Judicial Campaigns Still Skirting Ethics Rules As Voting Opens
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Ethically questionable partisan campaigning continued in some judicial races as Early Voting began on Monday.
The candidates involved in this round — Jackie Powell and Tanner Channing Demmery.
Partisan appeals in judicial candidates’ ads are forbidden by the state’s Code of Judicial Conduct.
This partisan trash was being distributed on the web:
Did Tanner Channing Demmery approve this?
All Browardbeat knows is that Demmery paid a Jacksonville consultant who then donated money to the sponsors of this ad — Florida Alliance.
While the Florida Alliance ad was being zipped across the Internet, the scene below was captured at an Early Voting location. This woman was just one of many campaign workers passing out literature for judicial and partisan candidates:
The woman was innocent of any wrongdoing. She was just campaigning for candidates she supported.
But Jackie Powell?
Browardbeat wrote about Powell earlier here.
Perhaps Jackie Powell didn’t know about this joint campaigning. Browardbeat was told that Powell was notified and the joint campaigning went on all day.
All these denials by judicial candidates reminds me of Captain Renault in Casablanca: “I’m shocked! Shocked to find that gambling is going on in here.”
How could the candidates not notice that this prohibited campaigning was happening at the Early Voting locations? Why didn’t they stop it?
Once again, politics is different in Broward. With partisan judicial ads and partisan campaigning at the polls, Broward judicial candidates are shooting more holes in the Code of Judicial Conduct than a target on a gun range.
The Judicial Qualifications Commission, which enforces the Code of Judicial Conduct, needs to investigate this tidal wave of partisan campaigning in the Broward. If not the JQC, then the Florida Bar.
Otherwise why not end the entire prohibition against partisan campaigning altogether? Why not go all the way and allow the party designations of judicial candidates on the ballot?
October 22nd, 2018 at 7:51 pm
Judge Santini who was removed because her consultants were involved in smearing her opponent. Santini claimed the consultant did this without her knowledge.. The JQC removed.
Demmery, this smear card was done by a PAC whose only expense this year was to the same consultant that Demmery paid in excess of $10000.. Demmery claims no knowledge.
So are we and the JQC to believe this PAC just woke up one day and decided to blindly support Demmery out of nowhere? They did so at their own expense?
A vote for Demmery is a waste. Even if he wins the JQC will remove him like Santini
October 22nd, 2018 at 11:37 pm
Has anyone else heard that top Democrat Party Official Grace Carrington has a tent for the Coral Springs/Parkland Dem at the Coral Springs early voting location and she is telling people not to vote for judicial candidates Cawthon, Gilman, Weekes and Allen-Rosner because they are all endorsed by the FOP. She is then heard to have said not to support them because the FOP is the union of the racist Coral Springs police department who beat up a little girl.
If this is true, Cynthia Bush needs to censure her right away.
October 23rd, 2018 at 8:40 am
The police need to do their jobs and move all the people gathered in front of the West Regional Library who block voters and yell at them.
October 23rd, 2018 at 8:36 pm
Does anyone else find it funny that all four of the candidates being called out in the last 3 Broward Beat posts are all running against campaign consultant Michael Ahern’s clients? And all four of these clients have shown up on several partisan palm cards as well?
October 28th, 2018 at 7:32 am
These lying ads are still being passed out at the voting. We will soon have judges who is so desperate for a job that they lie.
October 29th, 2018 at 6:40 pm
Another reson we shold not elect our judges.
November 2nd, 2018 at 12:10 am
On the first morning of early voting, I stopped at the voting precinct to cast my ballot on my way to work. Little did I know that Jason Rosner would take advantage of my excitement and inexperience. I put on my Andrew Gillum t-shirt in the car and grabbed the palm cards of my selected candidates. While proudly attempting to exercise my civic duty as an American Citizen, Mr. Rosner photographed me in my t-shirt. He then choreographed my pose to show a palm card in my hand. I did not realize at the time that his intention was to portray me as campaigning for multiple candidates. Neither candidate depicted asked me to campaign for them and in fact, I was only there to vote. I was clearly wearing my work scrubs because I was on my way to work.
When I discovered the photo and caption posted of me, I asked Mr. Rosner to delete the mischaracterized photo. He said he did, however, this photo taken by Mr. Rosner has been posted on several sites on the internet. His deplorable and manipulative actions speak for themselves, as well as his character and fitness for judicial office.