More Lobbyist Shenanigans At County Commission

 

 

 

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

 

At the Broward Government Center there is always one lobbyist who is in the front of the line to pay-for-play — Bernie Friedman.

 

bernie friedmanBernard “Bernie” Friedman

 

 

Friedman not only showers county commissioners with campaign contributions.  He now pumps money into the campaigns of their spouses.

Witness the fund raiser Friedman is hawking for Miramar commission candidate Maxwell Chambers.  Chambers just happens to be the husband of County Commissioner Barbara Sharief.

Now, there is not much money for a lobbyist in Miramar.  The real aim here is to keep Sharief happy at the County Commission.

This fund raiser isn’t aimed at Miramar residents.  It is clearly aimed at picking the pockets of the downtown crowd who count on Sharief’s vote, since it is being held at the downtown Fort Lauderdale restaurant Tarpon Bend Food & Tackle.

So what’s worse?  A sycophantic lobbyist or an influence-peddling commissioner?

Chambers is running against five other candidates for the District 1 Commission seat.

 

 

From: “Friedman, Bernie” <bfriedman@bp-mail.com>
Date: January 22, 2015, 5:14:44 PM EST
To:
Subject: Broward Commissioner Sharief invites you to a very special event..,
Reply-To: bp@bplegal.com

Dear Friends,

I hope you can join Broward County Commissioner Barbara Sharief at a very special event for her husband Maxwell Chambers, candidate for the Miramar City Commission. See the special invitation below. Corporate or personal contributions of any amount up to $1,000 are welcome. Thanks.

Bernie Friedman

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15 Responses to “More Lobbyist Shenanigans At County Commission”

  1. Marilyn Chambers says:

    Vote for me!

    Instead of a chicken in every pot, they’ll be a hummer behind every closed door!

  2. Runcie's Back says:

    Buddy –
    speaking of sycophants, not even 8 weeks after Runcie got 800 million, he is trying to change the downtown boundaries to pay back the developers. Instead of trying to improve inner city F schools with the bond money, he simply wants to divert the kids from Walker and Northeast to Harbordale, a school with no green areas and huge problems from over attendance as it is! He has to go.

    FROM BUDDY:

    Why would that change help developers?

  3. future elections says:

    If mitch ceaser and steve geller win.there county commision seat Bernie Freidman wilm have a field day on the county commission.

  4. John Henry says:

    Nothing new here

  5. Sam The Sham says:

    Instead of saying “Lobbyist Shenanigans”, why not just say “Democrats Behaving Badly…As Usual”. Instead of saying that these politicians are corrupt or that their actions are suspect, why not just admit that Democrat Political Policy is bankrupt and the whole system is designed to payoff friends and allies?

  6. Not Married says:

    Buddy they are not even married anymore:
    https://www2.miami-dadeclerk.com/ocs/Search.aspx

    https://www2.miami-dadeclerk.com/mlsweb/LicenseSearch.aspx

    Be sure to spell his name correctly.
    They got married 08/10/1993 and divorced 10/19/1993.

    Liars Living Large!

  7. The Guess Who says:

    Re: Future Elections.

    Not so sure about Bernie being the king of the commission. Bernie is an old friend of Nan’s who helped her raise for her gubernatorial race. He may split the baby with Mitch and Nan but Mitch and Bernie are not very close. Geller is a Greenspoon guy. The big winner of those two win could be Dennis Mele.

  8. electric jack says:

    A few thoughts. They are married paperwork has been filed for commonalty check the county web site….
    Next item the limit in my paper work s $500 not $1000……
    Its no wonder a honest person has not a chance in Broward County….$1000 a plate where is the county ethics commissioner and Mz Snipes from the BSOE…….does this sound familiar seems like I heard this pulled once before….
    Almost as bad as the 4 ft tall posters plastered all over Miramar an we have a city ordinance against them?????

  9. Just Saying says:

    Barbara and Max were never married, but are definitely a longtime couple and registered domestic partners. But, marred or not, so what? That has nothing to do with the job an elected official would do?

