Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca Gets Thousands Of Dollars Thrown At Him
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca had a lot of money thrown at him last year.
Not only did a “friend” pay off more than $452,000 that LaMarca owed. He also snared a job with Zimmerman Advertising estimated to pay $200,000 annually where he may have been required to use his political influence to lobby the public health care agency, Broward Health.
The tale of why its good to be a Broward County commissioner is spelled out in his latest state mandated financial disclosure form filed July 7.
Chip LaMarca: It Pays To Be A Commissioner
LaMarca’s finances have been widely whispered about since Wells Fargo filed a foreclosure suit against him in May 2012. When court records disclosed late last year that LaMarca suddenly settled the foreclosure, the talk intensified.
LaMarca fueled the chatter by refusing comment.
Earlier this year when asked by Browardbeat.com how he repaid Wells Fargo, LaMarca would only say: “That’s private… I got refinancing from a friend.”
Now because of the state financial disclosure law, LaMarca’s finances are not so “private” and we know the identity of his “friend.”
Here is what the latest financial forms along with court documents disclose:
- The foreclosure by Wells Fargo against LaMarca was dismissed Nov 3, 2015.
- Wells Fargo was owed $386,191 for the LaMarca mortgage as of the beginning of 2015.
- Chase Home Finance was owed $65,538 by LaMarca at the beginning of last year, too.
- Instead of owing Wells Fargo and Chase $452,076, LaMarca now owes $354,500 to The Lending House.
The Lending Tree is a Fort Lauderdale company controlled by attorney Steven Stoll, who was one of two attorneys defending LaMarca against the foreclosure suit. The other foreclosure attorney was former Broward Health Chair David DiPietro.
Stoll’s wife, Rebecca Stoll, is a former North Broward Hospital District commissioner. She is also a Board member of the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale.
LaMarca’s $200k Job With Zimmerman
LaMarca’s form also discloses that he was being paid at a rate that adds up to $200,000 annually during his short time at Fort Lauderdale’s Zimmerman Advertising.
Past forms indicate that LaMarca’s only jobs were with the County Commission ($94,486 in 2014) and his own construction company ($36,000 in 2014).
In 2015, LaMarca hit pay dirt with a new job from Zimmerman Advertising of Fort Lauderdale.
The commissioner was paid $96,168 in 2015 for roughly six months work at Zimmerman, since he was hired in the summer. That adds up to an estimated $200,000 for an entire year.
Critics of LaMarca contend it was his friendship with DiPietro that got him hired by Zimmerman.
E-mails obtained by Floridabulldog.org allege LaMarca was lobbying Broward Health to finalize a $70 million-plus no-bid contract with the health agency, where DiPietro was the chair of the governing committee. LaMarca described DiPietro as a “loyal friend” and supporter during the Browardbeat.com interview earlier this year.
LaMarca has repeatedly denied his job at Zimmerman involved lobbying DiPietro or anybody else. He says he was Zimmerman’s “community liaison.”
Both men have since quit their jobs.
DiPietro resigned the governing board of Broward Health amid an investigation of the public health agency’s business practices, including the Zimmerman Advertising deal.
LaMarca left Zimmerman after details of the firm’s no-bid deal was made public. Zimmerman has stopped pursuing a contract with Broward Health.
All the people surrounding LaMarca are Republican activists.
LaMarca is the commission’s only Republican and a former Broward GOP chair.
Stoll and his wife are active in Republican circles. DiPietro is a GOP strategist and fund raiser. Zimmerman is a well-known GOP supporter.
So what have we learned?
We learned that LaMarca has folks like Steve Stoll whose company was willing to front him a lot of money.
We learned that LaMarca was working for Zimmerman for highest salary he had seen in years…but according to him, he wasn’t using his political influence to lobby.
And we also found out that it really, really pays to be a Broward County Commissioner.
July 9th, 2016 at 2:00 pm
His own lawyer loaned him money? That’s a straight violation of code of ethics all lawyers are bound to abide byand he is allowed to get away with this without being sanctioned or reported to the Florida Bar Association or American Bar Association? I guess code of ethics do not apply to some Broward County Lawyers
FROM BUDDY:
As I wrote, LaMarca owes his lawyer’s company and not the lawyer individually.
July 9th, 2016 at 2:26 pm
It appears that the there is no mortgage lien filed against the house in the Broward County Records. Interesting that anyone loaning chip, who had not paid his mortgage for 5 years and went in to foreclosure, 350k but not record the mortgage in case chip defaults?
Since the mortgage is not recorded, we will never know for sure if this loan was done when the old notes were paid off last year or conveniently put together after the Broward Health scandal broke in the spring.
Under the above scenario, Zimmerman could have paid off the house debt last November and when everything blew up, they did this transaction in Stoll’s name.
Also, if Stoll had the money to loan Chip? Why wait until the eve of the foreclosure trial to bail his friend out? Stoll could have done this years ago and Chip would not have had it over his head for so long.
