#BecauseMiami: There's Something About Jeffery Epstein

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show – #BecauseMiami: "There's Something About Jeffrey Epstein"
June 26, 2026 | Live at Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

---

Episode Overview

This episode, recorded live from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, brings Dan Le Batard and company together for a local-focused #BecauseMiami hour, discussing South Florida’s persistent, perplexing ties to powerful figures, specifically centering on former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine’s evolving denials and connections to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as a first-person account of civil rights struggles at Miami Dade County commission meetings. The show continues with the tone listeners expect: irreverent, probing, and uniquely Miami.

---

Key Topics & Insights

---

1. Philip Levine, Jeffrey Epstein & The Miami Web

Discussion led by Dan Le Batard, Roy Bellamy, Scott McClendon (Miami New Times)
(Timestamps: 00:30 - 16:10)

• Bombshell Allegations (00:30-01:44):
  The episode kicks off with the latest news: Jeffrey Epstein’s former assistant, Sarah Kellen, testifies to the House Oversight Committee, alleging that Philip Levine, former Miami Beach mayor, sexually assaulted her at Epstein and Maxwell’s rented home in St. Tropez. Levine's spokesperson denies non-consensual allegations, admitting only to a “brief intimate encounter with another consenting adult.”

• Roy’s “Full Disclosure” (01:44-03:00):
  Roy Bellamy reveals he once received a key to the city from Levine at a public event, underscoring how professionally and personally close Miami’s circles can be.

• Levine’s Entries in Epstein’s “Little Black Book” (03:00-04:29):
  Roy recounts being the first journalist to report Levine’s 13 separate entries—numbers, emails, even staff—in Epstein’s infamous contact book, despite Levine’s public denials of knowing Epstein.

  Quote (Roy Bellamy, 03:19):
  "I looked inside and found that Phil Levine had more entries, more listings in Jeffrey Epstein’s phone book than almost any single other person."

• Denials & Evolution of Levine’s Story (04:29-06:43):
  Scott McClendon walks through Levine’s shifting statements:

  • 2019: Levine admits he may have met Epstein briefly “once or twice,” denies giving full contact info.
  • 2025: Ghislaine Maxwell, from prison, claims Levine was the link connecting her to President Clinton—and in turn, Clinton to Epstein.
  • Levine’s defense: Levine continues to deny the introduction and blames “Wikipedia,” even creating timeline inconsistencies regarding his wife’s connection to Maxwell.

  Quote (Scott McClendon, 06:43):
  “He [Levine] told us in a previous text that he never introduced Maxwell or Epstein to the President, says, that’s simply untrue. This is public information and easily attainable… based on my personal knowledge, unfortunately, there’s nothing I can contribute further to further your efforts.”

• Public Records Expose Closer Ties (07:45-10:33):
  Miami New Times dives into newly-released Epstein files, exposing hundreds of digital correspondences between Levine, Epstein, and Maxwell, contradicting years of Levine’s public denials.

• Flirtation & Favorable Sentiments (10:33-12:02):

  • McClendon notes friendly, even flirtatious, email exchanges between Levine and Maxwell, including pet names (“polyp,” “O Vile one”) and suggestive compliments.

  • Levine congratulates Epstein upon completion of his Palm Beach jail sentence:

    Quote (Scott McClendon, 13:03):
    “I just want you to know that I’m happy that everything has come to a positive ending for you during tough times… I know all good things will come to you going forward. You are, and hope we can catch up soon. Your friend, Philip.”

• Stonewall Silence & PR Deflection (13:41-15:17):
  As public evidence mounts, Levine stops responding directly, hiring spokespeople. The new line: he had a “brief intimate encounter” with Kellen (denying assault), but spokesman and PR reps say little about his earlier denials or evolving stories.

  Quote (Roy Bellamy, 15:17):
  “He says nothing. He's silent. Or the crisis manager or PR person is silent on the ever revolving and deteriorating denials and explanations, false explanations of the nature of his relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.”

---

2. Civil Rights, Policing & Public Comment: Camila Ball’s Story

Interview with Camila Ball
(Timestamps: 19:10 - 35:32)

• Chaos at the County Commission (19:10-20:00):
  Dan and Roy cover the now-viral footage of Camila Ball being forcibly removed and arrested at a Miami Dade commission meeting, while trying to question why a debated immigration contract item was deferred.

• First-Hand Account of Confusion & Escalation (22:23-28:36):

  • Camila recounts her first commission meeting as intimidating, confusing, and fraught with bureaucratic hurdles.
  • She describes being ejected without knowing why, manhandled by a plainclothes sergeant-at-arms, and denied a clear explanation or due process—“I have a right to understand why you’re putting your hands on me…” (Camila Ball, 27:27).
  • Her attempts to deescalate were ignored; a swarm of officers forcibly dragged her out.

