Commissioners Getting Lawyered Up
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Some Broward County Commissioners are asking: Who can I trust?
Are the phones bugged? Are the walls miced?
Who’s wearing a wire? Who’s talking to the feds?
What do the feds think? What do they know? Where is all this going?
And why all these leaks to the media about an investigation?
Commissioners are not taking any chances. They are getting lawyered up.
At least three members of the county commission have either hired criminal defense lawyers or are actively seeking one, according to numerous sources.
Those three are the ones I know about. All nine might be hiring lawyers for all I know.
Meanwhile, members of Broward’s lobbying community are abuzz with warnings about being careful when talking to a commissioner. either on the phone or in person.
The concern is that federal agents are listening in, with or without the commissioners’ knowledge.
Lobbyists are concerned that anything they say can and will be held against them.
It is interesting times in Broward.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
“Broward County Commissioners are asking: Who can I trust? Are the phones bugged? … All nine might be hiring lawyers.”
Incorrect. I have none of these concerns and have not hired (nor even spoken with) any counsel about any of this.
FROM BUDDY: Thanks for writing and voicing your opinion. I have clarified the post to state “Some Broward County Commissioners…”
Actually, Sue, you have been at the forefront of trying to strengthen ethics laws at the county commission.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
If they have case to prosecute then fine. Go file a complaint. But this witch hunt stuff is not appropriate. What you describe is unAmerican and should not be tolerated.
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Dear McCarthyism,
I beg to differ with you. Such leaks and hysterical media coverage is very American.
In Britain, the media is forbidden from naming a suspect until a trial is taking place.
America’s media takes pride in naming suspects before they are even arrested. It’s as American as apple pie.
Surveys have been done which indicate that many people assume the suspects are guilty if they are named in the media.
Is it fair?
Just ask Richard Jewell, who the FBI named as a suspect in the Olympic bombing in Atlanta. Years later, the Attorney General apologized. Years after that, another suspect was arrested.
Jewell went on to sue the Atlanta Constitution, NBC and the New York Post among others for printing he was a suspect. He won some suits, lost others.
He died at 44.
How about Gary Condit, the former congressman who was savaged in the media. He was alleged to have killed his former lover, Chandra Levy in 2001.
Condit’s political career was shattered. He lost his re-election.
Years later, the police arrested an illegal immigrant for killing Levy.
Or there are the parents of JonBenet Ramsey, who were dragged through the mud by the media. They were accused of killing their daughter.
I could go on and on. Like it or not, naming suspects before they are even arrested is part of the media landscape in America.
I made a decision in my post not to name the commissioners being investigated. I know their names.
For all I know they will never be charged…like Jewel, Condit and the Ramseys.
Some media outlets in Broward are foaming at the mouth over this investigation. They have turned into an Internet lynch mob, calling for politicians who they name to be arrested.
Not my style.
Commissioner John Rodstrom made this investigation public weeks ago. Still, he offered few public details.
Right now, it is just rumors. I am reporting the rumors.
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Things that make Karnack go Whattttttttt.
Karnack says why would I need to lawyer up if I didn’t do anything wrong. Karnack says now I remember I am too stupid to know so I need to bring in pocket rockets to tell me.
Karnack says two high priced lobbyists getting the kind of attention that exposes them for the pond scum that they are.
Karnack says McCarthyism is either a guilty politician spinning for sympathy or is way too naive as to how politicians operate in this or any other town for that matter.
Karnack says Cowboy Roy decides he is too much the face of ethical reform in Broward County and suddenly steps down.
Karnack says Frank, I never met a lobbyist I didn’t like, Till decides to quit a well paying job to seek employment elsewhere in this booming economy.
Karnack says Buster Brown still sitting in jail hoping to get out early for good behavior.
Karnack says Ken Jennio wanting to tend garden one day and getting a high paying job with a lobbyist firm the next.
Karnack says anyone seen or heard from sitsonhishands, he is still alive right.
Karnack says wait a minute what’s that sound, it sounds like clickity clack, clickity clack, clickity clack.
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Perhaps I didn’t say it right because I agree that officials should be observed closely by the press. And if the press finds something that later becomes the subject of a criminal investigation, so be it. I’m also not defending any elected official that isn’t playing by the rules. But there’s just something about all this hysteria, the way I see honest elected officials behaving as if they’re being watched. That whole situation doesn’t sit well with me, it’s unAmerican in my view. I didn’t like how the Bush Justice Department seemed to target Democrats for witch hunts while Republicans got away with murder. That entire thing, the way it is handled, the lack of definition to new fangled criminal statutes, all of that, while defensible in some ways as you suggest, doesn’t quite pass the sniff test to me. It lacks the virtue of being forthright. That was my point. But generally I agree with your comeback, Buddy.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Everybody knows someone is singing about the School Board a loud tune to save their butt. If I was a certain School Board member, I would be hiring a lawyer now. Oh, but she did.
April 24th, 2009 at 3:10 am
Commissioners and School Board Members and Lobbyists…oh my. Sounds like a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Maybe that’s not a bad comparison; we do have the cast of characters, some phony pulling levers behind the curtain and people who are in need of hearts, brains and courage. The most intersting comparison though is that when Dorothy wakes up, it was just a bad dream. There’s no place like home…there’s no place like home…there’s no place like home. I can hear the cocaphony now.
April 24th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Amazing Karnack,
You aren’t doing it right.
Karnack didn’t just make predictions. He gave the answer first, followed by the question.
The Real Karnack says,
The answer is, “Gerry Thompson, John Lomelo and Stacy Ritter.â€
The question is “Name three political corpses.â€
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The answer is, “Forty Acres and a Mule.â€
The question is, “What Russ Klenet will live on when the feds seize his house in Parkland?â€
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The answer is, “Gallagher and Gallagherâ€
The question is, “Name a well-known comedian and a well-known School Board joke.”
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The answer is, “Paris Hilton and Judy Stern.â€
The question is, “Name an interesting subject and a subject of interest.â€
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The answer is, “An orange jump suit.â€
The question is, “What will certain female politicians trade their $1,000 dressses for?â€
April 24th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
So Glad to hear this, it is about time after all, this BS has been going on for years and has to stop. The worst thing is the School Board and the County Commissioners and all they are hiding OR should I say what they are hiding with doing stuff with all the Lobbyists. Check out Judy Stern, Neil Sterling, Barbara Miller, all of them, they are all out for themselves and what money they can make for pushing what they want, when they want it. It’s such a shame. Thank you Buddy for allowing us the pleasure of reading this in your Browardbeat