ORLANDO, Fla. (September 30, 2020) – The Daisy Morales campaign has learned that Morales’s Republican opponent in the Florida House District 48 race, Jesus Martinez, whose campaign website claims he is a “respectable real estate broker” and states that “he has used his credentials to serve hundreds of families with housing, mortgage lending and credit issues,” has himself been struggling to stay out of debt, facing bankruptcy, nearly three million in foreclosures, and at least six failed businesses. Mr. Martinez’s financial history is a long list of disasters.
“Mr. Martinez escaped vetting by Republicans in the Florida House District 48 race because he didn’t have a primary Republican opponent available to check his past,” said Morales. “He got little attention from the news media because all eyes were on the Democratic primary candidates.
“It appears Mr. Martinez was hoping his troubled financial past would remain under the public radar by having his candidacy for the general election validated with the Orlando Sentinel’s endorsement.
“Our campaign believes the news media were so impressed with Mr. Martinez’s charisma, and the fact that he’s a fellow media personality appears to have given him a pass from being vetted.
“However, our campaign saw serious red flags in the information Mr. Martinez listed on his campaign website, which required review:
- He held a law degree, worked seven years with law firms on civil cases, real estate, family, meditations, bankruptcy, and immigration, but had no law license from the Florida bar
- He worked in the real estate and mortgage lending business for nearly 21 years, he held an active real estate broker license, but never mentioned being a former mortgage broker
- He claimed his work was pivotal during the 2008 mortgage crisis and helped families looking to avoid foreclosure
- It appears he added his wife’s background to help his campaign’s image
“Lawmakers are expected to balance the state’s budget in Tallahassee and bring funding back to their district,” Morales expressed. “Fiscal responsibility and accountability are at the heart of the Republican agenda. A state lawmaker must have sound financial judgment, and we’ve discovered that Mr. Martinez clearly doesn’t.”
Martinez’s Failed Businesses
According to the Florida Division of Corporations, Mr. Martinez was listed as the registered agent, manager, or an authorized person for six failed businesses since 2004.
– 1st Capital Lending Group Corp. Filed September 17, 2004 – March 14, 2008 (voluntary dissolution) Business address: 8010 Sunport Drive, Suite 120, Orlando, FL 32809 Mortgage agency license: February 21, 2005 – August 31, 2008 Mortgage broker license: April 1, 2002 – August 31, 2009 (license expiration effective date October 6, 2010) Note: According to the Florida Office of Financial Regulations, Mr. Martinez is no longer a mortgage broker.
– Home Solutions Real Estate Inc. Filed September 17, 2004 – September 26, 2008 (administrative dissolution) Business address: 8010 Sunport Drive, Suite 120, Orlando, FL 32809
– J & L Investment Group, LLC Filed July 14, 2006 – September 26, 2008 (administrative dissolution) Located at Martinez’s home address: 9977 Oak Quarry Drive, Orlando, FL 32832
– Capital Title and Trust Corp. Filed November 15, 2006 – March 14, 2008 (voluntary dissolution) Business address: 8010 Sunport Drive, Suite 120, Orlando, FL 32809
– Mejorate Group LLC Filed October 11, 2007 – September 26, 2008 (administrative dissolution) Business address: 5448 Hoffner Ave. Suite 104, Orlando, FL 32812
– Credit & Consumer Advocates LLC (listed as an authorized person) Filed March 27, 2017 – September 28, 2018 (administrative dissolution) Business address: 1038 S. Semoran Blvd. 2-1031 Winter Park, FL 32792
Mr. Martinez’s currently active company, Maximus PR & Communications LLC, was filed on August 31 of this year, located at 4555 Hoffner Avenue, Orlando, FL 32812.
Foreclosures, Bankruptcy Filings and Lawsuits
On or about March 11, 2008, Old San Juan Group, LLC leased 7229 E. Colonial Dr. in Orlando, Florida (32807), but court records revealed that Irma Enterprises, Inc. sued Mr. Martinez, seeking approximately $318,500 in damages due to a lease breach. Florida Division of Corporations records indicate that Mr. Martinez’s wife Lynnette was listed as the company’s registered agent; and court records show that the lawsuit listed them both, as well as the company, as defendants. The company was filed on February 25, 2008 and voluntarily dissolved April 29, 2009. The foreclosed property was 9904 Lanai View Circle, Windermere, FL 34786.
Court records show that Suntrust Bank and Suntrust Mortgage hit Mr. Martinez with four different lawsuits involving foreclosure:
– In one lawsuit, Suntrust sought nearly $1.8 million in damages for Lot 15 in Lake Nona, Orlando, FL 32827 (filed in September 2008, Case No. 08-CA-022267)
– Suntrust Bank was seeking roughly $494,000 in damages for his home, located at 9977 Oak Quarry Drive, Orlando, FL 32832 (filed on or about October 31, 2008, Case No. 08-CA-28925)
– The third was the final judgment on the 9977 Oak Quarry property, which ruled Mr. Martinez owed over $634,000 (filed in August 2009, Case No. 09-CA-27857)
– In a fourth, Suntrust Mortgage Inc., sought over $360,000 (filed in November 2009 for the above mentioned Windermere property, Case No. 09-CA-35962)
According to court documents, the U.S. Bank National Association sued Martinez for a condominium at Sunport Commerce Center. The final judgment was issued on or about July 10, 2010, and the property was put on auction on or about October 7, 2010.
Court records also show a foreclosure claim of a lien against Mr. Martinez and his wife by Ziani at Lavina Homeowners Association, Inc. on or about May 25, 2011 for failing to pay their HOA fee.
Court records revealed that Mr. Martinez (listed as Jesus Ramon Martinez Almonte) filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Puerto Rico in March of 2013 (Case No. 13-01828-EAG7). Court documents also show that a separate bankruptcy case was filed in the federal bankruptcy court in Orlando (Case No. 6:14-bk-11133-CCJ). Mr. Martinez’s wife Lynnette (listed as Lynnette Soccorro Batista Sanchez) filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Puerto Rico in September that same year (Case No. 13-07998-BKT13). The address he used on his bankruptcy filing was Calle Bianca 161, Urb Terra Senorial, Ponce, PR 00731. The address she used for her bankruptcy filing was 9013 Flat Rock Lane, Orlando, FL 32852.
Fly-by-Night Companies?
Mejorate Group LLC lasted roughly a year (October 2007 – September 2008) and the most recent business venture listed for Martinez before his newest one, Credit & Consumer Advocates LLC, lasted a little over a year (March 2017 – September 2018). Why are these businesses so short-lived?
Is Martinez Credible?
“A business and real estate history like this calls Mr. Martinez’s credibility into question,” said Morales. “It’s clear the voters, Republicans and the media don’t know enough about the dark side of Mr. Martinez’s past that we now see so clearly. Either party, Republican or Democrat, would call for him not to run or assure that they had a viable candidate.
“Our campaign will leave it to District 48 voters to examine Mr. Martinez’s troubled past to determine during the general election if he’s fit to represent them in the Florida legislature.”
Media Contact: DaisyForFlorida@gmail.com | Campaign Website: DaisyForFlorida.com
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