Deciphering Geller’s Murky Campaign Finances
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Why is former state Senator Steve Geller campaigning behind a screen of shady political committees?
Geller has his campaign and two political committees working for his election.
Why?
Maybe because some of the committee money came from the out-of-state pari-mutuel industry and Big Sugar.
Geller is locked in a political death match with County Commissioner Sue Gunzburger for the south Broward county commission district.
Here is the story behind the Geller candidacy’s latest reporting period between April 1 and July 16:
Geller campaign raised around $40,000.
Geller’s committee, Floridians For A Stronger Tomorrow, raised $38,000.
That would be enough for most candidates. But Geller has a third group, a committee called Citizens For Ethical and Effective Leadership, working for his campaign.
Geller’s Floridians For A Stronger Tomorrow passed $36,000 to Citizens For Ethical and Effective Leadership in recent days.
The group suddenly began mailing pro-Geller advertising into the district. Some of the group’s expenditures are for the same out-of-town media consultants used by Geller.
And this group has “ethical in the title?
After Geller’s committee, the biggest contributor to the group is $7,000 from Florida Crystals Corporation, Big Sugar.
One reason Geller is using these committees is that they don’t operate under the state’s $500-per-donor limit.
For instance, in the latest reporting period Geller’s Floridians For A Stronger Tomorrow received two checks which he couldn’t have accepted in his campaign:
*$20,000 from the Racing Corporation of West Virginia. He got $10,000 from this same group just before the previous filing period closed.
*$10,000 from Hazel Park Harness Raceway in Michigan.
Geller also received $1,000 from former losing gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride. He’s the husband of Alex Sink, the current Demoratic candidate for governor.
Geller committee got another $5,000 from his law firm Greenspoon Marder.
That doesn’t explain why he has a second committee working for him.
The problem in Broward has been that the county commission is for sale to special interests
Geller is apparently tone deaf.
At a time when the county is trying to pass tougher ethics requirements for county commissioners, Geller is using these commitees to accept large contributions from special interests.
One more point.
Corporations generally don’t give money unless they get something in return. Donations are a business decision.
Will we ever know why the pari-mutuel industry is so enamored with Geller? Why is Big Sugar interested in a Broward campaign?
Is it Geller’s past votes as a senator or his promises for the future these special interests like?
Hmmmm.
July 26th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Geller has always been a whore to the gambling industry and now we see he is sugar’s whore as well.
July 26th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
“Why is former state Senator Steve Geller campaigning behind a screen of shady political committees?”
Perhaps because he’s shady?
(Resisting Eminem joke).
July 26th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
he might be shady, but he sure ain’t slim!
FROM BUDDY: Funny.
July 27th, 2010 at 7:20 am
“Why is former state Senator Steve Geller campaigning behind a screen of shady political committees?â€
Because Florida law allows it.
July 27th, 2010 at 11:06 am
I agree with Striker Liker about Geller being a whore for special interests.
Geller is also a misogynist. He voted to require unmarried mothers to publish ads in the newspaper naming the father of their child.
July 27th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Where’s Yaki now? Crawling back under the intern’s table at Greenspoon Marder?
July 27th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
How ridiculous is that? You are calling Geller the misogynist in the same e-mail as calling him a whore? It sounds to me like you’re the misogynist. What a misogynist statement to make by telling a female to crawl back under an intern’s table. Boy, you Sue supporters really are a bunch of misogynists!
July 27th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
There is nothing illegal about what Geller did in raising money. Almost all of the candidates have different committees. Obviously, Geller doesn’t have the money that Gunzberger has to fund her own campaign. According to this blog, Gunzberger has put in $110,000 of her own money so far. Wait, I should say the money she made as a county commissioner from selling her crappy benches to the county. If you want to talk about shady, let’s discuss Sue and her benches.
July 27th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Nobody said Geller was acting illegally here. Just that he’s acting sleazy and unethically. But legal. The more I hear about him, the more I think Geller is just one if the “bad guys” of local politics.
