Miami-Dade County mayor takes stand in Steven Bateman corruption trial

Mayor Carlos Gimenez questioned about 2013 meeting with former Homestead mayor

MIAMI – Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez took the stand as a witness in the corruption trial of former Homestead Mayor Steven Bateman.

Gimenez was called by the prosecution Wednesday regarding a meeting he had with Bateman when Bateman was still the mayor of Homestead.

Gimenez told the court he met with Bateman in 2013 regarding a pump station in Homestead. The meeting is significant in this case because the prosecution wants to prove that Bateman took a secret job with a health care company -- getting paid $125 an hour.

Bateman is accused of using his job as mayor to help complete the construction of that health care company's newest clinic. The defense argues that Bateman's gig as a consultant was legitimate and separate from his job as mayor.

"Did he ever tell you he was there on behalf of anyone else?" asked the prosecutor.

"No," said Gimenez.

"Did he ever tell you he was being paid by somebody else to be there?" asked the prosecutor.

"No," said Gimenez.

"When a meeting was set up about the pump station, did you find anything extraordinary about it?" asked the prosecutor.

"No," said Gimenez. "I have had meetings about pump stations with other mayors."

Bateman is charged with two counts of unlawful compensation and with violating the county ethics code.

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