• Institutional Silence & Aftermath (28:47-33:33):

  • Months later, all charges (battery on a police officer, resisting arrest) are dropped; the only crime, it seems, was trying to participate in public comment.

  • None of the county commissioners or officials spoke up for her in the moment.

    Quote (Camila Ball, 30:05):
    “When I rewatched the video of the meeting…there was…they were confused and I could, you know, there was, like, what’s going on? But they didn’t say that…In an ideal world, the chair would have said, what’s happening? Let’s assess this situation.”

• Personal & Professional Fallout (31:52-33:33):

  • Ball details the physical harm (“three hernias in my neck,” PTSD), career loss, legal fees, and her family being forced to rent out their home and hit the road in an Airstream.

  • Despite the hardship, she defends civic engagement and encourages others not to be intimidated.

    Quote (Camila Ball, 33:13):
    “I think it’s important to show up and I’m in a very privileged position to be able to take those hardships… Ultimately, I think we all have to continue to show up and the more that more of us do, the less that this happens to us as individuals.”

• What Camila Wanted to Say (34:40):

  • Her prepared public comment was ironically on mistrust in law enforcement when agencies collaborate with ICE, and the need for community trust.
  • Roy observes the irony: law enforcement’s actions prevented her from delivering a speech about law enforcement overreach.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Roy on South Florida Scandals:
  “There’s always a Miami connection. Sometimes there’s multiple Miami connections.” (01:44)

• On Miami’s Power Circles:
  “Clinton spends much of his downtime with Miami businessman Philip Levine, billionaire money manager Jeffrey Epstein, movie producer Stephen Bing… makes a lot more sense and means a lot more now than it did then.” (08:25)

• Textbook PR Deflection:
  “Nearly a quarter century ago, our client had a brief intimate encounter with another consenting adult. Any allegations suggesting otherwise is not true.” (15:05 & earlier, 01:44)

• On the System’s Chilling Effect:
  Camila Ball: “There is an effort here, I think, to send a message to this community to not participate, to discourage people from participating…” (31:00)

---

Key Segment Timestamps

• Epstein/Kellen/Levine News Introduction: 00:30 – 01:44
• Roy’s Full Disclosure & Levine’s Key to the City: 01:44 – 03:00
• Levine’s Contact Entries in Epstein’s Book: 03:00 – 04:29
• Levine’s Years of Denials & Shifting Stories: 04:29 – 06:43
• Emails Between Levine, Epstein & Maxwell: 10:33 – 12:31
• PR Stonewall & Latest Denials: 13:41 – 15:45
• Transition to Immigration Politics & Camila Ball: 19:10 – 22:23
• Camila’s Experience, Arrest, and Aftermath: 22:23 – 33:33
• Camila’s Intended Public Comment: 34:40 – 35:11

---

Conclusion

This #BecauseMiami episode serves as a vivid snapshot of South Florida’s uniquely tangled power networks and the daily realities of attempting to engage with government systems. With humor and an undercurrent of seriousness, Dan Le Batard’s crew and guests connect headline-grabbing scandals to the lived experience of Miami residents—from the fallout of old-money secrets to the price of demanding government accountability.

For deeper dives:

• Follow Scott McClendon’s reporting at Miami New Times
• Read Camila Ball’s personal account at milamos.substack.com

End of summary

Transcript

[Roy Bellamy]

Zootopia 2 has come home to Disney. Let's go get ready for a new case.

[Dan Le Batard]

We're gonna crack this case and prove we're victorious. Partners of all time.

[Scott McClendon]

New friends.

[Dan Le Batard]

You are Gary the Snake and your last name.

[Roy Bellamy]

The Snake Dream Team hid new habitats.

[Scott McClendon]

Zootopia has a secret reptile population.

[Roy Bellamy]

You can watch the record breaking phenomenon at home.

[Tony]

You're clearly working at Zootopia 2.

[Roy Bellamy]

Now available on Disney. Rated PG.

[News Reporter]

In a bombshell announcement for a high profile South Florida politician, the House Oversight Committee said Thursday it's asking the Justice Department to investigate sexual misconduct allegations made by Jeffrey Epstein's former assistant, Sarah Kellen. Kellen testified behind closed doors last month she worked for Epstein and accused three men of sexual assault, one of them former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. He served from 2013 to 2017. In transcripts released Thursday, Kellen told lawmakers Levine forced himself on her at a house in Saint Tropez. Epstein and Maxwell were in the house but not present when the assault happened. They rented a house in Saint Tropez one summer and Philip was good friends with Ghislaine and he came to stay with us in the house and Jeffrey and Ghislaine had gone to bed and Philip and I were still up. There was me and Philip and then there was like this wooden kind of shack on the beach and just like grabbed my hand and pulled me into the shack, basically forced himself on me, a spokesperson for Lavigne said in a statement. Nearly a quarter century ago, our client had a brief intimate encounter with another consenting adult. Any allegation suggesting otherwise is not true.

