Demo Boss Ceasar Files For Clerk
BY BUDDY NEVINS
It was the worst kept political secret in Broward and today it is out in the open:
Longtime Democratic boss Mitch Ceasar officially kicked off his long-anticipated campaign for Broward Clerk of the Courts.
Mitch Ceasar
Ceasar filed papers today at the Broward Supervisor of Elections.
Although Ceasar is heavily favored, he does have four opponents. That high number should actually work for him. The outspoken Democratic Party leader is a lightening rod among some Democrats and with all those opponents the anti-Ceasar vote will be divided.
The Democratic primary is usually all that matter in a countywide race in Democratic-dominated Broward.
The others running to replace retiring Clerk Howard Forman include his wife Brenda D. Forman, a manager at the Public Defender’s Office Elizabeth Ann McHugh, and two others — Shandrell Latrice Roscoe and Rubin Young.
Forman has already raised $19,505, while McHugh has $15,800 in donations. Roscoe and Young reported no contributions yet.
Raising money should not be a problem for the voluble Ceasar, a lawyer. The reason:
Ceasar has been involved in Broward politics since the 1970s. He has been both the Florida Democratic chair and is currently on the Democratic National Committee. He knows just about every Democratic political contributor in South Florida.
He told Browardbeat.com he already has commitments for thousands of dollars.
In an interview earlier this summer, Ceasar said he would campaign on a specific platform of improvements to the Clerk of the Court’s Office. Under Forman, the public and lawyers have complained that the office is not consumer friendly, the employees often are surly and files are too often misplaced or lost.
Recently Forman cut back hours of service, citing budget cuts from the state. Such inconvenience is problematic to the campaign of his wife, a former secretary in the Clerk’s office.
The one unknown in Ceasar’s campaign are if his opponents will have enough money to spread the allegations of sexual harassment that surfaced several years ago in a weekly newspaper. The allegations were unproven, Ceasar vehemently denied them and has been repeatedly elected as Democratic chair since they were published. They still could make trouble for him, however.
Ceasar has not announced what his status with the party will be if he wins in the primary, 2016. The primary is in August and the new elections for chair of the party are traditionally in December, after the presidential election.
Here is a news release from the Ceasar campaign. The interesting tidbit for political junkies is that the e-mail came from Dan Lewis, a renowned political consultant with a great success record in Broward:
Email Mitch@MitchCeasar.com Website http://www.MitchCeasar.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 10, 2015
MITCH CEASAR, BROWARD DEMOCRATIC CHAIR FILES FOR CLERK OF COURTS
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, August 10, 2015– After over 40 years of community activism and almost 19 years proudly leading Broward’s Democrats, this morning Mitch Ceasar opened his campaign for Broward County Clerk of Courts.
“I am proud of the Democratic Party in Broward County that has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments while I have been Chair thanks to the hard work of literally thousands of motivated volunteers on behalf of Democratic candidates and Democratic values.” Mitch Ceasar
“Over time, I have become convinced that for Democrats to be successful, they must have a renewed commitment to community and gather as many neighborhoods, distinctive in identity, but united in the common goal of a better Broward. It means that good Democrats can no longer be complacent, but must take individual and relevant action to make their community better.” Mitch Ceasar
As a practicing attorney since 1980, Mitch Ceasar has handled both civil and criminal cases. Periodically, he has also been asked to advocate for public needs on behalf of cities.
Caesar’s professional career and experience as Democratic Chair has uniquely prepared him to qualify for the position of Clerk of Courts in Broward County. Before making a decision to become a candidate, Caesar spoke with some of Florida’s County Court Clerks to more fully understand the challenges facing Broward’s Clerk’s office.
“My strong relationships with our elected Judges, working legal community, and Broward’s many communities has provided me with valuable insight on both the demands and the potential of and for our county’s Clerk of Courts office.” Mitch Ceasar
“I am excited to begin my campaign for Broward Clerk of Courts because I know that by working together we can make Broward and the Clerk’s office a national showcase.” Mitch Ceasar
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Mitch Ceasar at (954) 475-2500 or email at Mitch@MitchCeasar.com.
