We send thank you to USMC Sgt. Shamar Thomas for upholding his oath to defend the US from all enemies, both foreign and domestic, when no one else would. Sometimes doing the right thing, means doing it alone.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution today released the first Interim Report of the 19th Statewide Grand Jury on Public Corruption. The report outlines legislative changes that are recommended to strengthen existing civil and criminal laws to combat public corruption in the State of Florida. “The Cadets at our nation’s military academies swear an oath to [...]
A Florida physician plead guilty on Dec. 9, 2010, in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, for his role in a fraud scheme involving lobbying and fund raising for political candidates and organizations, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division. Alan D. Mendelsohn, 52, of Broward County, Fla., pleaded guilty today [...]
Another local official has been arrested on corruption charges. On Monday morning, Broward state attorney Michael Satz obtained warrants for the arrest for Broward School Board member Stephanie Kraft and her husband Mitch Kraft. Both are facing charges of unlawful compensation, bribery, official misconduct and conspiracy and turned themselves in at the Broward County Jail [...]
From Broward County’s Public Information Office Commission Plans Two Public Hearings on 2011 Budget Broward County Commissioners will conduct two public hearings in September on the 2011 Fiscal Year budget recommended by County Administrator Bertha Henry. Public testimony will be taken at both hearings, held in Room 422 in the Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews [...]
Voters will get to decide whether Broward County will have an office of inspector general (IG) who will be charged with investigating misconduct and mismanagement by county and city elected officials, their employees and any service providers who work with them.
The Broward Schools Integrity ethics commission will hold its final workshop on Wednesday, August 11, 2010, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Board Room at the K.C. Wright Administration Center, 600 S.E. Third Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Discussion will focus on potential recommendations to be included in the commission’s upcoming report that will be forwarded [...]
The City of Tamarac’s Mayor and Commission appointed Michelle Gomez to serve as Commissioner for District 2. Michelle Gomez will serve out the remaining term, which ends November 2014, for the seat, which has been vacant since June 25, 2010, or up until the point where the Governor would re-instate the previous Commissioner. Gomez is [...]
Broward County Public Schools along with four of Florida’s largest school districts including, Miami-Dade, Duval, Hillsborough and Leon Counties, today held simultaneous news conferences to discuss a joint appeal to Florida Department of Education Commissioner Eric Smith noting significant anomalies in the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
As a more than two-year investigation by the Broward State Attorney’s office come to a close, Broward County commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin has resigned in advance of charges. On Tuesday, a warrant was issued for three third degree felonies and four second-degree felonies for
Broward commissioners are seeking legal input from a judge to determine the constitutionality of a proposed ethics code. In the November 2008 election, voters approved a commission to create an ethics code that would govern elected county officials. In a last minute presentation Tuesday, county attorney Jeff Newton told Broward commissioners that certain provisions related [...]
Gallagher, 51, of Pembroke Pines, was sentenced today on one count of bribery in programs receiving federal funds. At today’s hearing, U.S. District Court Judge James I. Cohn sentenced Gallagher to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, Judge Cohn ordered that the defendant participate in a [...]
From the Governor’s office: Governor Charlie Crist today, alongside Attorney General Bill McCollum, signed House Bill 437 (Click here for HB 437)to increase transparency and accountability in contracts between private attorneys and the Office of the Attorney General. This legislation requires pertinent contracting information be posted on the Attorney General’s Web site for public review.
Former Miramar commissioner Fitzroy Salesman was convicted late yesterday afternoon of two counts of bribery and two counts of extortion under color of official right. The jury acquitted him of two counts of honest services mail and wire fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 8, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Court Judge [...]
The Coral Springs City Commission will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 6 p.m. in City Hall Commission Chambers to address the process for filling the seats of suspended Commissioners Vince Boccard and Tom Powers.
This morning the Broward County State Attorney’s Office filed second degree misdemeanor charges against Coral Springs Commissioners Vincent Boccard and Tom Powers for violations of the Sunshine Law, which prohibits City Commissioners from discussing City business outside of a public forum. Gov. Charlie Crist sent out a memorandum at 5:50 p.m., suspending both commissioners from [...]
Jeffrey H. Sloman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce that Beverly Gallagher, 51, of Pembroke Pines, pled guilty to a charge of bribery in programs receiving federal funds. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 2, [...]
Attorney General Bill McCollum sent a letter, today, March 17, to Secretary of State Kurt Browning asking the Department to update its administrative rules on the retention guidelines for other types of electronic communication. The request was made after the conclusion of the Attorney General’s Sunshine Technology Team, which determined that electronic communications were not [...]
The Broward Schools Integrity ethics panel will convene its third and final public hearing on Monday, March 15th, 2010, from 6 pm to 8 pm at
Attorney General Bill McCollum announced that his office has sued a Broward County company alleging the company and its owner promised refunds to timeshare resale customers, but after collecting up-front fees never provided any money to consumers. JB’s Omega Tours Corporation, which does business as Recovery Resources, and owner Joshua Baillie are named in the [...]
As of Wednesday, February 10, 2010, a total of 703 children from Haiti have enrolled in Broward County Public Schools and Charter Schools. Of that number, 505 have limited English language skills.
In an effort to gain further public sentiment on the current operations of the Broward County School District and School Board, Broward Schools Integrity ethics panel announces that it will be holding~the second of its three public hearings. Bob Butterworth, George Allen and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler, pictured, head the ethics panel. The panel [...]
Broward County Commissioners have agreed to consider the creation of an Office of Inspector General (OIG). The purpose of the OIG would be to detect misconduct involving abuse, corruption, fraud, waste, inefficiencies and mismanagement by elected and appointed county officials and employees, county agencies, contractors, and parties doing business with or receiving funds from Broward [...]
Attorney Scott Rothstein, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., entered a plea of guilty to a five-count information in court today. Rothstein is now scheduled for sentencing before the Honorable James I. Cohn on May 6, 2010. He faces a total maximum statutory term of 100 years in prison. Rothstein pleaded guilty to one count of [...]
Those closest to the Broward County School system came out to speak Monday night to the recently appointed ethics panel to review the system’s ethics policies for board members and staff alike. After a large number of high profile arrests in 2009, both the Broward County School Board and Broward County Commission have committees reviewing [...]
