Update: Candidate Ben Lap’s Strange Bedfellows
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Newly-minted Broward County Commission candidate Ben Lap has some interesting advisors, if the Sun-Sentinel is to be believed.
Lap is running for District 4 against fellow Democrat Ken Keechl and Republican incumbent Commissioner Chip LaMarca.
Lap is quoted by Brittany Wallman in the Sun-Sentinel as saying his political advisors are “Eric Johnson, Michael Albetta, Judy Stern, Ron Mills, Stan Adkins.”
Interesting.
Who are they?
- Albetta is a strange choice for an advisor to a Democratic candidate. He was a key supporter of Republican Sheriff Al Lamberti in 2012 in the gay community. He even hosted a fund raiser for the sheriff.
- Mills is another strange choice for a Democrat. He is another supporter of Lamberti’s who helped the sheriff’s campaign, presumably against Democrats.
- Johnson is a campaign turncoat. He was Ken Keechl’s campaign manager in his losing, $600,000 campaign in 2010. Now Johnson has switched sides and is an “advisor” to Lap’s Democratic campaign against Keechl and incumbent Commissioner Chip LaMarca, a Republican.
- Atkins is a Democratic spoiler. He is working for former state Sen. Nan Rich against former Gov. Charlie Crist in the gubernatorial race. Some believe that the Rich race wastes money that could be better spent against Republican Gov. Rick Scott. Some could also argue that Lap’s race wastes Democratic money which could be better spent against LaMarca. Hmmmm.
- Stern has a lot at stake in a county commission race. She’s a lobbyist at the Broward Government Center in addition to being a campaign consultant. That’s about all you need to know.
—filed Feb. 4
An earlier post on Ben Lap, filed Feb. 3, appears below:
BY BUDDY NEVINS
A Democratic fund raiser has jumped in the race against Broward’s only Republican County Commissioner — Chip LaMarca.
Ben Lap has hosted various Ds, including now U. S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, at his lavish waterfront home.
But Lap has also had problems paying for his home, which has been in foreclosure. Here is a Browardbeat.com post on Lap’s financial troubles.
Lap’s entry in the race means that former Democratic Commissioner Ken Keechl will have a primary. The winner of the primary will face LaMarca.
Keechl held the District 4 seat from 2006-2010. Then LaMarca took it away. Now Keechl wants it back, but first he will have to beat Lap.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ben Lap
February 3, 2014
954-???-????
Prominent National Democratic Fundraiser
Announces Run for Broward County Commission
Ft. Lauderdale, FL–-Benjamin P. Lap announced his candidacy today for the District 4 County Commission seat currently held by Republican, Chip LaMarca. Lap, 56, is a bio-tech entrepreneur, attorney, and certified mediator who has been a major donor and fundraiser for Democratic candidates across the nation.
“Broward County is changing,” Lap said. “It’s changing economically, culturally, demographically, and environmentally. The impact of these changes presents financial and social challenges that all of our elected leadership should have begun addressing years ago.
“I’m running for the County Commission to bring a fresh perspective and help set new priorities focused on creating a strong local economy and improving the quality of life for all of us. I’m looking forward to meeting with voters and building a winning campaign over the weeks and months to come.”
Ben Lap is the Chairman of BioSentinel, Inc., a company he co-founded in 2003 that is focused on the development of pharmaceuticals and diagnostic related products. A graduate of the New York University School of Law, Ben is also a Certified Mediator with Mediator, Mediation, Inc. in Ft. Lauderdale.
In addition to his law degree, Ben also holds an MBA from the University of Chicago School of Business and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, from Wesleyan University in 1978.
###
February 3rd, 2014 at 4:29 pm
Just remember, that sucking sound you hear when you meet Ben Lap is Michael Albetta sucking everything he can out of Lap’s wallet.
February 3rd, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Clearly, this is a seat that is attracting those who need the $92k job verse those who want to serve their constituents. Isn’t Lamarca also in foreclosure? Loser.
February 3rd, 2014 at 6:18 pm
Who is friends with Chip LaMarca but not with Ken Keechl and has the political savvy to recruit a primary opponent to run against Ken with the hope of improving Chip’s sagging chances of winning? Let’s see.
