I had absolutely no intention of ever writing another blog, especially about North Miami Beach.  But I have to admit, the sheer joy of potentially seeing Michael Joseph in handcuffs was enough to bring me out of “retirement.”

I don’t want to get too excited here, but the latest investigation of this morally bankrupt subhuman piece of garbage just might finally lead to an indictment.  Nothing would thrill me more than seeing Michael Joseph do a well deserved perp walk.

According to the Minutes of the January 20, 2026 City Commission Meeting, a motion was made “to engage an independent third party reviewer selected directly by the City Manager with respect to procurement guidelines and operating entirely outside the City Attorney’s Office to conduct a limited fact focused review of the governance and charter related concerns raised regarding staff interactions [with elected officials] with a scope to include confidential staff interviews, document review, and any other fact finding necessary to clearly understand current practices and expectations and the firm retained must possess specific expertise in municipal governance and charter compliance and the review shall be conducted in an expedited basis with a written report submitted to the City Commission prior to March 23, 2026 made by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Vice Mayor Smukler.”

In layman’s terms, the Commissioners voted to hire an outside firm to investigate themselves.

The initial motion required the report to be submitted by no later than February 13, 2026 and was approved by a vote of 5-2, with Michael Joseph and Commissioner Daniela Jean voting no.

Then a motion was made to extend the date to March 23, 2026, followed by a motion amending the original meeting to include the extended date.

Oddly, but not surprisingly, Commissioner McKenzie Fleurimond joined the naysayers on both motions, which passed anyway by a vote of 4-3.

We have no idea why Joseph, Jean, and Fleurimond were opposed to having their dirty laundry aired out in public.

Okay, guilty as charged.  We do know why.

The good news is that the Interim Investigative Report prepared by Algo Law Firm, LLC, which was hired to investigate the corruption, was submitted on February 16, 2026.

And, hoo boy, is it ever a doozy!

Nine city employees, labeled “Employee A” through “Employee I,” were interviewed by Franklin Roig and Norberto Hernandez of the Algo Law Firm.  Although these were supposed to be “confidential staff interviews,” it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who most of them were based on information given, such as job titles, etc.

Seven of the nine employees interviewed told the absolute truth about Michael Joseph’s character, including his bipolar-like behavior, explosive temper, foul mouth, arrogance, and manipulative ways.

These seven employees were justifiably terrified of Michael’s wrath and were hesitant to speak at first, but the dam eventually burst.  And when it did, the allegations of ethical and criminal violations came flooding out.

After interviewing Employee B, for example, the investigators noted:

The investigation revealed numerous allegations of alleged improper conduct and administrative interference by Mayor Joseph. These included direct communications with senior staff about operational and procurement matters, the use of aggressive and obscene language toward Employee B, and in-person inquiries about project delays that bypassed established administrative protocols. He exhibited visible emotional distress when recounting an aggressive phone call from the mayor that was overheard by his minor child.

We know only too well how vicious Michael Joseph’s sudden manic outbursts are.  See for yourself:

The most damning testimony came from Employee C, who was also the most affected by Michael’s truly disturbing behavior.  The report specifically noted:

One of the critical findings was the allegation of the circumvention of the City’s purchasing authority and procurement process. Employee C described the approval and implementation of a contract with Figgers Communications for an emergency notification system, even though the City already had an effective $12,000 system (Code Red) in place. Figgers charged $48,000 per year without prior municipal experience. Employee C opposed this procurement and refused to sign a purchasing exception; however, approval was granted by Interim City Manager Andy Plotkin, allegedly under the influence of Chief of Staff/Interim Assistant City Manager Marlene Monastime.

