Did Judicial Candidate Andrea Gundersen Violate Campaign Rules?
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Florida’s Supreme Court is clear on the issue of judicial candidates attending political meetings.
The court’s Code of Judicial Conduct in Canon 7, C (3) has a three-prong test that must be met before a judicial candidate can attend a political function.
The candidate must (1) be invited to attend, (2) all other candidates in the race must be invited and (3) they must speak on behalf of their candidacy:
A judicial candidate involved in an election or re-election, or a merit retention candidate who has certified that he or she has active opposition, may attend a political party function to speak in behalf of his or her candidacy or on a matter that relates to the law, the improvement of the legal system, or the administration of justice. The function must not be a fund raiser, and the invitation to speak must also include the other candidates, if any, for that office.
So what was Andrea Gundersen, a candidate for Circuit Court Group 9, doing at the Broward Democratic Party meeting earlier this month? She wasn’t invited, attended alone and did not speak.
Judicial candidates operate under different rules than other candidates. The Florida Supreme Court developed the rules to safeguard the integrity of the court system and insure judicial candidates remain non-partisan.
At least one Broward judicial candidate in the past was removed from office by the Supremes after winning because he didn’t follow the rules of campaigning.
Gundersen, in particular, should understand the Code of Judicial Conduct because she ran in the past.
She says it was all an honest mistake. She e-mailed Browardbeat.com:
“As for the DEC meeting on Tuesday, that was an accident on my part that was immediately corrected. I had received late notice from another candidate of a Judicial Forum hosted by the American Citizens League at Deickes at 7 PM…. I was rushing into the Deickes building late from another event, arriving after 7:30 PM and accidently went into the wrong room. I never sat down in the DEC meeting and within a minute or so realized I was in the wrong room and immediately left and found the correct room across the hall.
In a picture obtained by Browardbeat.com that triggered this discussion, Gundersen is seen standing in the back of the Democratic meeting. But she is well inside the meeting and not near the entrance door.
Andrea Gunderson, circled, at Democratic Party meeting
Gundersen attended party meetings in that auditorium before declaring for office. Why did she not immediately realize she was in the wrong meeting?
A person at the meeting e-mailed, “Last night after the DEC meeting started Andrea Gundersen strolled in, walked around a bit and spoke to a few people. I think this is a campaign violation. I’m not sure if you want to do anything with it. I just figured that I would pass it along.”
You’ve got both sides of the story. I’ll leave this one up to Browardbeat.com readers.
Gudersen has two opponents — Lea Krauss and Maxine Streeter.
June 29th, 2016 at 8:46 am
I see candidate Doreen Inkeles was playing the same games at the DEC meeting as well….
https://redbroward.com/2016/06/24/broward-judicial-candidate-doreen-inkeles-campaign-at-broward-dem-meeting/
June 29th, 2016 at 11:00 am
Judges are supposed to be beyond suspicion or the legal system won’t be respected and therefore can’t work. Second time Judicial candidate making this error with a doubtful justification doesnt inspire confidence.
June 29th, 2016 at 3:08 pm
Early 2016 Gunderson participated in a Girl Scout Candidate Forum along with another Pembroke Pines Candidate running for office in Pembroke Pines. Posted all over FB.
Scouts cannot participate in political events.
June 29th, 2016 at 4:52 pm
Speaking of bonehead moves, check out Jim Waldman’s flyer.
I guess he wasn’t paying attention to politics during Poitier’s four decades worth of theft.
http://i.imgur.com/KSYSTk5.jpg
June 29th, 2016 at 5:17 pm
Vote for Lea Krauss.
Lea is the most qualified.
Lea has the great looks.
Lea follows the law.
Gundersen said she made an an honest mistake.
Well, judges are not allowed to make mistakes! “For people die!”
June 29th, 2016 at 9:46 pm
Hey Bud- which Broward judicial candidate was removed from office by the Supremes after winning because he didn’t follow the rules of campaigning?
FROM BUDDY:
Irwin Berkowitz.
The Judicial Qualifications Commission began investigating Berkowitz and two other judges shortly after the September 1986 primary for misleading advertising claiming party support and campaigning as a ticket, in violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct. During the investigation, Berkowitz lied to the JQC which was like waving a red flag in their face.
The JQC investigated further and found Berkowitz misused a trust account while a private attorney, continued to practice law after his election and failed to file income tax on time.
The Supreme Court removed him from office in April, 1988 for all these offenses, but it all started with campaign violations.
Berkowitz was disbarred and remains unable to practice law in Florida.
June 30th, 2016 at 5:01 am
This is how dirty and unethical Broward politics can be. Hey Ms. Streeter, that 8000 dollars spent by one of your opponents on a Tallahassee law firm to monitor her election campaign doesn’t look so bad now does it?
June 30th, 2016 at 9:23 am
What do you expect from someone who associates with David Brown and Judy Stern.
June 30th, 2016 at 1:30 pm
To Christopher Boyce:
Seriously? You need to spend $8,000 to be told “you are not permitted to attend a political event”? If so, that’s a VERY poorly qualified candidate.
July 1st, 2016 at 1:00 am
@8 As far as I know neither Mr Brown or Mrs Stern has ever been charged with an ethical violation or crimminal act. so why bring them up?
@9 I have seen perfectly honest candidates dragged through the mud because of minor errors in accounting or misreading a name or not knowing some recent change in Election Laws. It may well be a prudent move to spend money on an election law expert.
@4 Mr Stevens’ comments parallel comments I’ve heard from a long time editor in South Florida with no axe to grind n a conservative religious Catholic Democratic activist who have a similar take on former County Commisdioner Poitier.
July 4th, 2016 at 4:31 pm
Couldn’t be as bad as Judge Nina getting all that money from hubby’s pals over at Broward Health or her having the same campaign manager as one of her opponents (Ian Richards) to steal votes from Di Ioia…things that make you go hmmmm.