Lobbyist Alex Heckler: What Did He Know and When Did He Know It?
BY BUDDY NEVINS
To paraphrase the famous line from Watergate: What did lobbyist Alex Heckler know and when did he know it?*
Heckler was hip deep in the slimy 2006 Tamarac political committee at the center of a corruption investigation.
Who is Heckler?
Alex Heckler
He is a Democratic activist who burst on the scene in the John Kerry Presidential campaign. His step father is state Rep. Franklin Sands, D-Weston. He is a Democratic fund raiser.
His day job is lobbyist, partner of longtime Fort Lauderdale über lobbyist George Platt.
Heckler has made himself useful for years among Democrats through political committees which have no limit on how much can be contributed. He was the registered agent for four committees, the treasurer for three and the chairman of two in the past few years, funneling thousands into campaigns.
And Heckler helped form Tamarac Residents for Good Government, the committee funded by the sleazy developers Bruce and Shawn Chait. Their goal was to get a tame commission elected favorable to their massive project.
It is the Chait’s role in the committee that got former Tamarac Mayor Beth Talabisco arrested. She is charged with voting in favor of the Chaits’ project as payback for them clandestinely contributing $21,000 through the committee to support her election.
So what’s Heckler doing in such a sleazy deal?
According to court documents:
- Heckler met with Shawn Chait in the law offices of Parkland Mayor Michael Udine to figure ways to influence the Tamarac election. Tamarac Residents for Good Government was formed.
- Heckler completed the legal documents for Tamarac Resident for Good Government.
- The Chaits were told to deliver committee donations to Heckler. The checks were from Allstar Electric and Wholesale Flooring Center. Chait’s involvement was hidden because their project was controversial in Tamarac.
- Heckler also received $8,000 check from Allstar Electric — the same company that the Chaits used to surreptitiously pass money to the Tamarac committee — for one of his statewide committees.
We might soon find out the answer to my question: What did Heckler know and when did he know it?
A subpoena has been issued for bank records and Heckler will be deposed by Talabisco’s attorney.
I believe I know the answser to the question already.
I would bet that Heckler was involved in the Tamarac election as a favor to County Commission Ilene Lieberman, whose fingerprints were all over the Talabisco campaign. If you’re a lobbyist, why not do a favor for a county commissioner?
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*The ultimate question surrounding Watergate — “What did the president know and when did he know it?†– was asked by U. S. Sen. Howard Baker, R-Tennessee, during the course of the Senate Watergate hearings. Here is a link of Baker asking the question.
May 20th, 2011 at 8:39 am
He’ a scum bag