Stacy Ritter seems to be retreating deeper and deeper into perhaps the only place that takes her seriously as a politician anymore. No, it’s not her bedroom closet but a place even more suspended from the real world, a place where voter ignorance isn’t a problem but a path to victory. It’s…
I keep looking for money coming from billionaire party-boat guy and U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene to area Democrats. Why? Because he’s got the support of number-two Democrat in the county, Diane Glasser. Understand Glasser has managed to turn her support for candidates into cash as a “consultant” for her…
The State Attorney’s Office has reopened its investigation of Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter’s dealings involving a $40 million county contract with Vista Health, according to sources. Ritter voted by phone in favor of the Vista contract in 2007 despite the fact that the health insurance company had hired Dutko Poole & McKinley, the lobbying firm employing…
It was bound to happen. With all these judges running for office and collecting money from attorneys who appear before them, someone was bound to complain, perhaps rightfully, that justice was for sale in Broward County. Enter megaboat dealer Todd Littlejohn, owner of Freedom Marine in Deerfield Beach. Littlejohn says that Broward…
Two Coral Springs commissioners were found not guilty today on charges that they violated the state’s Sunshine Law — but not by the jury that was sitting to hear the case. Instead, Broward County Judge Fred Berman stopped the trial and issued a directed verdict to clear commissioners Tom Powers and Vince Boccard. Berman…
I’m hearing that as part of the State Attorney’s Office corruption investigation, prosecutors have reopened a case involving a potential vote swap involving Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman and government insurance consultant Jim McKinley. The story goes like this: Back in 2003, Lieberman was working under the name Ilene Michelson as…
Digging for news this morning but thought I would share this from the Juice blog. It’s a firsthand account from a woman who worked on U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene’s yacht, and it’s the story of the day. ere’s an excerpt: ——————————————————————— The real partying started in Sag Harbor, New York. That’s when a deckhand and…
We’ve heard about some dirty tricks during this year’s election season, but this one goes way too far. While judicial candidate Alan Bernstein, whom I wrote about yesterday, was campaigning at the library in Coral Springs, two of his wife’s tires were intentionally punctured in the parking lot, according to police. They…
Nobody said running for judge in Broward County would be easy. Ask political newcomer Alan Bernstein. The 53-year-old attorney, who has been a workaday lawyer his entire professional life, is challenging Broward Circuit Judge Barbara McCarthy, who is not only an incumbent but has the advantage of being the wife…
Let’s be clear on this: I’d sooner vote for a tapeworm than Rick Scott. He’s one of the worst candidates in history. How many people who ran a company that was responsible for one of the great frauds in American history has the gall to run for governor? His company, Columbia/HCA, ran up $1.7 billion in…
Broward County has long been a playground for the Mafia. All the bigs have spent time here, from Al Capone to Meyer Lansky to lesser-knowns like Anthony “Tumac” Accetturo and Ettore Zappi. Then you have Broward School Board Chairwoman Jennifer Leonard Gottlieb. No, Gottlieb is not in the Mob. And this is in…
I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that Broward School Board candidate Travis Williamson was once caught peeping into a neighbor’s house to watch a pregnant woman shower or the fact that he now denies the incident ever happened. The 29-year-old Williamson, who is running for Bob Parks’ seat against three other challengers,…
Ever heard of Broward CleanSweep? It’s a Facebook page devoted to cleaning up the Broward County School Board by voting out the incumbent School Board members on August 24. Let me start by saying I honestly have no idea who is behind CleanSweep, and I’ve asked (and yes, I am…
I’m working on some things today but wanted to make one point: Judges are the really the most sacred priests in America, and there is no more holy ground than the courtroom. Of course, I’m not a religious person, so that’s easy for me to say. The point is that…
OK, so I was sent some Facebook comments made by School Board member Stephanie Kraft and a few other folks regarding my stories about Jennifer Gottlieb’s extramarital romance with a School Board banker and the alleged involvement of a School Board employee in exposing it. Former School Board member Darla Carter, who…
The statewide grand jury created by Gov. Charlie Crist to investigate corruption has focused on corruption at the Broward County School Board and has already brought down at least one sealed indictment, according to several sources. The grand jury, which is being overseen by Broward County Chief Judge Victor Tobin, is operating at full tilt and has…
The following is an excerpt from the Sun-Sentinel endorsement in the District 8 county commission race between front-runners Barbara Sharief and Angelo Castillo: Castillo says he’d like to improve the commission’s credibility. However, in his interview with the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Castillo awkwardly dodged a legitimate question about his use…
We know that Broward School Board Chairwoman Jennifer Gottlieb was caught romancing a Citi banker who worked at the School Board — an ethical violation if nothing else — when someone sent a string of of emails between them to her husband and another School Board member. Nine email exchanges were forwarded to Ken Gottlieb and…
Let me set the stage: It’s Marlins versus Phillies in a game the Marlins really need after three straight losses. They were down 2-0 but got four to get the lead. In the top of the ninth, the Phillies got two to tie. In the bottom of the inning, Hanley Ramirez…
With the August 24 election looming, I decided I’m going to do an occasional series wherein I denounce those politicians who should either be run out of office on a rail or never make it there in the first place. Call them anti-endorsements. My first choice for a lifetime far,…
— In the latest outrageous bit of behavior from our delinquent Broward County Commission, there is a new plan afoot to gut the new ethics reform. The insidious plan (as it appears on the agenda): The commission will pass the ethics proposals put forth by the Broward County Ethics Commission as they are,…
