Democrats Proclaim Political Purity While Scooping Up GOP Money
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Sarahnell Murphy establishes her Democratic bona fides quickly in campaign speeches for Broward State Attorney.
“I’m a Florida native and a lifelong Democrat,” she said within the first 30 seconds at a party club meeting last week.
But her Democratic leanings hasn’t stopped her from accepting money at a fundraiser held by one of Broward’s few uber GOP advocates — lawyer Bill Scherer.
Bill and wife Anne Scherer held a quiet fundraiser last week for Murphy. It took place at Scherer’s sprawling $5 million home in the tony Rio Visita neighborhood of east Fort Lauderdale.
Feared by Democrats who have squared off against him in courtrooms, Scherer is a well-known GOP promoter.
He was a key lawyer for George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential recount. He repeated his role last year working for former Gov. Rick Scott, who beat incumbent Democratic U. S. Senator Bill Nelson.
On the Scherer event host committee was lawyer David Di Pietro, another local GOP activist.
Murphy must have known the Scherer fundraiser would be controversial. It was not publicly advertised on various websites like her other appearances. She did not return a text from Browardbeat for comment.
Because no one is talking about the fundraiser, the public won’t know how much money was raised from Scherer and his Republican pals until the next reporting period for donations.
Murphy is not alone in accepting money from Republican high-rollers.
Josh Rydell is a Coconut Creek commissioner and another State Attorney candidate who proclaims his Democratic credentials. Yet he took $1,000 earlier this year from TSE Consulting, the lobbying arm of the GOP law firm Tripp Scott.
Tripp Scott recently hosted a Fort Lauderdale speech by Donald Trump Jr. The firm represented the state Senate in reapportionment battles.
The firm’s name partner Jim Scott was a Republican state Senate president. Firm CEO Ed Pozzuoli frequently trumpets pro-Republican views in publications and appearances on Fox News.
Murphy and Rydell are presumably not going to be swayed by the contributions. However, I’ve been around long enough to know that contributions generally buys access to the office holder.
If the next State Attorney is Murphy or Rydell, calls from contributors will no doubt be answered before average folks.
Make no mistake. I believe both of these candidates are highly qualified to be the next State Attorney.
But their acceptance of money from leading GOP figures is a touch of reality.
Lots of candidates proclaim partisan purity. These same candidates will gladly shovel money into their campaigns from anybody.
Republicans. Democrats. Independents. Conservatives. Progressives. Trump supporters or haters.
It doesn’t matter as long as they’ve got bucks.
Because dollars are not blue or red. They are green.
And it takes a lot of green to run a countywide campaign in Broward.
November 20th, 2019 at 11:58 am
Republicans are concerned with who the State Atty is too.
November 20th, 2019 at 5:17 pm
If there is no Republican in the race what’s wrong with supporting a reasonable candidate as opposed to a left-wing loonie?
November 21st, 2019 at 9:18 am
Despite your hate for Sarahnell as reflected in several hit pieces, she is the best qualified candidate and will win here. You were seen with Rydell. What was in that envelope?
November 21st, 2019 at 11:52 am
First I like the flowering impatachites going up the drive.I needs to think who scored here.Was it Murphy for getting the fundraiser,or was it Atty.Scherer for throwing it.
November 21st, 2019 at 1:26 pm
She is far from a qualified candidate for Broward Voters—you mean qualified it you want 40 more years of Satz’ mass incarceration? She’s a Satz clone. That is why he’s supporting her. Even though cannabis will more than likely be legal in a year or two, she refuses to stop criminalizing small amounts of cannabis. She taunts her diversion programs. Good luck getting into the program. Plus, why should people with small amounts of cannabis be arrested in the first place. If she made it clear to law enforcement that she will not be prosecuting less than 20 grams, cops would stop arresting people– just like they did when Satz finally after 40 years stopped prosecuting defendants with crack pipes. She talks about the civil citation program, which should be called the “white peoples” civil citation program. She admitted herself that only white people get citations. People of color get arrested. And, why citations at all?
She refuses to support a “rocket docket” to waive fees so felons can vote. Why, you ask? That’s because a percentage of the fees defendants pay goes into the cost of prosecution fund that Satz uses for wages. Without those fees, Satz can’t pay his double dipping department heads at a cost of $800,000. They cannot be paid with general funds by law, so he’s forced to use his slush fund to pay his four elite favorites. Let me add, she was quoted supporting these retired double dippers when NO one else in the history of the office has EVER been able to come back right after retiring as an independent contractor. In addition, double dipping is prohibited under state law, unless of course you come up with some BS shell corporation who you funnel the double dippers pay through. So, felons in Broward who can’t pay their fees, you would get your rights back until Satz and Sarahnell are out of office. Great person to be the State Attorney, right?
The truth is she may be technically registered as a Democrat, but her policies and core beliefs are aligned with Republicans. She married to a staunch Republican too. She should stop trying to fool Broward voters by saying she’s a lifelong Democrat because her “experience” in the State Attorney’s Office screams GOP! Sarahnell is a Republican through and through. I’m not knocking Republicans. I just hate people who try to deceive the voters.
November 21st, 2019 at 7:41 pm
So if Rydell is highly qualified by defending his clients for ovi,dui,texting, speeding and whatever impairment while driving thru coconut creek you can think of, is the best we can do to qualify for states attorney…we are in big trouble. Look at the company he keeps a little closer before voting…not good. Coconut Creek has been stained him and it will only get a lot worse. He would do good to go away quielty before he is his wearing a orange jumpsuit.
November 23rd, 2019 at 8:07 pm
Currently declared candidates ($ raised) are:
Alu, Sheila ($4,250)
Cannady, David ($3,045)
Kimok, Joseph A. ($18,744)
Lewis, Jim ($5,700)
McCormack, Justin William ($zero)
Murphy, Sarahnell ($76,386)
Pryor Jr, Harold F. ($74,307)
Rydell, Joshua D. ($114,116)
Williams, Teresa Elizabeth ($19,385)
FROM BUDDY:
Sheila Alu’s money doesn’t count at this point. She is a NPA (independent) and has no primary.
Lewis is an experienced, well-spoken Democratic candidate. He may surprise politicos despite his current lack of money.