August 10th, 2015 at 12:36 pm
We need a person with administrative experience, not a lobbyist to run the clerks office.
I will definitely be voting for Elizabeth Ann McHugh. She has a proven track record with Administrative experience, and treats people around her with respect and not an iron fist. Ceasar wouldn’t commit full time to the clerks position since he wouldn’t give up his lucrative lobbying contracts.
August 10th, 2015 at 12:50 pm
It doesn’t matter who wins because all the candidates are losers.
August 10th, 2015 at 12:54 pm
In point of fact do any allegations in community news papers in the past ever turn out to be true? Leading to indictments? Convictions? If this is the only negative Mr Cesar has NO NEGATIVE S only POSITIVES
August 10th, 2015 at 8:32 pm
I am thrilled that Mitch Ceasar is running! His determination, passion, and hard work over these many years makes him the most outstanding candidate for the job! Kudos to Mitch for doing so much to improve our community. He has my vote and, no doubt, so many others.
August 10th, 2015 at 8:47 pm
Mitch Ceasar is an excellent choice for Clerk. He has been devoted to public service in Broward for many years.
August 10th, 2015 at 9:50 pm
Yes Mr. Ceasar was given one minute at tonights meeting in Plantation. He used it to announce and I quote “I have crossed over to the Dark Side and have filed to be Broward County Clerk of Courts” THE DARK SIDE??? Disrespecting the office and the people who work so hard in the court system. Is this what we need ? Another I can’t run for this so I will run for that candidate? He doesn’t care and one minute in already had his Trump moment or more like 47%
August 10th, 2015 at 10:38 pm
This time nobody has to sign their name to their ballot. Let’s see how well our party leader fares in a true democracy.
August 11th, 2015 at 7:18 am
Buddy,
Mitch becomes the instant front-runner in that race. If what I hear from people today holds up through the campaign, he’s going to win hands down. They like him very much for the job.
Angelo
August 11th, 2015 at 8:55 am
Mitch took his allotted minute to announce he has “Gone to the Dark Side” and filed for C of C. As if the position was beneath him. Why then Mitch? People fear him and his affiliates. This is what we get when the system turns into a machine. Does having say over contracts and shady deals entice him? So Darth Vader why do you want to reject the force and submit to the “Dark Side”? Oh and walking out waving during Nan Rich our main speaker was bush.
August 11th, 2015 at 11:36 am
Walsh.
I’m curious to know who you are voting for here?
August 11th, 2015 at 11:57 am
a young democrat has no sense of humor or is just another cowardly jealous slander who hides on blogs with aliases
August 11th, 2015 at 12:35 pm
If I had my way The Clerk of the Court would be an appointive position.
If Mitch Ceasar applied, he wouldn’t even get an interview.
The Sheriff, State Attorney, Supervisor of Elections, Property Appraiser and even the Public Defender all have some political philosophy in fulfilling the job.
The Clerk is 100% administrative involving paper pushing and paper pushers. There is no liberal, conservative, Democratic or Republican way to file those papers or manage those people.
It has been an elective job since before Florida joined the Union in 1845. And for only one reason…PATRONAGE—Thank you Andrew Jackson.
Making Mitch Ceasar the Clerk will guarantee eliminating whatever professionalism is in the Clerk’s office so that he can build a political machine with hacks from the Democratic Executive Committee.
It will be like the Court Deputies in the 1970-90’s. Does anyone else remember the 85 year old bailiff from Century Village who “misplaced” a prisoner in the stairwell?
Ceasar touts his legal experience as a qualification for Clerk.
That’s like a nurse, hospital orderly or gynecologist suggesting that changing dressings, bedpans or birth control devices qualifies them to run the South Broward Hospital District.
The last time we had a really qualified Clerk was Clyde Heath in 1975. He lost in the Democratic landslide of 1976 to Bob Lockwood. His only qualifications appeared to be that he had memorized the Pledge of Allegiance and regularly visited Israel—the country not the Sheriff.
I am supporting Liz McHugh who is far and the most qualified person.
She has an MBA in administration. For the last ten years she has administered the budget and bureaucracy for the Public Defender. That’s of hundreds employees and a $20 million dollar budget. Regular state audits have never found a missing dime.