[Roy Bellamy]

There's always a Miami connection. Sometimes there's multiple Miami connections. And Roy, this story about Phil Lavine that broke in recent weeks is pretty wild because I am not a degree of separation away from him and I feel like if there is a former Miami in this case, Miami beach mayor who was implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein case, I need to be out there. In the interest of full disclosure, Roy In 2014 at the world premiere of the ESPN 30 for 30 the U Part 2, which we held at the Colony Theater on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, I was surprised on stage during my introduction. You'll see I'm wearing I borrowed that jacket from Uncle Luke, my Hurricanes starter jacket. But I was surprised on stage by then Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and this happened. There's no greater treasure and he's very important to all of us because he keeps everyone honest. He keeps everyone thinking about what's right for the people. And on behalf of the city of Miami Beach. It's my honor to recognize Billy and raconteur with a key to our city,

[Scott McClendon]

Camille Levine.

[Dan Le Batard]

Everybody

[Roy Bellamy]

still going to tweet about you, dude. Yes, you heard me at the end. As he was escaping to his back, I said, I'm still gonna tweet about you, dude. And I kept that promise because in 2019, I discovered when Gawker published what they call Jeffrey Epstein's little black book, it was really just his phone book. I looked inside and found that Phil Levine had more entries, more listings in Jeffrey Epstein's phone book than almost any single other person. There was 13 different numbers, email addresses. I don't even know addresses, his home, his work. There was his butler, his assistant, his secretary, his housekeeper, his driver. It was a crazy list of 13 different listings. I broke that story on the Twitter machine. It was picked up by Miami New Times. Phil Levine at the time put out a statement denying knowing Jeffrey Epstein at all. But this becomes the story. These kind of from 2019 to present day, these evolving denials from Phil Levine. And to that end, Miami New Times, really even more so than any other periodical or news outlet out there has been covering this. Scott McClendon is a Miami New Times staff writer who's basically been on the Phil Levine, Jeffrey Epstein beat as of late. Scott, can we go through a little bit the evolution of this story? Phil Levine's first denial back in 2019. What was that story?

[Scott McClendon]

So first he tells our staff writer, Alex DeLuca. The quote is, I think I met him possibly two or three times, but briefly, maybe over 15 years ago at events. Don't remember ever giving him my full contact info, but possibly did give him my contact card. That was just days after Epstein died by suicide in Manhattan. And then he says, when I read the book, the little black book, I was also surprised. I truly just don't know was his first response to us.

[Roy Bellamy]

That is 2019. Then you got a flash forward, because Philippine kind of retires from the politics and the spotlight. He has a failed run for Florida governor in a Democratic primary. He comes in, what, like, third, fourth? It was really just kind of pathetic. He, like, lit $25 million of his own money on fire in this weird narcissistic ego play where he didn't even win the city of Miami Beach. I think most of the precincts in Miami Beach. You know who won that? Andrew Gillum. Remember Andrew Gillum?

[Tony]

Yes.

[Roy Bellamy]

Is he here? Is Andrew here? Look under the desk. See? Andrew, honey, Andrew, you hear? Now he's not here. So Phil kind of retires off to a ranch somewhere and we don't hear much from him. But then a funny thing happens, circa 2025. Remember, Ghislaine Maxwell had did an interview in prison with Todd Blanche, who is now the interim, I guess you'd call him Attorney General, but he's the personal attorney to the President, United States Donald Trump. So this was before Ghislaine was transferred to a much more lux accommodations in the Bureau of Prisons. But during this interview, she revealed a stunning piece of information, which is that the way that Ghislaine Maxwell met former President Bill Clinton was through her close friend Philip Levine. So get this. According to this interview, Philip Levine introduces Bill Clinton to Ghislaine Maxwell, who introduces Bill Clinton to Jeffrey Epstein. So Phil Levine is apparently, according to Ghislaine, the connection between Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein. So now what, Scott, now what does the former Miami beach mayor have to say about this?

