Miami-Dade commissioner’s PAC got $38K in World Cup tix from county tourism bureau

A political action committee supporting the chair of the Miami-Dade County Commission secured a gift of $38,500 worth of soccer tickets from the county’s tax-funded tourism bureau in the days ahead of two sold-out World Cup matches in Miami Gardens.

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On June 26, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) was listed as the in-kind donor of the tickets for a fundraiser for A Bolder Florida, the PAC for Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez. The bureau confirmed the gift on Friday, saying it consisted of 11 tickets to a World Cup match.

“We were asked by Chairman Rodriguez for tickets to one of the World Cup matches,” David Whitaker, chief executive of the GMCVB, said in an email Friday. “We had access to tickets as part of our overall sponsorship and sponsor benefits with the local organizing effort.”

The nonprofit tourism bureau relies on government funding for the $49 million budget the organization reported in its 2024 tax return. In the current county budget, the Visitors Bureau is set to receive $37 million from the county’s hotel taxes — an allocation approved by the County Commission that Rodriguez leads.

Rodriguez, the most prolific fundraiser in county government with a war chest of about $4 million, was automatically reelected to a second term on June 9 when no challenger filed to run against him.

The donated tickets are listed on Bolder Florida’s campaign-finance report, but the disclosure for the June 26 contribution does not include details beyond “tix to soccer game for fundraising event.” In his email, Whitaker did not identify which World Cup match the tickets were for but said each was estimated to be worth $3,500. He said the GMCVB did not pay for the tickets, but they were given to the bureau as part of its role as a sponsor of the local World Cup Host Committee.

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The day after the June 26 entry of the GMCVB’s ticket donation to Rodriguez’s PAC, Hard Rock Stadium played host to a sold-out match between Colombia and Portugal. A week later, Argentina fielded Lionel Messi against Cape Verde, one of the most popular underdogs in this year’s World Cup.

Political committees often will secure tickets to a popular sporting contest or concert, then invite donors to spend big to attend the event with the politician. In this case, A Bolder Florida reported no cost for the tickets because they were donated — or given “in-kind” from the GMCVB.

Rodriguez, who is the chair of A Bolder Florida, did not respond to a request for comment.

With six months left to go, the tourism bureau’s donation of $38,500 worth of tickets is the single largest donation to Rodriguez’s PAC in 2026.

The GMCVB helped put on the World Cup event for Miami-Dade County. It is listed as a sponsor of the local FIFA Host Committee, and Whitaker serves on the host committee itself. Local sponsors receive free match tickets as part of their sponsorship packages.

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