Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: #BecauseMiami: Mayoral Clown Car
Date: September 26, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Billy Corben, Roy, Mike Ryan
Theme: Political chaos, corruption, the “clown car” of Miami’s mayoral race, and a deep dive into local scandals and environmental policy.

Overview

This episode dives headlong into the writhing, feverish pit of Miami politics, as a record thirteen candidates vie for the mayoral seat—many with checkered pasts, familiar family ties, or fresh scandals. With guests including former commissioner Ken Russell, Sierra Club chair Steve Lightner, and Congressional candidate Elijah Manley, the team delivers biting, sarcastic analysis and exposes a corruption-riddled web of power, money, and environmental controversy—and it’s all served with authentic “Because Miami” humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mayoral Election: The "Clown Car" of Candidates

Timestamp: 01:16 – 06:09

• Breakdown of the field:

  • 13 mayoral candidates, described as a “clown car.”
  • Outgoing Mayor Francis Suarez is finally term-limited after 16 years “of putting Miami into the ground economically.”
  • Joe Carollo, infamous for brawling with political enemies and previous domestic violence-arrest, is running—again.
  • Political dynasties: Xavier Suarez, first Cuban-born mayor (in 1985), deposed for voter fraud, returns for another run, while his son, former/current mayor, also in the mix.
  • The Carollo family keeps power: after Joe’s term, brother Frank Carollo lined up to run for his seat, creating a “recycling” of politicians:

    “In this town where we do not recycle our trash, we reelect it.” (Billy Corben, 02:53)

• Historical context:

  • References to the notorious 1997-98 voter fraud scandal with fraudulent absentee ballots:

    “A bunch of dead people. Super voters, but dead, voting in Miami.” (Billy Corben, 04:44)

  • Multigenerational political crime families compared to Gotham’s villains:

    “Like the Joker running for mayor of Gotham City.” (Billy Corben, 02:48)

2. Environmental Scandal: The Trash Incinerator Battle

Timestamp: 06:09 – 20:21

• Eileen Higgins controversy:

  • Candidate and commissioner, accused of lying about her refusal to meet the Sierra Club while Ken Russell was involved.
    • Steve Lightner (Sierra Club) doubles down: “She was serious. No, she never did meet with me.” (06:57)
    • Ken Russell: “What she did was not very cool or terribly ethical, but it does not rise to the level of Joe Carollo corruption.” (08:25)

• Incinerator debate:

  • Miami-Dade wants to build America’s largest trash incinerator (4,000 tons/day), touted by Higgins as “environmentally sound,” but fiercely opposed by environmentalists.
  • Incineration will exacerbate climate risks—CO2, toxic ash, aquifer seepage.

    “Incineration is the worst option for climate.” (Steve Lightner, 13:46)

  • Composting and zero-waste strategies can divert 50–70% of trash from landfills.
  • Corporate influence:
    • Ken Russell accuses FPL (big utility company) and consulting firms of “greenwashing” politicians with campaign contributions.

    “The money is what creates what’s called greenwashing…using their money to influence politicians to repeat those greenwashing lies.” (Ken Russell, 15:14)

    • Higgins’ acceptance of these donations viewed as evidence of compromised positions.
  • Only Commissioner Daniela Levine Cava changed her vote after pressure from environmental groups.

    “What’s most important is her vote, not how she treated [me]…the country’s largest incinerator…would be a massive producer of carbon emissions.” (Ken Russell, 11:04)

• Notable quote:

  “Show of hands, everybody out there. How many of you know a trans athlete? None of you do. Let me ask you this: how many of you have trash?…This is an issue that affects 100% of us.”
  (Billy Corben, 12:15)

3. Congressional Scandal: Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and the $5.7M Overpayment

Timestamp: 23:22 – 34:33

• Overview:

  • Florida Department of Emergency Management overpaid Trinity Healthcare Services (run by McCormick) by $5.7M (meant to be $57,000, decimal error during COVID contracts).
  • Instead of returning the funds, McCormick raised her salary, loaned millions to her campaign, and won by five votes.
  • State’s lawsuit gives her 19 years to pay back the money (interest free), and she’s now suing opponent Elijah Manley for “defamation” for publicly discussing the scandal.

