Feud between Billy Corben, Joe Carollo sparks exchange over racism, abuse claims

Documentary filmmaker Billy Corben and Commissioner Joe Carollo are locked in a war of words that grew tense in Miami City Hall on Thursday, with references to Carollo’s previous arrest on a domestic violence charge and Corben’s penchant for mocking Cuban-American politicians by posting images of them dressed like Fidel Castro.

Corben, a frequent social commentator and City Hall critic, tried to address commissioners at the end of Thursday’s public comment period, when he said he wanted to talk about proclamations given out earlier in the morning to commemorate Women’s History Month. Commissioner Ken Russell explained the public is only allowed to comment on actions the commission could take based on the published meeting agenda.

Corben asked for clarification because Carollo, a former Miami mayor with a sharp tongue and hard-charging attitude, had previously gone on a rant about Corben during the March 11 meeting, a random non-sequitur unrelated to the discussion commissioners were having.

At that time, Carollo said he would be discussing Corben and his family at future commission meetings. Russell maintained Corben couldn’t comment, and Deputy City Attorney Barnaby Min said “the right to speak is prior to any action that is to be taken by the city commission.”

“So am I to understand that it’s the position of the city attorney that the commissioner could use the dais as his bully pulpit at any time about any citizen and there will be no opportunity for public comment?” Corben asked, to which there was no direct response.

Carollo had been roused. He launched into a diatribe about Corben, who he called “the biggest bully in this town,” for his frequent social media criticism of City Hall and Miami’s elected officials.

“Every Cuban-American member of this body that holds high office in this government, he has attacked, defamed, and dressed up as Fidel Castro,” Carollo said. “Imagine what he would say if we would dress him up as Yasser Arafat, Hitler, Saddam Hussein. He’d be screaming what he calls everybody. Everybody to him is a racist, everybody is corrupt. He defames everybody.”

Carollo also challenged Corben to debate him in the middle of Southwest Eighth Street, in front of Versailles. The commissioner repeatedly taunted Corben by calling him “little Billy Cohen,” using the filmmaker’s legal surname. Corben has made no secret that he has used a stage name since he was a child actor. Corben has previously said when his critics attack him while using his legal name, it amounts to the use of an anti-Semitic dog whistle.

After Corben asked for clarification if he could get his two minutes and Carollo told Corben to “grow up Billy,” Carollo said Corben should respond directly to anything Carollo had said. Russell acquiesced. Then Corben started recounting Carollo’s 2001 arrest for hitting his then-wife with a tea container he said he meant to throw at a wall. Carollo was Miami’s mayor. Corben has on multiple occasions tweeted the audio recording of Carollo’s daughter calling police the night of the incident.

Carollo and Commissioner Manolo Reyes cut Corben off, and Reyes said he was trying to keep things civil.

“You made presentations and proclamations for Women’s History Month, and I think the history of this city is important,” Corben said.

Corben paid for a truck to drive in front of City Hall on Thursday with a large video screen playing a television news report on the 2001 arrest. The clip includes audio from the daughter’s distress phone call to police.

According to nonprofit Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence, survivors of domestic abuse can be triggered — where they become distressed because they emotionally re-experience the trauma — by reminders of the abuse, including yelling, screaming and media that recounts instances or accusations of abuse.

The 2001 battery charge against Carollo was dropped after the completion of a family counseling program, according to the Herald archive. Carollo’s then-wife later divorced him. On Thursday, Carollo said that he’d passed a polygraph test on questions of whether he’d hit his wife. In more recent years, the American Polygraph Association has published research that show most psychologists agree that there is little evidence that polygraph tests can accurately detect lies.

After 20 minutes, Russell recessed the meeting for lunch.

“We have gone off the rails,” Russell said.

If you or someone you know is trying to leave a domestic violence situation, you can call the Florida Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-500-1119.