Charlotte Rodstrom Raised $$$ With Help From Hubbies’ Lobbyist Friends
BY BUDDY NEVINS
So it Charlotte Rodstrom running for Fort Lauderdale City Commission last week…or was it John?
John and Charlotte Rodsrom
It appears to me that friends of County Commissioner John Rodstrom helped raise his wife Charlotte campaign money.
Take January 23 on her contribution list. That’s the day it looks like Bernie Friedman, a lobbyist with Becker Poliakoff , held a fund raiser for Charlotte Rodstrom. It appears Friedman raised $10,000 for her.
Lobbyist Bernie Friedman: Needs Hubbies’ Vote
That’s funny. Friedman is not a registered lobbyist in Fort Lauderdale. In fact, he seldom has business in Fort Lauderdale City Hall.
What’s up?
I would bet that Friedman was catering favors with hubbie John Rodstrom. The lobbyist is a frequent figure in the Broward Government Center and always needs John Rodstrom’s vote for various clients.
It’s not a crime, for sure. But it is an interesting peak on why lobbyists raise money for campaigns. And it has nothing to do with seeking good government.
Where did all that lobbyist money go? The latest financial form from Charlotte’s campaign also shows she evened the score, paying consultant Judy Stern the same amount –$2,500 — she earlier paid consultant Dan Lewis.
The two consultants are generally at each other’s throats, but Charlotte found a way to get them both to work on her campaign. That may be her biggest achievement!
February 5th, 2012 at 8:17 pm
The Rodstroms believe they are the new political dynasty. Their dynasty is built on lobbyist money and dirty deals.
February 6th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
We should either go to publicly financed campaigns or end all this tiresome innuendo. I am no longer entertained by these claims unless there is a provable quid pro quo and the law firm in question has a very long history of supporting candidates in many past Fort Lauderdale races. I looked.
February 13th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
So what. You sound like the ‘old geezer” Art Seitz-here. Again big deal. People give money all the time. Some of you are implying that if you give money to her, she will move mountains for you- i mean come on. Cheap shots at best. If Comm Rodstrom(Mrs) is this & that then why are you all having a hard on for her email list??. Cheap shot, at best. So what how many consulants(poltical)she hired.
February 13th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
Dear Mayor Seiler:
On January 17, 2012 you gave your vote of approval to a $1mil contract between the City and Boucher Brothers Beach Management. The City solicited 526 prospective vendors. Boucher Brothers was deemed the single responsive bidder.
On January 2, 2012, County Ordinance 2011-19 went into effect and now governs your actions as an elected official. The 2011-19 states in part:
c. To further promote full and complete transparency, Elected Officials must disclose any and all lobbying activity that knowingly occurs between themselves and individual lobbyists or their principals or employers outside of their governmental offices/premises. This shall include communicating by any form of telephonic or electronic media.
1. The disclosure shall include the lobbyist’s name; the name of the entity by which the lobbyist is employed; the name of the person or entity for whom or which he or she is lobbying; the date, time, and location of the meeting; and the specific purpose and subject matter of the meeting.
2. The disclosure shall be made within ten (10) business days of the lobbying activity, but must, in any event, be made prior to any vote on a matter that was the subject of the lobbying activity.
3. The disclosure shall be filed for public inspection.
During our recent correspondence you stated that you had been lobbied on the Boucher Brothers Contract, but that you had no contact with lobbyists after Jan. 2, 2012.
Before your vote those lobbyists arranged for over $2000 in contributions to your campaign for re-election.
After your vote, you enlisted these same lobbyists to provide additional contributions. They helped you hold a campaign fund-raiser. The total cash to your benefit is over $3000 on just one vote and this does not take into account any donations that were made at the event.
Respectfully, I think you should have disclosed your relationships before you voted. I hope you will take the time to inform the public record properly.