  10. electric jack says:

    Dear Just Saying: Married or not is not my question taht is another persons question. Mine is quite simple Ready did not this same lobbyist attempt once before to pull this off?•

    Sharief Fund Raiser Officially Cancelled
    BY BUDDY NEVINS
    It’s official.
    The much-criticized fund raiser for Barbara Sharief is officially off.
    Lobbyist Bernie Friedman sent an e-mail to his contacts minutes ago announcing what we all knew.
    Sharief demanded the Friedman-run event be cancelled after news of it hit the media. Sharief, who will probably take over from departing County Commissioner Diana Wasserman Rubin after the November election, had promised not to meet with lobbyists.
    Here is the announcement:
    From: Friedman, Bernie [mailto:BFriedman@becker-poliakoff.com]
    Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 4:25 PM
    To: Friedman, Bernie; Schiller, Neil
    Subject: October 4 Luncheon at Riverside Hotel is Cancelled.
    Bernie Friedman
    Attorney at Law
    Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.
    Emerald Lake Corporate Park
    3111 Stirling Road
    Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312-6525954.985.4180 Phone
    954.328.9144 Cell
    954.985.6814 Fax
    BFriedman@becker-poliakoff.com
    http://www.becker-poliakoff.com

    Our clients’ total satisfaction is our #1 priority. The Becker & Poliakoff Client CARE Center is available for questions, concerns and suggestions. Please contact us at 954.364.6090 or via email at CARE@becker-poliakoff.com.
    < Comment it , or trackback this post.

    Seems to me like either Becker Polikoff who has allready donated $1000 dollars to the campaign is not content with breaking the law but wants more of the same….so please Buddy explain this to us how does people get away with this???? An we have a county ethics person? Where is he or she hiding???????

  11. Lamberti is a Criminal says:

    Term limits will resolve this criminal problem. ONE TERM ONLY.

  12. Lamberti is a Criminal says:

    Only criminals and idiots oppose term limits.

  13. Colunt LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    Two points, one informational. On the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, a non profit, website is or was an invitation to go to another BECKER POLIAKOFF FUNDRAISER for Robert McKinzie, the Plantation resident appointed to the FORT LAUDERDALE CITY COMMISSION! So, BECKER & POLIAKOFF is still in the RAISING MONEY FOR POLITICIANS IN AREAS THEY HAVE NO BUSINESS OR CLIENTS IN!
    Point Two, the “Shenigans” are caused by lobbyists, developers, vendors to cities and counties being permitted to fundraise and contribute to campaigns. BAN IT! Miami Beach did in City Elections, and things go better, not perfect, but BETTER!
    There is NO REASON UNDER THE SUN FOR out of town lawyers raising money for FORT LAUDERDALE CITY COMMISSION CANDIDATES except to INFLUENCE THEM ON THE PEOPLE;S BUSINESS!
    I understand lawyers who know Trantalis, Seiler, and Rogers contributing, or police or union officials contributing to a former Police Chief like well respected Bruce Roberts, but out of town lawyers contributing to a small time contractor in Plantation to run for the Fort Lauderdale City Commmission has the stink of the worse kind of corruption we like to think only exists in Miami, Chicago, or Sicily! I mean, a non profit, helping out of town lobbyists fund an out of towner running for Commissioner in my hometown?
    And, yes, YOU THE READERS OF THIS BLOG COULD STOP THIS NONSENSE! DO WHAT THEY DID ON MIAMI BEACH! LOBBY COMMISSIONERS TO BAN CAMPAIN CONTRIBUTIONS IN LOCAL ELECTIONS! PETTTION TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT! I mean IT IS OUR GOVERNMENT!

  14. Kelsey says:

    Nobody respects Bernie Friedman. He is renowned as a greedy pig. He kisses so much ass that he needs Chapstick. Remember when he squealed like a little girl when Bob Norman tried to ask him some questions. “Oh, its a battery.” What a sorry little man. http://www.local10.com/news/Lobbyist-Friedman-to-Local-10-reporter-You-battered-me/11206842

  15. Just Saying says:

    Just because someone makes money doesn’t make them a greedy pig or a thief. I’m sure Bernie was deeply concerned what anonymous bloggers thought of him while he was on vacation in the mid-east, or when his daughter graduated from law school.