[Scott McClendon]

Now, this was in. This was July 2025. He now tells us that he was introduced to the President coming out of the White House and became friendly with him, or I'm sorry, that Maxwell said this, that Levine introduced him. And Levine tells us that that's not accurate, that he told us in a previous text that he never introduced Maxwell or Epstein to the President, says, that's simply untrue. This is public information and easily attainable. I've tried being helpful, but based on my personal knowledge, unfortunately, there's nothing I can contribute further to further your efforts. And he follows that up with some Wikipedia, Wikipedia page links that show some pictures of Epstein and his relationship with Clinton as his proof that he couldn't have introduced them. Then he also says that he was just a friend with Maxwell, him and his wife, but there's an issue with that because he wouldn't be married until years later. So.

[Roy Bellamy]

Right. He may not have even known his wife or have met the woman who would become his wife. And nobody asked him about that per se. I mean, he just sort of offered. He just throws his wife kind of under the bright line there, where she's like. He's like, oh, and by the way, you know, I only knew Ghislaine because she was friends with my wife. But again, not married for like, I mean, 10, 15 years or more. I mean, like, there's a long stretch between the time. Well, although I guess we didn't entirely know what era yet. Phil Levine knew Ghislaine Maxwell, but basically says, I don't know why you drag your wife into this, even if it was true, which it doesn't appear to be from a chronological perspective, why you'd want to kind of blame your wife for your connection to this woman. But also there was a book published in 2008 by author Carol Felsenthal called Clinton in Exile. And one of the things that she wrote at the time, which probably didn't mean as much then in 2008 as it does now, but that in addition to Ron Burkel, Clinton spends much of his downtime with Miami businessman Philip Levine, billionaire money manager Jeffrey Epstein, movie producer Stephen Bing. This is like the only mention I think of Jeffrey Epstein and Philip Levine in that book. But obviously it, like I said, makes a lot more sense and means a lot more now than it did then. So even then there was the connection in a post presidential Bill Clinton, a connection between Philip Levine, Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Clinton. Now, a month later. So this transcript that we were just talking about came out in December of 2025, which is when the Miami New Times wrote about it. But then literally like a month later, the Epstein files, as it were, I mean, whatever of them they felt like releasing, Pam Bondi felt like releasing and Cash Patel felt like releasing, came out in this searchable format. So we went online and we. Sir, who do you think we searched for? Roy? Not Phil Levine. Well, I mean, after we searched ourselves, just in case. Hashtag not in the fil. Roy. No, make sure in the files I'm not in there. We search for Philip Levine, who turns up what, six, seven, 800 times or something in various emails with Ghislaine Maxwell and with Phil Levine, but no Roy Bellamy, no Roy, no. And we even checked just to be sure. Now Phil Levine's at this point, month old, barely month old denial from December of 2025 is disintegrating before our eyes. What do we learn from these Epstein files? Emails between Phil Levine, Ghislaine Maxwell and of course Jeffrey Epstein. That kind of turns the previous denials, all the previous denials over the previous five, six years on their head.

[Scott McClendon]

So there's lots of like dozens, scores of emails between Levine and Epstein and Levine and Maxwell and then between the three of them too. In those emails, it shows a very friendly relationship between Levine and Epstein, including visits to each other's houses. And then emails between Levine and Maxwell show a more than friendly relationship. She called him nicknames like polyp and O Vile one and complimented his old fashioned approach to courting. In one email they also talked about him being, quote, hung like a horse.

[Roy Bellamy]

Vile. I thought that was me. I Thought you are a vile little man. Oh, vile one, yes. Like pet names, though. Like. Okay, so here's the thing, right? Polyp, by the way, for clarity, Scott, these. This is like at the turn of the century, right? In the early zeros, right?

[Scott McClendon]

This would have been before Levine was mayor, right?

[Roy Bellamy]

And before he was married. These are effectively two single consenting adults engaging in flirtatious email relationship, if not more, which is entirely their business. If it's a consensual sexual relationship between consenting adults, that's not really of interest. But then there are some we have to remember. The denials are the problem, Roy. He kept saying, I don't know Jeffrey Epstein. I never met Jeffrey Epstein. I don't know Ghislaine Maxwell. She was friends with my wife. All of that is total, utter bullshit in light of this evidence. But also, what are his exchanges? Philip Levine's exchanges, like with Jeffrey Epstein

[Scott McClendon]

himself via email, with Epstein, right after he got out of jail, the first time in the Palm beach jail, he sends him a letter congratulating him for making it through this tough time. Says that he got a bad rap. He's happy that this is behind him. This trifle of child prostitution or soliciting prostitute is behind him.

[Roy Bellamy]

Now, to be clear, Roy, that he was in jail in Palm Beach. This was this ridiculous sweetheart deal that they cooked up for him to avoid federal charges for, you know, sex trafficking and raping underage girls. This was a solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of a minor for prostitution. So in response to that, Scott, Philip Levine is telling him, you're a great man. Thank God. You've.

