By JAVIER MANJARRES

Oh boy. Democratic Congressman Joe Garcia has once again been thrust into the news, as more campaign shenanigans continue to come to light.

Garcia’s campaign has paid out a $25,000 outstanding “win bonus “invoice to former campaign manager, friend, and former chief of staff, Jeffrey Garcia, who has been under a law enforcement microscope for his possible involvement in campaign and election fraud stemming from the 2012 election cycle.

The Miami Herald also reported that Garcia received a “campaign contribution from a federal lobbyist with close ties to the Castro regime.”

What is really interesting is that the donation to Garcia’s campaign was received “just days before Garcia, at the behest of the lobbyist, quietly circulated a letter asking his colleagues’ signature in support of a Cuban government pharmaceutical product,” according to the Miami Herald story.

But Cubans in the political ‘know,’ are not surprised that Garcia has accepted campaign donations from Castro sympathizers. The Shark Tank has reported that Garcia has a track record of receiving, and accepting donations from pro-Castro individuals who have a vested interest in seeing the U.S.-Cuba embargo eased, or lifted.

The Shark Tank brought to light a number of Garcia donors, who all have business ties with Cuba, have benefited from President Obama’s easing of travel restrictions to the island, and would stand to benefit from the lifting of the embargo.

“It’s time to let Cuban-Americans see their mothers and their fathers, their sisters and their brothers.  It’s time to let Cuban-American money make their families less dependent on the Castro regime.”-President Barack Obama (2010)

Questions continue to be raised, as to how deep Garcia’s ties are to these individuals, and whether Fidel Castro’s influence in South Florida extends right through Joe Garcia’s congressional campaign. Maria ‘Tessie” Aral- President of  ABC Charters Donated- $5295 ABC Charters flew 10,500 passengers to Cuba this summer, up from 6,000 last year.

”I think all of that will be wonderful when all travel restrictions are lifted,” Ms. Aral said. “But we’re not there yet.”

Marvin Verble- Executive, ABC Charters MIA Operations Donated- $2000 Married to Vivan Mannerud of ABC Charters (Airline Brokers Co.) Read more here John Cabanas- Owner of C&T Donated-$7100 Loann Cabanas Donated-$800 Adalgiza Cabanas Donated-$7100

“I support the revolution very strongly, very passionately,” he said. “I am integrated into the revolution in the deepest part of my being . . . I love Fidel like my father, and I believe he loves me like his son.”-John Cabanas –

Garcia’s main Republican congressional opponent, Carlos Curbelo, wasted little time in smacking down Garcia’s “very poor judgment.”

“At best Joe Garcia is displaying very poor judgment. At worst he is engaging in highly unethical conduct. What is clear is that he continues to embarrass our community and is unfit to serve in Congress. Our families deserve a representative who is focused on offering solutions to improve our dysfunctional government.”-Carlos Curbelo

The Herald adds:

Congressman Joe Garcia’s campaign paid his former adviser $25,000 for consulting work months after he was fired amid an election-fraud scandal, new financial disclosure documents show.

The payment to Jeffrey Garcia, no relation to the Miami Democratic representative for whom he was a chief of staff, came months after he received another eye-catching sum: a $25,000 “campaign win bonus” that Republicans suggested was “hush money.”

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) was quick to pounce on Garcia, who is at top of their ‘hit list’ of 2014 congressional seats they have identify as winnable. The NRCC questioned the “win bonus” as possibly being “hush money.”

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