Even more disturbing, Employee C’s testimony included this little gem:

Another significant finding involved allegations of attempted manipulation of official records concerning the recent City Manager interviews. Employee C detailed an incident in which Mayor Joseph contacted him by phone and requested that he alter the official interview recordings for City Manager candidate Marline Monastime. The Mayor’s demands included disconnecting the recording equipment and editing the recordings. Employee C recounted that the distressing interaction with Mayor Joseph lasted approximately 40 to 50 minutes, leading to significant emotional anxiety and fear of retaliation for refusing his unethical requests. During this interaction, Employee C faced intimidation and hostility from Mayor Joseph, who resorted to profane accusations and threats. Employee C further stated that this behavior contributed to a hostile work environment, forcing him to take personal time away from work to cope with the distress from the incident.

In the interview with Employee G, the shady business with Figgers was also confirmed.  The report specifically noted, “A proposal from Figgers Communications, amounting to approximately $48,000, originated from the City Manager’s Office without a traditional competitive solicitation. Although IT and Procurement reviewed this proposal, there was an existing similar vendor already in place known as Code Red. Employee G acknowledged that not all procurements necessitate solicitation and noted that bid waivers are rare, accounting for only around 10% of procurements. The potential governance concerns stem from City Charter provisions prohibiting undue influence by elected officials in administrative matters.”

Interestingly, Figgers Communication, Inc., owned by one Freddie Figgers, is the same company under fire by the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) of the United States House of Representatives, as revealed in an investigative report on Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, which we told you about in a previous blog, and which implicates Michael Joseph in a money laundering scheme.

The report specifically noted that “Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick May Have Requested Community Project Funding for an Entity Acting as a Conduit for a For-Profit Entity,” which is prohibited according to “House Appropriations Committee Guidelines for the FY2023 Community Project Funding.”

As noted in the report:

The House Appropriations Committee Guidelines for the FY2023 Community Project Funding Member Request Process state, “[t]he Committee is imposing a ban on directing Community Project Funding to for-profit entities.”

It likewise states that “[w]hile Members are required to certify to the Committee that neither they nor their immediate family have a financial interest in the proposed project, Members should also be fully aware of any other financial aspects or relationships associated with the proposed project that might raise ethical concerns. These include but are not limited to lobbyists, donors, or other affiliated parties that have an interest in the project.”

The report also noted that “The OCE Sought to Determine Whether Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick Dispensed Special Favors or Privileges to Commissioner Michael Joseph in Connection with Community Project Funding.”

The Office of Congressional Ethics also requested documentation and testimony from both Freddie Figgers and Michael Joseph regarding their involvement with this Community Project Funding, but both of them “refused to cooperate.”

Meanwhile, the Algo Law Firm’s Investigative Report specifically pointed out the following:

Overlapping Concerns with Mayor Joseph and Figgers Communications:

A federal investigation involving Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick which included mention of Mayor Joseph and Freddie Figgers (CEO of Figgers Communications) illustrates potential ethical and legal dilemmas surrounding public trust and the procurement processes.  There appears to be a complex relationship tying together the alleged coercive actions of Mayor Joseph listed above, the contracting practices with Figgers Communication, and the implications of their interactions concerning federal funding as alleged by United States House of Representatives Committee on Ethics December 16, 2025 report.

Most of the evidence of Michael Joseph’s corruption was corroborated in the interview with Employee H.  The report noted:

Employee H provided various irregularities such as the City Manager recruitment process, governance structure, and handling of an internal complaint involving the Mayor and Employee C. Key issues arose, particularly regarding the management of a heated verbal confrontation between the Mayor and Employee C, which HR failed to document.

Employee C reported being reprimanded for the handling of a public records video, during which Mayor Joseph allegedly pressured him to alter the content, potentially violating the Charter and state public records law. Although Employee H conferred with the City Attorney, he was told by the City Attorney [Joe Geller] that he had already spoken to Interim City Manager Plotkin and advised Employee H to disregard the incident. HR’s failure to document this incident and lack of formal procedures created significant governance risks and exposure to claims related to a hostile work environment. As a result, Employee C took his own personal time to decompress from the verbal abuse he experienced with Mayor Joseph.

So Michael pressured an employee to alter the content of a public record???

Paging Kathy Rundle!

Yeah, what a joke!  We already know she won’t do a damn thing.