• Notable exchanges:

  “You were one of them [five votes]?” (Billy Corben to Roy, 27:38)
  “Did you get that million, Roy?” / “I did not.” (Billy Corben & Roy, 28:10)

  • Manley points out all his statements are based on public records—House Ethics, FEC, DOJ, and press reporting, yet McCormick drags opponents into court for calling out corruption.

    “This woman is a ghoul and a crim. That’s my opinion. Allegedly.” (Billy Corben, 29:22)

• Elijah Manley’s platform:

  • Promises not to enrich himself at taxpayer expense, focuses on affordability and climate change, highlights his background in public education and homelessness.

    “You should be able to trust your elected officials not to abuse power, not to bully their own constituents with lawsuits, but also not to take your money to chase power.” (Elijah Manley, 33:29)

4. Miami Budget Cuts for World Cup, Local Outrage

Timestamp: 41:32 – 42:32

• Viral clip from “Ms. Miami on TikTok”:

  “I got cut from my job so a mother could play soccer.” (Ms. Miami, 42:25)

  • As Miami slashes hundreds of jobs (including vital services), residents express anger that over $60M in county funds will support hosting the World Cup next year, underscoring the disconnect between political priorities and public needs.

5. Humor, Food, and South Florida Culture Interludes

Timestamps Scattered: 35:45–41:32

• The hosts infuse comic relief, riffing on gator cuisine, local food festivals (Goombay), and the eternal specter of Miami corruption:

  “In this town where we do not recycle our trash, we reelect it.” (Billy Corben, 02:53) “We either need less corruption, or I need more of an opportunity to participate in it.” (Billy Corben, 34:18)

Most Memorable Quotes

• On Miami’s election history:

  “A lot of Trump’s mythology and demagoguery about election fraud stem out of the 1997 mayoral election—one of the most corrupt and fraudulent in the history of the United States.” (Billy Corben, 04:49)

• On the current “clown car” field:

  “It’s like the Joker running for mayor of Gotham City.” (Billy Corben, 02:48)

• On Eileen Higgins’ silence regarding delayed elections:

  “I would not have benefited in any way. The reason I’m running for mayor is the city needs fixing now. It does not need fixing next year.” (Reported quote by Eileen Higgins, 39:04)

• On greenwashing:

  “The money is what creates what’s called greenwashing…using their money to influence politicians to repeat those greenwashing lies.” (Ken Russell, 15:14)

• On the broader impact of politics:

  “Show of hands, everybody out there. How many of you know a trans athlete? None of you do…Let me ask you this: how many of you have trash?...This is an issue that affects 100% of us.” (Billy Corben, 12:15)

• On defending political speech:

  “We have the First Amendment right to free speech and it is incumbent upon her to prove that what I was saying was false.” (Elijah Manley, 32:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Topic/Quote | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 01:16 | Joy Carollo enters mayoral race | | 02:53 | “We do not recycle our trash, we reelect it.” | | 04:49 | 1997-98 absentee ballot fraud context | | 06:43–08:25 | Eileen Higgins, Sierra Club, Ken Russell controversy | | 13:09 | Incinerator debate, “100% of us have trash” | | 15:14 | Ken Russell on “greenwashing” | | 23:22 | Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s $5.7M overpayment | | 27:38 | “You were one of them [five votes]?” | | 33:29 | Manley: “You should be able to trust...” | | 34:18 | “We either need less corruption…” | | 39:04 | Eileen Higgins on delayed election | | 41:32 | Miami employee laments job cuts and World Cup funds |

Additional Notable Moments

• Interplay of local political inside jokes with food: Gator meat, Goombay Festival, and “pork and corruption (leshon)” as metaphors for Miami’s budget and politics.
• Roy’s on-air change of vote from McCormick to Elijah Manley:

  “No, I’m voting for him. That’s it.” (Roy, 33:10)

• The hosts maintain their Miami style—a blend of sarcasm, community concern, and culture—that makes the show accessible to insiders and newcomers alike.

Summary in a Nutshell:
This episode is a whirlwind tour of Miami politics as only #BecauseMiami can deliver: hysterical, infuriating, and wholly entertaining. It exposes the deep-rooted problems of corruption, recycled candidates, and environmental mismanagement, all interspersed with the hosts’ signature blend of skepticism, street wisdom, and food talk. If you want to understand the warped genius—and tragedy—of Miami civic life, this episode is a must-listen (or, at least, a must-read-summary).