County Court Candidate Accused Of Falsely Using Cops Union Endorsement
BY BUDDY NEVINS
There it is. On the top of Broward County Court candidate Corey Amanda Cawthon’s campaign webpage: The endorsement from the Broward County Police Benevolent Association proudly displayed.
One problem:
The claim that she got the PBA endorsement is false!
The home page of Cawthon’s campaign website, June 25, 5 p.m.
Corey Amanda Cawthon
Cawthon blamed using the endorsement on her web designer, who mistakenly used the PBA logo instead of the FOP.
Her response came hours after PBA President Jeff Marano wrote a letter in a letter to her warning that “the PBA did not endorse you.” Her response also came about two hours after Browardbeat.com posted an article about Marano’s letter.
The union president told Browardbeat.com that Cawthon was notified in an earlier June 19 letter that she did not get the endorsement. He provided Browardbeat.com with a copy of the June 19 letter.
Marano called the use of the endorsement a “false claim” and warned that it was a violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct.
He demanded that Cawthon remove the PBA logo from her campaign website by 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 26. As of 5 p.m. on June 25, the endorsement was still emblazoned across the website.
Cawthon’s opponent Tanner Channing Demmery, who apparently received the PBA endorsement, is using it on his website as of June 25:
Cawthon could not be reached for comment.
When the Sun-Sentinel handed its endorsement to Cawthon earlier this month, the paper overlooked her age (31), stating “Cawthon has built an impressive resume since earning her law degree from the Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University in 2011.”
The paper quotes her boss “Andrew Schwartz, who runs a civil litigation firm in Boca Raton. ‘She’s more mature than her years. She’s not a stupid millennial on her cellphone all the time.’
Okay, she is not on her cellphone. But she’s not checking the accuracy of her website, either, says the PBA.
Tanner Channing Demmery, 39, a veteran prosecutor and whose name sounds like he jumped out of a Lacoste ad or the pages of a Bret Easton Ellis novel, isn’t the only Cawthon opponent for County Court Group 9.
Real estate lawyer Leonore Greller, 62, is also running. Click on her name for more information.
Full Text of Cowthon’s Respose To Browardbeat.com:
June 25th, 2018 at 6:30 pm
When asked by a college newspaper if he would rather have a lifetime supply of money or women, local drummer Tanner Demmery said, “Money, because you could always buy chicks if you have money.” University Press interviewed Demmery as part of a 2002 exposé on the Fort Lauderdale band “Shine Box.” Formed in October 2000, University Press said Demmery’s band played music by Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins.
Tanner Demmery was asked a series of “unusual questions” designed to illicit humorous responses.
“Peanut Butter-Smooth, Chunky, or Goober Grape? ‘Smooth all the way.’ Would you rather have a lifetime supply of chicks or money? ‘Money, because you could always buy chicks if you have money.’ Would you rather spend 24 hours shackled to Roseanne or Carrot Top? ‘Roseanne, don’t know why though.’”
For his last answer, Demmery gave a somewhat off-color response about his testicles. He was asked, “Would you give your left nut for a record contract? ‘Yeah, because my left one’s been kind of off lately anyways.‘”
Fast forward to 2018, Demmery is running for the Broward County Court Group 9 seat against local attorney Corey Amanda Cawthon and Leonore “I’m not a scammer” Greller.
In this era of the #MeToo movement where men are called upon to answer for their treatment and behavior towards women, one may think Tanner Demmery would address questions about his remarks.
Nope. Tanner Demmery did not respond to a request for comment.
FROM BUDDY:
Indeed, Demmery indeed gave an interview he may regret to the Florida Atlantic University University Press printed on February 26, 2002.
Sixteen years later, the question and his answer is way out of step with the sentiment on campus today.
Q.:”Would you rather have a lifetime supply of chicks or money?”
Demmery: “Money, because you could always buy chicks if you have money.”
Frankly, Mr.Demmery, there are always some people you can “buy” with money. Women and men. Those are exactly the people most of us want to stay away from. I hope you have learned that lesson by now.
Should the quip be chalked up to immaturity and a failed juvenile attempt to be funny and hip during a different era on campus? You decide.
June 25th, 2018 at 7:14 pm
Good Afternoon Mr. Nevins,
I am writing this email in response to the article posted by Broward Beat this afternoon regarding the display of the PBA logo on my campaign website. The display of the PBA logo on my website was done in error and was removed as soon as I was made aware of the issue.
The PBA logo was posted on my website by mistake following a request made by me to my web designer over the weekend to update the campaign website to include my campaign’s most recent endorsements, including the Sun Sentinel and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). Unfortunately, I was not made aware when the website was updated, and my web designer has confirmed that he made an error in posting the PBA logo rather than the FOP logo.
I apologize to both the PBA and to Mr. Demmery for any confusion that may have resulted from this mistake, and I have confirmed that the PBA logo does not appear on any other campaign pages or materials.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Very Truly Yours,
Corey Amanda Cawthon
June 25th, 2018 at 7:43 pm
31!!!!!
Are you kidding or what? The woman has hardly lived much less have the experience necessary to be a fair judge of people in court.
June 25th, 2018 at 7:55 pm
Seems that attention to detail is not among the attributes she claims make her a well qualified candidate, despite her age. Maybe a few more years practicing law may help before running for judge again…
June 25th, 2018 at 8:19 pm
#3 i agree.The other one is what 39.I mean, really.I don.t know if i would feel comfortable say some thirty something judge say overseeing say me robbing some bank truck.My point.Way to young to be overseeing some case etc when someones life is on the line.Im not saying u have to have one foot in the grave but a judge at thirty something- i’ll pass…
June 25th, 2018 at 9:55 pm
According to her campaign finance reports, Corey has paid Michael Ahearn Consulting $10k to make up for her lack of experience (and professional judgement for that matter). You’d think at that rate he could at least get her endorsements right.
June 26th, 2018 at 11:05 am
There’s a pretty big difference between falsely and mistakenly.
FROM BUDDY:
Not so much when you are running for judge.
June 26th, 2018 at 4:20 pm
Much ado about nothing. She got the FOP endorsement and her web designer puts up the wrong police union logo?
Did she behave both the FOP and PBA logo on her site, buddy? If so, I’d agree that this is news.
As it stands, it sounds like a slow news day that her web person put the wrong logo rather than her holding herself out as having an endorsement she didn’t earn.
Anyway, isn’t PBA pretty irrelevant now that they’re no longer the main BSO union?
I’m sure Jeff or who ever dropped this ‘news’ is very happy the organization is actually getting some mention.
June 27th, 2018 at 10:04 am
Big photo of a good poking blonde.
Endorsed by Sun Sentinel
Comment where her opponent made offensive comments about women.
To quote my old boss Former Public Defender Alan Schreiber, “all press is good press”.
June 27th, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Funny how many lawyers without much courtroom/trial experience want to be judge. Is it the pay (and pension), the power or the fact they don’t have to drum up clients?
Just wondering.
June 28th, 2018 at 12:47 pm
@10
Many are making mediocre salarie and want that boost and gubberment pension/heath care.
June 28th, 2018 at 2:26 pm
The PBA letter posted here is dated 6/25, not 6/19, Buddy. Please clarify.
FROM BUDDY:
As the piece makes clear, the June 19th letter is an earlier letter that notified her that she didn’t get the endorsement. The June 25 is a letter stating she used the PBA logo despite being notified earlier that she didn’t get the endorsement.