[Ad Voice]

What?

[Roy Bellamy]

What did he say?

[Scott McClendon]

He said, hi. I just want you to know that I'm happy that everything has come to a positive ending for you during tough times.

[Roy Bellamy]

Happy endings. Happy endings, right?

[Scott McClendon]

And I know all good things will come to you going forward. You are, and hope we can catch up soon. Your friend, Philip.

[Roy Bellamy]

Do we know if they ever caught up? I want to know if this bromance continued to brew. We don't know. Now what? Now Phil Levine's got to have a new story, right? Ghislaine's not friends with his wife. Ghislaine and him are sort of at least amorous from afar, at a bare minimum. Polyp, my precious polyp, my sweet. You are a vile little man. And not knowing Epstein. Now, what's the story? What's the statement from Phil Levine? This is now circa January of this year, right?

[Scott McClendon]

This was January 30th. He did not actually respond to us that time. We have a cell phone number. So we called, texted him, sent him some emails. No response to that.

[Roy Bellamy]

Oh, he's got nothing to say now. Okay, and then this is January. Now let's go to June. We're all caught up. Just a few weeks ago, Sarah Kellen, the longtime personal assistant to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, She's a bit of a controversial figure. You know, she has tried to avoid the impression that she was somehow complicit in Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, like Elaine Maxwell was, and portray herself as an abused and groomed victim of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. And she just testified behind closed doors to the House Oversight Committee. That transcript was eventually released, and in it she accused three people, prominent people, including Philip Levine, of sexual assault. And now the House Oversight Committee has referred that complaint to the Department of Justice for a criminal investigation. This onion keeps peeling or unpeeling? And unpeeling. So now what's the story, Scott, from Phil Levine.

[Scott McClendon]

Now it's again reaching out to his cell phone number. We get a call back from a spokesman this time that the first time that's happened. He's been sticking up for himself until now.

[Roy Bellamy]

So now he basically has a crisis management team or somebody, a PR manager

[Scott McClendon]

at the very least, tells us nearly a quarter century ago, our client had a brief intimate encounter with another consenting adult. Any allegations suggesting otherwise is not true.

[Roy Bellamy]

So effectively admits that there was something sexual or physical that occurred with Sarah Kellen. But now it's a he said, she said, effectively.

[Ad Voice]

Right.

[Roy Bellamy]

That happened a quarter of a century ago. I'm sorry. He says nothing. He's silent. Or the crisis manager or PR person is silent on the ever revolving and deteriorating denials and explanations, false explanations of the nature of his relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.

[Scott McClendon]

No statement on how the response to the relationship has changed over time as more evidence has come out show how close they really were.

[Roy Bellamy]

Scott McClendon. I imagine you're gonna stay on this story. Cause it seems to be never ending and ever evolving.

[Scott McClendon]

Absolutely.

[Roy Bellamy]

Read Scott McClendon@Miami newtimes.com thanks so much for being here, Scott.

[Scott McClendon]

Yes, thank you for having me,

[Tony]

Tony. You know that moment at a party or at a tailgate where everything just sort of clicks? I know it well.

[Roy Bellamy]

It's usually when I show up, everybody goes crazy.

[Tony]

Yeah, you usually take all the credit for it. But it's because Tony usually walks in with Cuervo. Walking like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cuervo is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night. It has that effect on people. It does. You usually take the credit for it, but again, it's the Cuervo effect. It's like that moment in a big game where everyone in the crowd just starts standing up, hootin and hollerin'. Keep it Cuervo.

[Roy Bellamy]

Keep it cuervo, baby.

[Tony]

For 22 years on this show, we've debated the greatest athletes of all time. Who's the goat in football? Who's the goat in soccer?

[Ad Voice]

Who's the goat?

[Tony]

Goat and hoops. One thing that we all know is Dan's the goat of finding the worst possible take. But there's another kind of MVP goat that doesn't get enough credit. The friend who knows to show up with enough Miller Lights plus extra ice because they just know the one who already has seats at the bar when you walk up. That is Miller Time nvp. I've been on this show long enough to know that Dan is going to make everything about his feelings and Jeremy is going to push back on whatever I just said. But here's something nobody on this show will argue with. Miller Lite is the summer beer. The original light beer since 1975. This summer, recognize your MVPs. We all have that one friend who makes every game better. Now it's time to give them their moment. Head over to Miller Lite's social media pages to learn more about being a Miller Time mvp. You can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Hello, listeners.

[Ad Voice]

I know you know this, but the cup? Yeah, it's taken over the US and only DraftKings Sports has you fully covered. The DraftKings Sports app is now available in all 50 states, giving you access to every market and keeping you in on the excitement at the speed of sports. Sweat all the matches you love all in one place with one app. New DraftKings customers sign up with code DAN, spend five bucks and get $200 in rewards within 21 days. That's code DAN in partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours.