February 3rd, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Lap has been taken around for months by Albetta and Ron Mills. These fine fellows are “democrats” who lived off the teat of Al Lamberti for four years. Albetta is in foreclosure too.
In reading Lap’s reason for running, he essentially uses buzzwords but says nothing of substance against LaMarca and why he, Lap, is the better candidate.
This reminds me of Louie Granteed..
Remember Louie was “rumored” to be a shill for Lamberti/Mills/Albetta who was supposed to knock out Isreal in the primary. You know the same Louie Granteed that was running to win a primary to take on Sheriff Lamberti, yet never said one thing that he would do beeter than Lamberti if he became Sheriff.
Watch how this plays out. If Lap is running against Chip LaMarca then certainly he would be expected to point out the differences between the two and explain how he could do better?
Also, in the tradition of the Lamberti/Mills/Albetta crew, no doubt there will be shadowy ECO’s that come out pro Lap and negative Keechl. Remember supporters of Lamberti financed hit pieces on behalf of Rick LeMack that LeMack had nothing to do with when the Lamberti crew believed Israel was a bigger challenge than LeMack.
Everyone knows Mills and Albetta go where the money is. LaMarca and his mutual Republican friends with Lamberti have lots of money.
February 3rd, 2014 at 8:32 pm
He bought the place for $850,000 in 2000. It’s currently assessed at $1,851,100. The lender has filed a “lis pendens” indicating the legal intent to foreclose. In Florida it takes an average of 861 days (2.4 years) to get from “lis pendens” to actually foreclosing, and the lis pendens often winds up getting diismissed long before that because the homeowner has worked out some kind of a deal with the lender. Odds are that this one will get dismissed as soon as the ink is dry on the deal.
http://bcpa.net/RecInfo.asp?URL_Folio=504202190160
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-04-12/business/os-foreclosures-orlando-20120412_1_foreclosure-activity-foreclosure-related-filings-daren-blomquist
February 4th, 2014 at 7:48 am
Lap is Mitch Ceasar’s lapdog. Ceasar has been telling everyone he has a “millionaire gay” who can beat Keechl and then LaMarca.
February 4th, 2014 at 8:08 am
Just love, how these blog comments, bring out the hateful clueless wingnuts
February 4th, 2014 at 8:13 am
These blog post are mostley the same person, most are all employees of BSO and one makes over 200,000 right Ronnie boy
February 4th, 2014 at 11:01 am
Broward and Florida have been Ground Zero for foreclosures for years. The economy sucks, remember? The better metric is who has the best ideas for Broward government, which is a joke. Keechl could have been that leader but instead decided to believe his own press. LaMarca is out of his element. Ben Lap is a fresh face yet seasoned politico with good ideas and a nationwide network that can maybe bring some professionalism to the foolishness that is Broward County.
February 4th, 2014 at 11:43 am
Who is this guy? Where did he come from? Lamarca and Lapp are automatically disqualified. The economy sucks? Look, if you cant manage your own finances, keep your hands off mine. Keechl may be far from perfect but he is obviously far more qualified than these two jokers.
February 4th, 2014 at 12:58 pm
Guys like LaMarca and Lap who live in expensive homes, wear fancy clothes, drive fancy cars, go to expensive galas and fundraisers all the while they dont pay their mortgage. Then insult everyone in claiming they are no different than those middle class people strugging and working 2 or 3 jobs to survive in this economy.
LaMarca likes to brag about being so instrumental to lowering the unemployment rate. Since neither Lap or LaMarca have jobs from which they can afford to pay their mortgages, maybe they should find some of these newly created jobs so they can get current on their bills.
February 4th, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Some of you who seem fixated on Ron Gunzburger (#8 above, for example) may be in need of some good paranoia meds. He may be good at what he does, but Ron is not remotely close the the mythical Keyser Söze of Broward politics that some of you portray him to be these days ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyser_Söze ). If it is a negative campaign, or negative mailing, or dirty trick, or blog comment, well then I guess it must be Ron Gunzburger. Who else? Kinda funny.
