviser to Levine Cava and is a paid consultant for her political committee, Our Democracy, as she prepares for her 2024 reelection campaign.
The Qatar itinerary includes stops at the
World Cup sites, and meetings with Qatari officials involved with adapting to climate change and investments. The schedule lists receptions each evening through Thursday. Levine Cava’s office said the mayor was departing Qatar earlier in the day on Thursday.
The delegation list provided by Levine Cava’s office doesn’t mention
Ulvert or Jacqui Carmona, the Rubin Turnbull lobbyist out of Miami who confirmed she is also in Qatar with the public officials. Carmona and Ulvert aren’t registered as lobbyists for Qatar in MiamiDade.
Carmona said she’s helping Qatar’s U.S. Embassy with logistics for the trip. While registered properly under the Foreign Agent Registration Act, Carmona said: “The embassy isn’t lobbying any specific item before the county or commission, if they ever do then we
would register specifically.”