Bet with DK Sportsbook. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler 1-800-Myret New York call 877-8-HOPE and wire text HOPE&Y Connecticut called 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boothill Casino in Kansas. Bet text Illinois 21 and over void in Ontario event contract trading with DraftKings. Predictions involves risk of loss Sportsbook bonus bets expire in seven days. $50 in predictions dollars issued weekly for three weeks. Expire in one year. Redeem one non withdrawable reward Availability varies. Predictions offer void in New York ends June 28th. Terms at DKNG Co Audio Let go of me.

[Camila Ball]

Let go of me.

[Ad Voice]

No.

[Camila Ball]

I have a right to understand this process.

[Dan Le Batard]

Chaos breaking out at a Miami Dade Commission meeting. A woman dragged out in handcuffs. Stop it. I Camila Ramos pulled from the chambers. She and another arrested. At issue on the agenda whether to modify an agreement that's been in place for years dealing with immigration detentions in Miami Dade. That issue was deferred.

[Roy Bellamy]

I am about to help you, but you need to let yourself be helped.

[Dan Le Batard]

And so board chair Anthony Rodriguez warned the audience that if they chose to speak, they'd forfeit the right to do it at a future date. But Ramos kept asking questions and ignored orders to sit down.

[Roy Bellamy]

Let her speak. Let her speak. Eventually, she was forcefully removed from the chambers, all while outside. Don't grab my mic. Ramos booked at tgk, charged with battery on an officer. That was exactly a year ago this week, last June 26, 2025. Nine months later, those criminal charges of battery on a police officer and resisting an officer with violence against Camilla Ball were dropped by the Miami Dade State Attorney's office. Now, this was a commission meeting, a county commission meeting, and Camilla and dozens of other people were there to speak on this issue of the 287G, which we've talked a lot about on this show. These are the contracts, Roy, that local law enforcement agencies or state law enforcement agenc agencies contract or have a pact with ICE to effectively do the federal law enforcement's job for them or in concert with them. Not really the job of local law enforcement. And in fact, a lot of people argue that it's damaging that local law enforcement does this because it discourages people, victims of crimes from coming forward if they're concerned about their documentation or their immigration status. And so a lot of people have been trying to engage their government. Miami Dade county is crazy. When you see me go to public comment, I'm usually in a city or municipal government building like city of Miami. The county is wild and really opaque and really shady. And you have 13 commissioners and 13 $14 billion budget and a lot of fiefdoms and a lot of crazy rules about how you have to sign in and what you're allowed to say and not allowed to say. And it's very confusing. People who are going especially it's an intimidating for people going to engage their government for the first time. And because this was such a heated, contentious issue and there was a lot of people in attendance of this meeting, there was a lot of law enforcement from the Miami Dade Sheriff's Office on the scene. And Camilla is joining us now. I understand this was your first time at a meeting like this attempting to participate in your own government. Is that right? And, and is it as I described, it's a little bit. Bit mysterious and almost scary. Right. And difficult to navigate?

[Camila Ball]

Yeah, absolutely. It was my first time and I really didn't know what expect. What to expect. It was my first time at any commissioner meeting, not just on a county level. And there's a lot of protocols and getting accustomed to just what's happening in the room. And it was a, you know, a little disorienting, for sure.

[Roy Bellamy]

So before we get into the fallout from this, what actually happened, it seemed like there was a lot of confusion. You were maybe attempting to get some clarity from the chair of the commission, Anthony Rodriguez, and then all hell seems to break loose.

[Camila Ball]