Google Stoll, he was acquitted for his involvement in a major mrotage scam involving plantation cops a few years ago.
July 9th, 2016 at 2:37 pm
Nonlawyers should not be giving legal advice.
There is nothing unethical about a lawyer (or a corporation that might be owned by a lawyer)as long as certain disclosures are made and the potential for conflict is waived. See R. Regulating Fla. Bar 4-1.8.
FROM BUDDY:
Kevin Tynan is a former Florida Bar attorney.
In private practice today, Tynan specializes in representing lawyers accused of violating ethical rules. This former School Board member also has a specialty in election, campaign and political law and has a general practice.
July 9th, 2016 at 3:23 pm
So, it’s really not Little Napeoleon’s business savy that saves him … rather, he trades political favors.
Congratulations to all you stupid fuckers who vote for him the next time.
July 9th, 2016 at 7:04 pm
Chip dresses very nicely for someone who has to support a family, pay a mortgage and only makes 90 some thousand a year. Wow I can learn how to budget better from him.
July 9th, 2016 at 8:32 pm
I have forwarded this blog article n will continue to do so without much comment as Mr Nevins has LAID OUT THE FACTS FOR EVERYONE TO JUDGE.
Because the Hospital is a sepsrate entity an LAW CAN OPINE LIKE MR TYNAN CAN GIVE THE LEGAL POSITION but boy does this whole thing with all the mixture of public officials/board members AND AN OBSCENE NO BID GOVERNMENT CONTRACT give me a feeling of disgust
July 10th, 2016 at 9:25 am
Take a look at the new Broward Health website designed by Zimmerman and BH marketing guru, Doris Peek…Awful by all standards. Taxpay money completely wasted.
All the back door deals for this????
July 10th, 2016 at 2:40 pm
Interesting.
He is in his 2nd term as BCC and could be re-elected one last time in 2018. What type of work would he do if not re-elected?
Lamarca Construction is named on his county web page and sunbiz.org, yet on myfloridalicense.com there is no company or qualifier for LaMarca Construction. Is the company legit or not? Or does Chip have a county license and therefore can only pull permits in Broward? Please check.
The Broward electeds are unscrupulous at every level. Questionable ethics and being in someone’s pocket appears to be the norm. For many years.
July 10th, 2016 at 2:55 pm
A mortgage not recorded in the public records of the county where the property is located? Would any attorney advise a client not to record a mortgage? Would that be good legal advice?
Is not unethical to not wash one’s hands after going to the bathroom, as long as we tell the folks that we’re shaking hands with.
July 10th, 2016 at 3:42 pm
Joe Eggs had a lot of bills paid by friends too. It may take awhile, but some law enforcement agency will get Chip. Chip, like Joe, is as dumb as a box of rocks and sloppy. Sooner or later someone living will come forward with a tale of money that begins and ends with Chip saying he put someone in and can take them out. No way what he said to El Sinadi was a one time occurance. At some point someone may find that there was an increase in revenue from sources close to Chip to the Crockett Foundation which correlate with his wofe’s salary there….
July 11th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Based on the county FDF I would venture to say it’s not so good to be Chip & wifey. That’s not a very impressive retirement for a man & his Betty at this stage in their careers. What went wrong?
July 11th, 2016 at 10:49 pm
Mortgages are typically recorded. Any lender who didn’t would be crazy. Promissory notes aren’t recorded.
July 14th, 2016 at 2:12 pm
DiPietro and Chip apparently scratch each other’s back….
July 15th, 2016 at 7:03 am
What kind of person engages in this sort of transaction….and what is the other party expecting or getting in return?
July 15th, 2016 at 10:37 am
The kind of person who makes a mockery of the word conservative as well as the words small government n fiscal responsibility.
July 15th, 2016 at 1:29 pm
You would think after Chip quit his 200k a year job at Zimmerman, Stoll would have recorded the mortgage. Last time Chip had to get by on his Commission and LaMarca Construction salary he stopped paying his mortgage for 5 years.
July 16th, 2016 at 5:15 pm
If Stoll’s wife is on the museum board and the county commission gives millions to the museum maybe we can see a connection. Lobbying public records show she met with him and asked for his support of the museum expansion.
Those board members have to commit big money to be on that board. Maybe the funding provided by Lamarca’s vote covers her nut.
FROM BUDDY: Chip LaMarca is one of nine votes.
July 17th, 2016 at 11:44 am
The sole Republican on the County Commission couldnt get a reso praising Motherhood n apple pie passed. Again Mr Nevins is the sane person here. 1 out of 9 is not a majority or even a plurality.
July 18th, 2016 at 9:09 am
Dear Chip
You should have followed the lead of your fellow Commiioners and politely brushed away the Sheriff’s comments regarding the jail break. Chippy, going on Channel 10 and saying the Sheriff is “weak” and other personal attacks may have been a poor choice. Let’s face it, the last thing you need is… (a) law enforcement agency investigating you.