The Clerk’s budget is $60 million and 900 employees. I doubt Mitch Ceasar has ever hired or managed more than a secretary or the Executive Director of the DEC.
He will probably tell you how he will hire the best people to run the personnel and the budget.
Liz McHugh does not need to hire those people.
She IS those people!
So why is Mitch running for this job?
He would have you believe “the job needs Mitch Ceasar”.
If you talk to any of the lobbying insiders, you will quickly learn that the truth is: “Mitch Ceasar needs the job”!
August 11th, 2015 at 12:50 pm
Maybe Mitch will put Dan Lewis in charge of maintaining the records of the County…..
August 11th, 2015 at 1:51 pm
http://www.browardbeat.com/dan-lewis-demo-boss-ceasar-needs-to-retire/
August 11th, 2015 at 3:11 pm
I would vote for Howard’s opportunistic wife before I’d vote for Caesar. And that’s saying a lot cause she’s an idiot.
August 11th, 2015 at 6:19 pm
LF can’t pronounce the rest of your alias. Its all a big joke? Congress has a sub 30% approval but keep getting re elected. Sorry LF whatever, tired of the status quo. Mitch Cesear can’t re win his current position so he grabs for the low hanging fruit. Please what has he shown you that everyone else doesn’t see? He may win but certainly not the most qualified. But then again politics as usual right?
August 11th, 2015 at 8:22 pm
Mr Ceasar is an extremely intelligent and honorable candidate. We, Iin this community, are lucky to have such a hard working person running who is MORE than qualified for the position.
August 11th, 2015 at 8:27 pm
Mitch Ceasar is my choice. Over the years, he has shown his hard work and concern for our community. Not only is he intelligent but he has a caring and sincere demeanor that is unrivaled. Go Mitch!
August 11th, 2015 at 9:43 pm
I can’t believe I am going to agree with Sam Fields!
August 11th, 2015 at 11:33 pm
“For the last ten years she has administered the budget and bureaucracy for the Public Defender. That’s of hundreds employees and a $20 million dollar budget. Regular state audits have never found a missing dime”
So she should be lauded for not stealing money? Getting through an audit with no missing money, isn’t that her job?
August 12th, 2015 at 9:29 am
A Young Democrat manages to mistake the meaning of both pronounce and alias in one blog using an alias. Again blogging under aliases is cowardly n over the last 20 years has been the method of slander by corrupt lying lobbyists here in South Florida usually failures from outside my native state where the natives understand English and don’t hide behind aliases
August 12th, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Mr Nevins as you peer through your political Chrystal Balls anointing a character as a favorite because he smothered out individuals that exposed his deviant behavior towards women that were his subordinates is unconscionable.
As the professional investigative journalist that you report to be you have an obligation to parse through the B S cover-up that was issued from his camp. Speak to the victims that made the initial claims of these abhorrent incidents, what threats were used to silence them? These behavioral issues do not happen in a vacuum.
Please note the cover-up theft of funds by an officer in their club who was placed on probation for “Grand Theft.”
paraphilia [par″ah-fil´e-ah]
a sexual disorder characterized by recurrent intense sexual urges, sexually arousing fantasies, or behavior involving use of a nonhuman object, the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one’s partner, or children or other non-consenting partners.
Paraphilias include transvestic fetishism, other types of fetishism,
Broward County deserves better that Mitch Ceasar.
August 12th, 2015 at 3:29 pm
@Angelo, saying that Mitch is the front runner in that pack isn’t really saying much, now is it?!?!
August 12th, 2015 at 3:47 pm
Mitch will surprise everyone by losing. He plans to remain a lobbyist. A clerk that is a lobbyist! I don’t think even the braindead voters in Broward will accept that.
August 12th, 2015 at 4:27 pm
Here we go again! Sexual Harassment is a crime. If Sexual Harassment Victims are real and not cowardly lying slanders why haven’t they gotten lawyers sued n asked for charges to be made by the judicial system? Because they are lying rats who hide behind aliase. South Florida has a problem getting decent people to participate in public life because the nightcrawlers have gone from the free weeklies to the blogs.