Yes. So at that time, the chair was trying to communicate to us that the item was being deferred. It wasn't super clear why it was being deferred. And so there was a lot of commotion and like murmuring in the room and confusion. And there were some people from the audience who, who weren't speaking formally. Public hearing hadn't opened, but they were asking questions to the dais and getting clarity. And I wanted to ask, well, why was it deferred? Because it wasn't clear to me in that moment. And that would have helped me decide whether I would speak or not. Because he was asking whether people, the few dozen people that were there to speak, whether they were going to speak. And it was really confusing also because if anyone spoke that day, no one would ever get to speak again. Public hearing would have been had. And so you have a few dozen people who are all mostly individuals who are trying to decide, well, if I speak, will I ruin it for the others? If everybody else doesn't want to speak or if I don't speak and somebody else speaks, then have I lost my moment to speak? And so, so I thought, well, maybe if I know why it was being deferred, I can better adjust of whether I'm going to speak or not. And in that moment, I asked it to the dais like others were in the room. And I was so nervous because it was Like a new environment for me, that I said it actually quite sheepishly. I was like, why was it deferred? And the chair didn't even hear me. He didn't even, you know, he was answering another question. But there was a man in front who was in a blazer, and he was two or three feet away from me. And so he heard. And then he looked at me and pointed to the exit door and said, you need to leave. And I was very confused because I hadn't done anything. And actually, even afterwards, when studying the rules of decorum, and obviously, you know, I went back and I was like, what rule did I break? What? And I didn't break any rule. And actually, that individual happened to be a sergeant at arms, and they are charged with taking orders from the chair. So he actually wasn't even authorized to eject me. They only eject people after the chair says, that person needs to leave. So it was very confusing. And it felt, in that moment, it felt like, like wrong. It felt like, this doesn't really make sense. I, I, you know, I'm not being boisterous. I'm not applauding. I'm not, you know, I'm not breaking any rule of decorum, and I'm. I'm really just here to learn and to, you know, have my voice. And it felt really, really wrong, especially when they began to put their hands on me. So.

[Roy Bellamy]

And you were, as we saw and heard, were manhandled and dragged forcibly removed. Why didn't you just get up and leave? Or did you not have an opportunity to? Because you had quite a few people actually with their hands on you at that point.

[Camila Ball]

Well, you know, there's a few moments of the event. So the first bit was when he's first, you know, ejecting me, and. And he begins to put his hands on me, and I, you know, I bring my arm back to myself because I, you know, I'm like, who is this? He's a guy in a blazer. I thought it was some sort of clerk or something.

[Roy Bellamy]

You didn't understand that it was law enforcement necessarily.

[Camila Ball]

Yeah, there was no. There was no, like, identification. There wasn't a badge. There wasn't an ID that said, you know, he didn't say, I'm, you know, a police. You have to go. So I was very confused. I thought it was just a regular person, like a clerk or something putting their hands on me, which I thought was very wrong. And then my thoughts in that moment was like, it feels like my rights are being violated, and I Don't consent to this, and I don't consent to these hands on me. And I don't consent to being ejected without doing anything wrong, really.

[Roy Bellamy]

So, right, you're saying, no. No one told you what you had done. Like, when someone gets arrested, they say, this is what you're being charged with, or this is what you're doing wrong, or this is. And you weren't clear about what it was that you were being manhandled over.

[Camila Ball]

Correct. And I kept asking. I said, what's. What's happening? Like, I have a right to understand not just what was happening on a deferral basis and on the item basis, which I also have a right to understand, but, like, I have a right to understand why you're putting your hands on me and why you're ejecting me out, which you're not telling me. You're just doing it. And so once they dragged me up the aisle, I was like, all right, this is enough. I can walk. And I said that. And I. I said, I can walk. I can stand up. I'll walk out with you. A man's voice from behind me said, you can walk? I said, yeah, or from around me. It was very disorienting. And then in that moment, there was a new person who had come in, and it was a woman. She had this sort of, like, white satin top with a blazer. And she. And she said, no. And she grabbed my leg. And once she did that, they all grabbed me again. And just before this, I was saying, I'm gonna take take a breath. I said, can I take a breath? Can I take a breath? I'm going to center myself and I'm going to get up and walk, which is, you know, to me, like, some of the least aggressive or like, I was really trying to diffuse the situation

[Roy Bellamy]

and de escalate, de escalate. I listen, I don't want to take too much time with the blow by blow, because we have a lot of. Of ground I still want to cover in just a couple of minutes. So you've never been arrested before? You have no criminal record?

[Camila Ball]

No, no, no, no. Not at all.

[Roy Bellamy]

So months, nine months later, these charges are dropped. But that obviously is small solace in terms of the tumult, you know, that this kind of put your life into. Because it turns out once all the charges are dropped, the only crime you committed was attending a public meeting and attempt to engage your government during public comment. And in some confusion, there was melee, as we heard from this video. There was also, like, kind of Continued force or violence from police officers against other people, because it sounded like some of the other members of the public attempted to speak out for you, obviously, chant, let her speak. Let her speak. Or attempted to engage law enforcement to say, what are you doing? Why are you doing this? Let her go. I want to ask you this, though. Yes or no, did anyone on the dais, any of the county commissioners, the mayor, anybody who was there, did they speak up. Up for you? I mean, you might not have heard it at the moment, but looking back on the video, did anyone say, hey, Don Kilo, like, let's. Maybe this is an overreaction to law enforcement. Like, maybe we just need to, like you said, take a breath, take a beat, let cooler heads prevail. Did anybody speak up on your behalf amongst the elected officials who are supposed. Who take a sworn oath to the Constitution, did any of them attempt to intervene?

