Charges Dropped Against Miami Commissioner and Lobbyist

Prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against former Miami City Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla and lobbyist William Riley Jr., citing insufficient evidence for a conviction. Both were arrested in September 2023, accused of participating in a bribery scheme involving political contributions from the Centner Academy to facilitate a $10 million sports facility. The case was reassigned from Miami-Dade to Broward County to avoid conflicts of interest, with Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor stating the investigation revealed no reasonable likelihood of conviction. Key witness testimonies were found inconsistent, and critical elements of the alleged crimes could not be substantiated. Diaz de la Portilla, who had been suspended from his commission seat, and Riley both pleaded not guilty and maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings. The decision to drop the charges was based on extensive depositions and follow-up investigations, which pointed out that the case was largely circumstantial.