August 12th, 2015 at 5:54 pm
Someone needs to tell Mrs. Absolutely-No-Experience-Forman how to campaign. Using your husband to walk around the offices of the Clerk of Courts every week and forcing yourself on the clerks by asking for donations and support doesn’t count. Shame on you Howard for knowingly allowing this to take place. Of course the clerks are going to feel obligated to support her with their boss standing by her side!!!
August 12th, 2015 at 6:37 pm
I’ve covered this topic before – this is from December 3rd, 2014:
“The 17th Circuit Clerk’s office is one of the, if not the worst run in the State. We have to be one of the only Circuits that you cant access pleadings online.” – Exactly right!!! We need a Clerk who will, on day one, declare the existing 17th Circuit website 100% obsolete and start over. Bring in the bulldozers and then build a new system in its place. …
http://www.browardbeat.com/marty-kiar-im-running-for-property-appraiser/#comment-1555811
“Well Qualified” responded: “Elizabeth “Liz” McHugh, an accomplished business woman, Executive MBA, handles a 20 million dollar plus yearly budget for Public Defenders office. This is a woman that would make a difference in the 17th Circuit Clerk of Court by bringing it up to date.”
I’m voting for McHugh, and seriously hoping that “Well Qualified” is correct. We need McHugh to modernize the Clerk of Courts website just as Lori Parrish has modernized the Property Appraiser’s website.
I’ll quote myself again – this is from December 11th, 2014:
Lori Parrish is widely acclaimed as Broward’s best executive where the proper management of public records is concerned. Might there be another place in Broward County where Lori’s great public records management expertise is needed?!? The “Scent Of Mount Trashmore” nominees are…
* The City of Plantation, for attempting to charge SALES TAX on fees for public records requests…
http://www.afn.org/~afn54735/legalday2sb3.html
* The 17th Circuit Clerk of Courts, for intentionally HIDING public records…
http://www.fornits.com/phpbb/index.php?topic=18693.0
* The 17th Circuit Clerk of Courts, for charging OUTRAGEOUS fees for public records requests…
http://fsne.org/news/2014/10/14/price-of-sunshine-in-broward-county-132k-in-public-records-search-fees/
* And finally, the 17th Circuit Clerk of Courts, for making INTERNET access to public records a straight-up nightmare…
http://www.clerk-17th-flcourts.org
And the Biggest Broward Public Records SCUMBAG is….
THE 17TH CIRCUIT CLERK OF COURTS!!!
Howard C. Forman, YOU get a giant piece of Mount Trashmore!!!
Don’t worry Lori, we’ll send in experts to fumigate Forman’s office before you take over…
And if you decide that it’s just better off being bulldozed… then let the bulldozing begin!!!
http://www.browardbeat.com/parrish-wins-in-court-battle-over-budget/#comment-1557071
August 13th, 2015 at 4:40 pm
I’m voting for Mrs Forman. She is the best candidate. She is so intelligent and well educated and has the experience to clean that place up. With the support of her husband, who’s integrity and fashion sense can’t be questioned, that courthouse will have the prestige of the whitehouse. Maybe they’ll even do the best thing possible and hire that great man Angelo Castillo.
Sorry my computer was being used by a homeless man on flakka. Did he type something bad?
August 15th, 2015 at 8:36 pm
Why can’t we get some new names of qualified people. The Broward incestuous corruption continues.
August 18th, 2015 at 11:04 pm
Yep, clerk employees are terrible and plain rude. I should know, I work there. Foreman should consider ridding himself and that organization of all the crap managers and supervisors. They are pretty much useless and make their employees feel worthless. If your boss doesn’t see value in you, why see value in your work. Of course there are exceptions but those few and far between rarely get recognized. Goodness be with you if you aren’t a favorite. I was told that i needed to buck up and do a better job because I was being watched and if I didn’t like it, I should find another job. This from a manager and supervisor that spend hours on lunch, show up late, leave early, and bring all the ghetto hood rat attitude with them when they actually are on the floor. Management should inspire not degrade and until the clerks office gets that big picture, nothing will change. Either way, my time is almost up at the grand ol courthouse. I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I couldn’t be happier.