[Camila Ball]

No.

[Tony]

No.

[Camila Ball]

And when, I mean, I. When I rewatched the video of the meeting. No. No, there was. They were confused and I could, you know, there was, like, what's going on? But they didn't say that like that. You know, I think in an ideal world, right. The chair would have said, what's happening? Let's assess this situation. I'm the only one who can authorize, you know, an ejection.

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, to be. To be fair, the Sergeant arms law enforcement is there to maintain the rules of decorum. I don't know exactly what the.

[Camila Ball]

Actually, no. The chair is the person charged with maintaining decorum. The Sergeant at arms are exclusively charged with taking orders from the chair.

[Roy Bellamy]

Okay.

[Camila Ball]

Those are the rules.

[Roy Bellamy]

I'll have to take your word for that because I'm not aware of that chain of command. I mean, law enforcement in a public building during a public meeting has obviously certain obligations and responsibilities to maintain order.

[Dan Le Batard]

The law.

[Roy Bellamy]

Right.

[Camila Ball]

Somebody's breaking the law. Of course.

[Roy Bellamy]

Right. You're saying in violation of some sort of decorum or Roberts rules of order or commission rules, you're saying that has to be prompted by the chair, which makes sense. But I want to. Before you go, I want to talk a little bit about the impact that this has had on your life, because clearly there is an effort here, I think, overall, to send a message to this community to not participate, to discourage people from participating, attending meetings, speaking out, speaking truth to power. And they use people like you, unfortunately, as an example, to send that message that if you come here, you may wind up physically, you know, manhandled, arrested, and have your life turned upside down. Can you talk a little Bit about the impact this has had on you personally and your family.

[Camila Ball]

Yeah, of course. So of course there are physical damages. I had bruises and open wounds all over my bruises all over my body. I had, you know, a gash on my chin and on my arm. I've got three hernias in my neck. And the stress of going through the criminal process has affected my thyroid and so a lot of physical issues, of course, psycho emotional. I've been diagnosed with PTSD and I'm working through that now and then significant financial hardships as well. My criminal lawyer was, you know, $25,000. And that was just the start of. Because I'm a, I'm a real estate agent and over 30% of my business comes from cold online leads. And so what do they do? They, they Google my name and then they see these violent charges and my leads dropped significantly. And my number one, the routing website into my agent profile has been the Miami Herald. So that affected my family financially and we basically Airbnb our house so that we wouldn't lose our mortgage and got this Airstream and now are on the road until, you know, things picked back up again and I can rebuild. So, yeah, some pretty meaningful changes. But I think if I look back, I wouldn't have done anything differently. I think it's important to show up and I'm in a very privileged position to be able to take those hardships. Ultimately, I think we all have to continue to show up and the more that more of us do, the, the less that this happens to us as individuals.

[Roy Bellamy]

And for those listening who aren't watching, Camilla is streaming live from her Airstream on the road with her family elsewhere outside the state. And last thing you have started to write about this experience, I guess, is, I gather from reading some of it, your writings myself, that might be a form of therapy or maybe to deal with the PTSD and sort of reliving the trauma for you. Can you tell people where they can find. You're writing about this?

[Camila Ball]

My substack is milamos.substack.com and today, also a wonderful newsletter. Gloria is publishing my work as well, and I'm sharing this story and it is therapeutic, but it's also, I think, important for people to know the state of affairs and what's happening so that we can continue to come together and do something about it.

[Roy Bellamy]

Milamos is M I L A m m o s.substack.com before we go, 60 seconds, what would you have said at public comment at the Miami Dade county commission meeting had you not been dragged out by your limbs and hair.

[Camila Ball]

So what I was going to say was that law enforcement and public safety requires trust, and that this between our sheriff's office and ICE corrodes that trust. Because it. When. When we partner with these agencies that are acting above the law and lawlessly, it supports that. And it. And it then confuses the lawlessness with our own law enforcement. And I think it's really important for us as communities to be able to. To trust our law enforcement and to be able to trust our systems.

[Roy Bellamy]

Roy, is that what you call irony? If that's what Camilla was trying to say, or what she would have said, and then. Is that what Alanis Morissette would call ironic? Is that. That's exactly what I was going to say. Alanis Morissette. Yeah, right. Is it real irony or is it like Alanis Morissette irony? It's like an unfortunate coincidence rather than actual. Either way, I'd say it's pretty up, is what I would say.

[Camila Ball]

Thanks.

[Roy Bellamy]

You're welcome, Roy. Camila Ball. Find her@milamos. That is Mila with one L. Milamos substack.com. thanks so much for being here, and good luck to you and your family. Cocaines.