Employee H’s testimony was so crucial to the investigation, that the report noted, “The findings reveal weaknesses in documentation and communication, as well as an overreliance on informal conflict resolution, fostering a reactive rather than structured governance approach. The highest legal risks identified stem from failures in documentation, inadequate guidance from the City Attorney, and unaddressed allegations against Mayor Joseph concerning public record alterations.”

You need to read the report for yourself to get the full picture of Michael Joseph’s deep-seated corruption, as well as his accomplices, Frandley Defilie and City Attorney Joe Geller, both of whom should be fired immediately!

The two interviewees who refused to implicate Michael Joseph were referred to as Employees D and E, obviously for self-serving reasons.

Employee D, who “served concurrently as Parks Director and Interim City Manager,” is of course Andrew Plotkin.  During his interview, Plotkin said as little as possible, admitted nothing, and protested that he saw “his role as transitional and intentionally limited.”

Plotkin made a point of admitting that “he avoided policy creation and major initiatives” and “that he signed approvals when informed that procurement guidelines had been followed.”  Even worse, “Employee D maintained that if documents bore his signature, ‘he assumed that the right path should have been followed by department directors.'”

In other words …

It was painfully obvious that Andrew Plotkin just wanted keep his head down, lie low, to go back to running Parks and Recreation as soon as a permanent City Manager was appointed.

It’s also painfully obvious that, as Interim City Manager, Andrew Plotkin’s cojones were even smaller than his predecessor’s, Mario Diaz, which is hard enough to believe.

But, hey, not everyone can be the man previous Interim City Manager Mark Antonio was in the short time he ran the City of North Miami Beach.

It’s just too freaking bad that Mr. Antonio didn’t want the job on a permanent basis.  NMB would still be a viable municipality if he had stayed on as City Manager.

The other employee who refused to implicate Michael Joseph in any crimes or misdemeanors was Employee E, “Senior Management Analyst” Frandley Defilie.

Obviously.

Not only did Employee E insist that “he has not personally witnessed inappropriate conduct and affirmed a lack of direct evidence of Charter violations by elected officials,” but he continuously pointed his crooked little finger at the City’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Tarik Rahmani, in an obvious attempt to blame him for all of Michael Joseph’s wrongdoings.  It quickly became apparent that Frandley Defilie is a member in good standing of Michael Joseph’s Surrogate Army.

According to the report, as Michael’s sycophant, Frandley “raised significant allegations regarding internal administrative and financial misconduct,” by Mr. Rahmani.

The investigators wrote, “The allegations include claims that the CFO created chaos by neglecting core responsibilities and bypassing standard administrative protocols by communicating directly with individual commissioners. Employee E suggested that instability in finance leadership led to systematic failures in internal controls and noted that certain departments allegedly inflated budget requests to generate discretionary funds, with the library mentioned as a notable example. Additionally, allegations of frequent absences from critical responsibilities were made against the CFO.”

Frandley Defilie, who has a degree in “higher education” and absolutely no schooling in finance, is not even in the same league as Tarik Rahmani, a seasoned government specialist who brings a wealth of municipal experience to the humble City of North Miami Beach.

His extensive resume includes gigs such as President of Finance for the California League of Cities, Finance Director and Deputy City Manager of Carson, California, Finance Manager and Executive Finance Officer of Bellevue, Washington, and Finance and Operations Manager of Seattle, Washington.  Mr. Rahmani also holds Masters of Science Degrees in Agriculture Economics and Economics.

In other words, Frandley …

There is so much more revealed in the Algo Law Firm’s Investigative Report, you really have to read it for yourself.

After you pop a kettle of corn first.

For a quick summary, jump to page 29 and read Algo Law Firm’s conclusion.

Tonight’s Commission Meeting should be tons of fun.

That is, if Michael Joseph even dares to show his face in public after this latest scandal.

Hopefully, he will just resign and put all the residents of North Miami Beach out of their collective misery.

At least the ones who didn’t vote for this corrupt POS.

I just might even watch the show myself.

For entertainment purposes, of course.

Stephanie