Judicial Candidate Part of Inspector General’s Report On Home Loans
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Many judicial candidates are so light on experience that they puff their resumes with grandiose descriptions of their limited work history.
Not Broward County Court candidate Alfreda Coward. Coward’s campaign bio leaves out one of her most notable client — The Lauderhill Housing Authority.
Alfreda Coward
Why doesn’t her campaign mention her work for the housing authority?
Perhaps it is because the Broward Inspector General found that the housing authority’s top managers violated state ethics laws while Coward looked on.
Here is the story from the inspector general on Oct. 15, 2015:
The Lauderhill Housing Authority gave thousands of dollars for home loans to Kennie Hobbs Jr., and Julie Saunders.
That’s not kosher because Hobbs was executive director of the authority and also an assistant Lauderhill city manager. Saunders was the authority’s deputy director.
The managers “are violating state ethics law by having loans from their own agency via a program administered by their subordinates and over which they have directional control,” Inspector General John W. Scott said in a final report on the agency on Oct. 15, 2015.
Coward was the authority’s attorney while this was happening.
The inspector general does not say Coward broke any laws, but her fingerprints are all over Scott’s critical report.
Coward refused to be interviewed by Scott’s office.
A year before the inspector general’s report, investigative reporter Carmel Cafiero of WSVN – Channel 7 obtained documents proving something was amiss at the housing authority. As part of the story, Cafiero confronted Coward.
Carmel Cafiero: “You don’t see a conflict of interest…?”
Alfreda Coward: “I do not.”
Now this woman now wants to be judge.
Coward is running for Group 14 County Court against three other candidates – Samuel Lopez, Kim Theresa Mollica and Bradford Alan Peterson.
June 13th, 2016 at 8:53 am
In the Private Sector what happened at Lauderhill would most likely PUT THESE PEOPLE IN JAIL FOR SELLING FROM THE STOCKHOLDERS or BONDHOLDERS.
How this woman got n keeps her law licence seems to be a real issue of the ethical quality of the legal profession and our educational system
Totally UNFIT to be JUDGE
June 13th, 2016 at 9:24 am
Thanks for sharing such GREAT information. This woman should NEVER be a judge or we just get more corruption all the time
June 15th, 2016 at 10:46 am
Wait, at no point did the story say Coward involved in any impropriety related to this issue. As counsel for the Department she’s not involved in the decision making as to who gets the loans. So why should she be blamed for the actions of the managers? Was she involved in the process> A general Counsel usually is NOT part of the everyday decisions for approval or denial of applications. Am I missing something?
June 15th, 2016 at 10:18 pm
What’s to be baffled? I am baffled why this candidate who wants to be judge, would not list the Lauderhill Housing Authority on her campaign resume? Enough said.
June 16th, 2016 at 12:11 am
#3 you got to be kidding me. I wouldn’t trust this lady judging a dog show! Thanks Browardbeat for bringing this forward.
June 16th, 2016 at 11:53 am
@3 Baffled, what you’re missing is her quote about not seeing any conflict with the directors writing themselves checks from the government programs they oversee. What the quote proves is a lack of good judgment.