Miami City Commissioner Joe Carollo broke his silence after a jury found him liable for violating the rights of two Hialeah businessmen.
Carollo spoke Monday night with interviewers on “America Teve” after he was ordered to pay a $63 million judgment.
He called the fee absurd, saying the city of Miami should be lucky to have him.
Carollo compared his case to that of O.J. Simpson and George Floyd, pointing out that the guilty parties in those cases had to pay much less in damages even though they committed far more heinous crimes.
Jurors agreed that Carollo violated the First Amendment rights of businessmen Bill Fuller and Martin Pinilla after he used city code inspectors and fines to target their properties as payback for their support of his political opponent.
A press conference was held at City Hall Tuesday morning, where former elected officials and business owners called for Carollo’s resignation.
They denounced what they say are “decades of corruption and harassment” inflicted by Carollo, who they claim has a history of targeting residents who speak out against him politically.