Political Tidbits: Sheriff’s Race, Hospital Commissioner Won’t Be Prosecuted and Weston’s Stermer To Run

BY BUDDY NEVINS

Hollywood Assistant Chief Louis Granteed is starting to get some traction in his unannounced race for sheriff.

Granteed was warmly greeted at a Coconut Creek Democratic Club this month and at a Democratic strategy session for party club presidents Saturday in Davie.

There is only one reason that this formally little-known law enforcement bureaucrat is interesting insiders: He’s a Democrat!

Sheriff Al Lamberti is a Republican.

“He only has to say, I’m a Democrat,”says one political leader.

If Granteed runs, there will be increased pressure on Lamberti to switch parties.

Scott Israel, the Democratic candidate 2010, is again making noise about running. Sorry, Scott. Your time has passed.

One possible drawback: Does Granteed have any connection to the various scandals that have racked the Hollywood Police during the almost 30 years he has been rising through the ranks there?

Stay tuned.

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Reporter Thomas Francis left the New Times, but he continues his investigations into the North Broward Hospital District at the Browardbulldog.org.

Francis reports today that “The Broward State Attorney’s Office will not file criminal charges against Joseph Cobo, a powerful hospital commissioner accused of exploiting his public position for private gain.”

Read the rest here.

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Former Weston City Commissioner Dan Stermer will file for state House within days, I am told.

Stermer, a lawyer and former assistant state attorney general, will be running for the Weston/Plantation based seat now held by state Rep. Franklin Sands.  Sands is leaving office next year because of term limits.

Stermer got some publicity recently for his role in cleaning up the multi-million dollar scam by South Florida accountant and lawyer Lew Freeman.

Freeman is estimated by the U. S. Attorney’s Office to have stolen more than $6 million from various cases by moving money around.

“His biggest mistake might have been hiring an honest attorney,” stated a Daily Business Review story on the scam.

Apparently Freeman went to Stermer and asked him to cut a check.“Stermer refused and contacted the FBI,” said the Review.

Stermer served eight years on the Weston commission.  He has three children — 11, 16 and 19.

In private practice now, he was an assistant state attorney general in the economics crime division for four years.  He was also a prosecutor for eight years in the Bronx, New York courthouse made famous in Tom Wolfe novel The Bonfires of the Vanities.

He would join lawyer and political newcomer Louis Reinstein of Plantation in the Democratic primary for the seat.



17 Responses to “Political Tidbits: Sheriff’s Race, Hospital Commissioner Won’t Be Prosecuted and Weston’s Stermer To Run”

  1. same old song says:

    I dont know Mr. Granteed but all I keep reading is that Judy Stern is around this guy’s campaign. Like Scott Israel, Stern’s time has passed as well. The best thing to happen to the Sheriff in 08 was members of his team working against Rick LeMack in the primary. If Lemack won the primary it would have been a much different race. Everyone knew Israel would be DOA after the primary.
    Mr. Granteed if you are a serious candidate for Sheriff. You need to hire Barbra Miller, Amy Rose, David Brown or Eric Johnson and come out and tell everyone under no circumstances would you associate with Stern. If not, go ask Jenne, Eggelletion, Israel, Wisher, Castillo and Barbara Stern how much baggage and enemies Judy Stern brings to the candidates who use her.

  2. Mistake Mistake says:

    Al Lamberti will never become a Democrat and it’s an even bigger mistake to count Scott Israel out of any race.

    FROM BUDDY:
    I don’t count him out. I just think he had his shot. Now its time to let somebody else run.

    One of the ways the Democrats can screw up this race is by having a contentious primary.

  3. NBDoc says:

    Most of the medical staff was amazed when Cobo was appointed since it was known he had clients at the district. We are hoping that Rick Scott makes better choices than Charlie Crist did.

  4. Had His Shot? says:

    Buddy it’s laughable to suggest that Scott Israel doesn’t have a shot. BSO is worried about his candidacy and for good reason.