July 27th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Aap is right. Geller is part of the old guy network from Tallahassee. Special interests and Tallahassee legislators/senators go hand-in-hand.
Name something that the Legislature has done for the people and I’ll say, Vote For Geller.
Insurance rates are higher and schools are worse off even before the recession. Our way of life is going down hill fast and the Legislature did nothig to stop it.
Even gambling, Geller’s big claim to game, was approved by referendum and not by Tallahassee.
Geller has been the problem, not the cure. Why elect him?
July 27th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
@who is a misogynist
Ummm … what makes you presume an “intern” (when the term us stated like that) is female? We’re all referring to Bryan, Geller’s day-to-day lackey campaign errand boy and NSU summer legal associate at Greenspoon.
Interesting question, though: is Greenspoon Marder firm – which already maxed out to Geller – making an unlawful donation to Geller’s campsign by paying Bryan’s summer associate salary at the law firm while Bryan is actually working full-time on Geller’s campaign (but has not shown up on the campaign or ECO financial expenditure reports). Would a subpoena of Bryan’s bank account records show he was being paid by the law firm this summer? Interesting. Could spell serious legal problems for Geller.
July 27th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
@Ron (Truthinesd)
As an attorney, you know that it is difficult to obtain a paid legal internship following your first year, especially when you consider the current economy.
I assure you that I have NOT received one cent from Greenspoon Marder for my involvement in Steve Geller’s campaign or otherwise.
However, if you insist upon taking a look at my bank statements, I simply ask that you spell my name correctly on the subpoena.
Brian
July 27th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Ronnie, truthiness, liar or what ever you want to call yourself, where do you get all of this bullshit that you make up about Geller from? Everything you say is “could be legal trouble for Geller”. In Geller’s 20 years in politics, I haven’t heard or read anything about Geller being investigated or charged with anything illegal. You really are just a pathetic LIAR!
July 27th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Hello boys! Glad to know someone misses me. Just so we understand each other…I will NOT vote for GUNZBURGER. She has been on the commission too long, is unethical and a liar. She DOES NOT deserve to continue to serve. Her latest… that she puts herself on those selection committees to keep an eye on the other corrupt commissioners? PA-LEASE!!!! I know what kind of commissioner she is…once GELLER is in then I will judge whether he is a good commissioner by his actions. BUT GUNZBURGER NEEDS TO GO. IMO.
July 27th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
How strange it is that the Geller campaign crew has become so paranoid that they see Ron Gunzburger at all places, at all times, responsible for any and every daily setback which happens in their sad and failing campaign. If you believe Team Geller’s wild spin (lies) and excuses, Ron is the real-life Keyser Söze (or Boogeyman) of Broward politics. Your stories may sound good, guys, but their just too impossible to believe.
Maybe your sleazy lobbyist candidate, with his crappy record, lame team, and his shady campaign tactics/strategy is the true cause of why your campaign is so dismal and pathetic.
July 28th, 2010 at 1:17 am
So, who will do what, exactly, that will benefit all those who are trying to decide to vote?
Let us get to the real issues.
FLORIDA IS BROKE.
When will Broward reap huge profits off the already legal, hard core GAMBLING, STEVE ????
you need to —GET BLACKJACK INTO ALL FL PUBLIC CASINOS, NOT JUST THE INDIANS, AND – GET CRAPS ADDED ASAP in ALL PARAMUTUALS… NEED TO BE RELEASED ASAP FROM THE SEMS SO FLORIDA CAN REAP THE BENNIES SO DESPERATELY NEEDED NOW! TRIED TO TELL YOU THAT YEARS AGO BUT YOU TURNED UP YOUR UPPITTY NOSE at those suggestions and gave in to the Sems like ole CHARLIE… FIX THAT STEVIE BOY, THEN MAYBE WE WILL THINK ABOUT YOU AS A LEGIT POL WE MIGHT CONSIDER WE CAN COUNT ON, LIKE WE HAVE LEARNED WE CAN WITH SUE.