FROM BUDDY:
Among the differences between Keyser Söze and Gunzburger is that everybody knows Gunzburger exists…especially the candidates he has run campaigns against.
(Keyser Söze referes to the fictional sociopath who some believed did not exist in the movie “the Usual Suspects.”)
February 4th, 2014 at 7:50 pm
“Ben Lap is a fresh face yet seasoned politico with good ideas and a nationwide network that can maybe bring some professionalism to the foolishness that is Broward County.”
more of reward your cronies when elected. please. all these lawyers have an agenda.
February 4th, 2014 at 9:23 pm
As reported by Bob Norman in 2010 stern was an advisor for LaMarca
Lamarcas treasurer Motwani is a big contributor for Rep Murphy who Eric Johnson works for.
Mills was rumored to be working for LaMarca in 2010.
Albetta is an old pal of Lamberti who is close friends wth LaMarca.
Nah no way these guys put up Lap to hurt Keechl or get lucky and have loser Lap lose to Chip.
With this group of ethical campaign people, Ben Lap being a dupe to save LaMarca could never happen.
February 4th, 2014 at 11:35 pm
Eric Johnson, the supposed chief of staff to Republican Congressman Patrick Murphy? So Murphy lets him run amok on federal time running campaigns in Florida again? I thought after he got in trouble at Wexler’s office he would have learned his lesson.
February 5th, 2014 at 7:30 am
Ken Keechl’s job is to win in the primary and the general election. He has every ability to do that. I believe he will. No matter who comes out of the woodwork.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:03 am
I did not run Lamberti’s Internet operation. it was even written, Bill Lewis did, not even sure of that, Buddy you of all people should realize most of the comment posters on here are self serving political operatives posting mostley BS on here, and not ever using their real names, since they are cowards.
FROM BUDDY:
You are right. You didn’t run Lamberti’s Internet operation. You conducted robo-calls for him and other Republicans.
February 6th, 2014 at 10:08 am
Buddy, see what I mean
Hmmmm says:
“Mills was rumored to be working for LaMarca in 201″0. WTF I never worked for LaMarca, just more nasty hateful rumors speard by the same self serving few cowards, who post here, Hmmmm man up use your real name and tell me what moron told you this nonsense.
February 6th, 2014 at 11:33 am
Thou protest too much…
February 6th, 2014 at 11:45 am
Ron, Ron, Ron. The gig is up. You ran the Dolphin dems into the ground with Albetto and you took every dollar R or D you could find in 2010 and 12. Now you have shown that you will turn on anyone for a buck. You are clearly a liar as well as a loser. Man up.
February 6th, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Ron Mills forgets his $7000 payment for “voice blasts” fairly quickly I see.
7000 FOOTPRINT STRATEGIES, INC FT LAUDERDALE FL MON VOICE BLASTS
February 6th, 2014 at 4:31 pm
Because he needed the money…
Here is the Court case for Albetta’s foreclosure. Interesting that he has been in foreclosure since 2009. Wasnt Albetta supposed to be making big bucks being involved with selling cars to BSO as Lamberti’s guy at Maroone?
I hear he may be in Bankruptcy as well. I wonder if he will declare his income from Ben Lap to the Bankruptcy Court?
It is really disgusting how guys living big like Lap, LaMarca and Albetta can continue to live large and not pay their mortgages through lawyer games in foreclosure court.
http://www.clerk-17th-flcourts.org/Clerkwebsite/BCCOC2/OdysseyPA/CaseSummary.aspx?CaseID=790260&hidSearchType=party_case&DisplayCitation=no&CaseNumber=CACE09043974&SearchType=
February 6th, 2014 at 7:42 pm
As far as Mike Albetta the who”s who of gayville are pissed that he went against the almighty Kenny Keechl . Yes, many “dolphin democrats” want nothing to do w/ Albetta. As far as Judy Stern helping Lap, that was news to me. I think the more people that run against Keechl(primary) the better it will be for Lamarca. Comm.Larmarca stick to the issues, keep attending functions, go long, go deep and have your wife campaign for you(everybody likes her). All eyes are on you Chip. Perfect….