    Everybody knows that Al Lamberti only narrowly beat Scott Israel with the benefit of a huge campaign budget raised largely by Scott Rothstein. The Rothstein connection is a huge liability for the Sheriff. Lamberti did not have a primary. So he could afford the efforts of Roger Stone who threw every dirty trick and lie he could against Israel in vicious TV ads. Many in Broward would vote differently if that race was held today.

    Israel remains Broward’s undisputed Democratic front runner for Sheriff. Nobody else is likely to become a factor and Democrats would be wise to avoid a primary for Sheriff. Lack of party discipline is why BSO is not today lead by a Democrat.

    Lessons learned from his first race give Israel every chance to win in 2012. This “his time has gone” stuff is silly.

  5. Resident of 98 says:

    I had the opportunity to meet Louis Reinstein. He is smart and has a vision for the district and for Florida. Although it will be a difficult race, I am certain Louis will be the candidate that the voters of 98 will rally behind!

  6. Death Frog 3 says:

    @ Had his shot quit campaigning for Isreal. He took Rothstein money too.

    The D establishment is behind Granteed. I heard somewhere that Isreal is loaning himself 80k for the run.

    What may happen here (again) is a costly primary battle that uses up the warchest and leaves the cupboard bare for the primary. I again say the primary between Granteed and Isreal will be fun to watch. We will learn all kinds of dirty stuff on these guys. It’s really kind of a dream.

    Scarberry knows where the Granteed bodies are buried. More Isreal stuff from FLPD will come out.

    Lamberti was a transitional leader. Time for a true professional leader with no ties at BSO.

    Enough of this “I want a cop” stuff too. I want an effective leader who can get things done politically.

  7. belly laugh says:

    “The Rothstein connection is a huge liability for the Sheriff.”

    Go run a google search, Rothstien through his law partner Stuart Rosenfelt gave tens of thousands of dollars to Israel.

    The only person who can stand up and say he is untained by a Rothstien connection is Louie Granteed

  8. What About Steve? says:

    Steve Geller could be a good sheriff’s candidate. He could raise money, has name ID and was a leader in the state Democrats so he can lead.
    Don’t write him off.

  9. Democrat says:

    Buddy is correct. Scott Israel’s time has come and gone. He will not get the democratic party backing or their money. He already lost to Lamberti once, and this was during the largest democratic turnout ever for an election. Israel refused to work together with the other leading democratic contender, and as a result caused the democratic candidates to split and waste their campaign funds in the primary.

    Louie Granteed has the credentials for the job and now he has the momentum.

  10. Kevin says:

    Dan Stermer would make an excellent State Representative. He’s hard-working and honest.

    Kevin Hill

  11. What Money says:

    What democratic party money? They don’t put two cents into anything. You’re a fool. This guy Granteed is going nowhere it’s not even worth discussing it. His own cops hate him.

  12. Elroy_John says:

    House 98 is going to be an interesting race to watch & is already drawing some fine candidates. I wouldn’t make any bets just yet though…

  13. Broward Politico says:

    I hear Louis Granteed is going with Ashley Walker as his campaign manager. If so, smart move. Granteed has a good shot with many DEC leaders behind him and Ashley will help.

  14. Democrat says:

    To What Money says,

    How old are you 11? I’m sure you’re not, but your rudimentary language and lack of knowledge threw me off. You should stick to ESPN and leave politics to the educated.

  15. Commissioner Angelo Castillo says:

    Dear Friends:

    Dan Stermer would be a very qualified and capable candidate for this post. Dan’s a smart lawyer with strong name recognition. People like Dan and he has experience in Tallahassee because of his service as a Weston official. It’s early and lots of things can happen. However, I know Dan and he’s a very determined guy once he makes up his mind. If he decides to run, Dan’s competition is going to have their work cut out for them.

    Angelo

  16. Legal Doctors says:

    As to many doctors at Broward Health we would love to have Commissioner Cobo back, many of us have ask him to re-apply he is a great asset to the organization.

  17. dems for dollars says:

    can’t believe Steve Geller is still reading the blogs!