Israel Gets Pile Of Last-Minute Money, While Rothstein Partner Plays Both Sides of Race
BY BUDDY NEVINS
A group favoring Democratic sheriff’s candidate Scott Israel has gotten buckets of cash in the last days of this campaign.
The Common Sense Coalition has raked in $277,465 since mid-October.
The coalition is run by Todd Wilder, former chief of staff at Ken Jenne’s sheriff’s office.
Since his release from prison on corruption charges, Jenne has been doing political consulting for lawyer Scott Rothstein.
Rothstein, a big GOP fund raiser, is backing incumbent Republican Sheriff Al Lamberti. His law partner obviously has other ideas.
Stuart Rosenfeldt, of Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler downtown Fort Lauderdale law firm, gave $90,000 to the pro-Scott Israel committee. Healthscreendirect LLC at the same address as the law firm gave another $5,000.
But Rosenfeldt also gave $60,000 to Broward Citizens for Truth, a group supporting Lamberti.
And Rosenfeldt gave $500 along with $500 from Susanne Rosenfeldt, who lives at the same address, directly to the Lamberti campaign. Campaigns, unlike committees, have a $500 limit per contributor.
Playing both sides of the fence is common in politics. Rothstein says his partners are free to support whoever they want.
The common sense committee also got more than $40,000 from Democrats For Truth, run by Democratic activist Screven Watson. Much of the money for this group comes from agri-businesses like U. S. Sugar and big citrus.
Judy Stern, Israel’s campaign manager, gave $5,000. Ron Cacciatore, a political operative for Property Appraiser Lori Parrish and a friend of Israel, gave $500.
More than half of the $315,000 spent for the primary and general election was spent to produce an ad and broadcast it on Comcast Cable TV. I can’t tell you whether the ad was good or bad since I have a dish.
But WPLG-TV Channel 10 said the ad was misleading in at least one respect: It states Lamberti’s campaign took money from a convicted drug smuggler. “True, but then he gave it back,” said Channel 10.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:52 am
How did you fail to mention that The Common Sense Coalition has received over $40,000 from two companies owned by twice convicted felon Wayne D. Collins? See here and here.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
You’ve seen the Local 10 article which said: “Campaign finance records show that about $40,000, more than half of its 2008 funding, comes from a bail bonds company whose owner is the subject of news reports as a convicted felon.”
Terrible job.
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:37 pm
What is terrible is that both of these guys will be tainted by having to collect all that money from special interests. They will be there with their hands out whoever wins. Lamberti seems straighter to me than Israel. Israel looks shifty.
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Lamberti is the true plain choice. I am a registered Democrat and an Obama supporter. I also realize that Al Lamberti is the best man to be our sheriff in Broward County. Mr. Israel will stay just that as from what all my Democratic friends are voting the same! Vote Al Lamberti!
November 3rd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
BelindaT:
“Lamberti seems straighter…, Israel looks shifty”???. Wow, what insight! Give me a break!
Do yourself a favor and take a closer look at the careers, records and accomplishments of both candidates and then make an educated choice.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Reader has once again decided to grace Browardbeat with her presence. Reader, what do you have to say for the fact that the ECO supporting Israel – the one his campaign manager gave $6,000 to – has received $40,5000 from a twice convicted felon, who just so happened to give $1,000 to the Israel campaign as well?
November 4th, 2008 at 1:39 am
Here is one of Team Lamberti’s allstars!!
It was great to see convicted drug dealer Benjamin Bennett (1982 Dealing Cocaine from his marked unit while on duty) in Coconut Creek Sunday wearing his Team Lamberti Shirt. Ben was taking a lead role in Al’s campaign and had the poll deputy take measurements regarding signs that he felt were too close to the poll. I am very excited that Al has selected another convicted felon for his team as this along with the Whittington donations are just another example of our “Pride in Service with Integrityâ€. If Al keeps continues picking all-stars like this we can only imagine the future of our agency.
Thanks Al….
November 4th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I actually thought that either Rick Lemack or Wiley Thompson would have made a better sheriff than either one of t hem.