Steve Catches Sue In A Lie…On TV
BY BUDDY NEVINS
County Commissioner Sue Gunzburger doesn’t tell the truth.
And former state Sen. Steve Geller called her on it.
The lie popped out during their joint appearance on the WPLG-Channel 10’s Michael Putney show.
Putney was interviewing them about their race for the South Broward county commission seat.
Then the fireworks started.
Putney was interviewing them about their race for the South Broward county commission seat.
Gunzburger charged that Geller was the first one to receive contributions from Ponzi scamster Scott Rothstein.
Wrong.
Gunzburger got the money first. And Geller was quick to point it out in a lengthy e-mail to Putney after the show.
“I know how much you like it when one of your guests doesn’t tell you the truth (a much more polite way of saying “lies to you”), so I thought that I’d set the record straight, and show you which of us was telling you the truth, Geller wrote.
Gunzburger got between $7,000 and $10,000 from Rothstein and various companies he was involved with in 2008 and on June 22, 2009.
Geller got $50,000 in one check from Rothstein on September 29, 2009.
Both returned the money when Rothstein’s empire collapsed. But Geller has questions about some of the money his opponent received.
Some of Gunzburger’s cash came from companies owned by Howard Gruverman, a Rothstein partner, which Geller said that his opponent kept.
He admits in the e-mail, “the relationship between Rothstein and Gruverman was very complicated.
Geller ends his e-mail below. I preserved his underlining and bold faced type:
“As you can see, I told you the truth, Sue did not.
I will also send you under seperate cover my recent TV ads and mail pieces. I will send you all of them over the recent month or so, so that you can determine which of us is running a positive campaign, versus a negative campaign
Thanks
Steve”
August 16th, 2010 at 8:28 am
Steve’s race has come down to catching Sue Gunzburger in misstatements.
Who cares when they took the money? THEY BOTH DID AND THEY BOTH GAVE IT BACK. END OF STORY.
August 16th, 2010 at 8:41 am
You know throughout this sad affair, they call a campaign, I have been trying to figure out who would be best for the residents. Even the Sun-Sentinel had to hold their nose and suggest (not endorse).
I’ve only come up with one factor that may make a difference. Sue, if re-elected will be termed out in 2014. Geller we would be stuck with for 12 years.
So is it better to hold your nose for 4 more years or 12. You decide. I can only hold it for so long.
August 16th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Geller attacks a misstatement by Gunzburger in the heat of TV lights.
At the same time he wants us to ignore his vote to pass the Scarlet Letter bill which made women second class, calling the vote a simple mistake.
I agree with Resident at 8:41 a.m. in one respect. If we elect Geller, we will be stuck with him for 12 YEARS. Gunzburger is out in four.
r
August 16th, 2010 at 9:53 am
Geller are you serious? Saying other people had complicated relationships with Rothstein or she took money first, BUT you had “Jewish Avenger” super hero pajamas with a cape custom made for him. He gave you $50k, you took it, and gave him a super hero outfit, but somehow he is a Sue problem. Geller- get your head out of your fat ass. The voters are not going to fall for your sleazy smokescreen.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Now she wants to blame “the heat of the TV lights” for her negative campaign of lies.
Sue has been a Commissioner for 18 years already; been interviewed hundreds of times; staged her own press conference with TV lights and cameras all over the place, but now that she’s caught it’s time to blame the lights, the press, Putney…anyone she can.
Sad.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:48 am
ah yes, but who gave the “jewish felon, ponzi schemer avenger” the captain marvel suit?
August 16th, 2010 at 10:53 am
The Gunzburger campaign text messaged me the following after this was posted:
Really a misstatement (accidental) than a lie (intentional) as she believed she was right. I told her after I watched it she was incorrect. She insisted she was right so I sent her the respective contribution dates.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:54 am
@David Brown – where did Sue blame the lights or make any excuse. I cannot find a single comment in this story or thread which has any response from Sue or her campaign. Just comments from unknown bloggers. Stop making things up.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:07 am
I didn’t see the interview, but from your report, sounds like an honest mistake to me. Is this the most important issue in this campaign?
Does anyone remember that Geller, when he was in the Senate, tried to sneak a bill rider through that would have taken the counties out of the loop on local land-use plan amendments? This way cities could have done practically anything they wanted on their comprehensive plans. This would have made approval easier for developers in Broward for big development proposals that encounter public opposition. The system is already pretty easy on developers, even with the county as a step in the process.
I believe my memory is correct on this, but I haven’t seen anything about it in print.
Voters should really know things like this.
FROM BUDDY: Geller backed a plan to take away land use powers from the county.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Wow…You Gunzburger people make me laugh. Sue gets caught in a lie and yet you all manage to blame Geller! That’s ludicrous!
BTW, for those of you claiming that Sue will be termed out, don’t hold your breathe. One, if she really wanted to hold herself to term limits, then she would’ve placed herself on self-imposed limits. By not doing so, she has shown to be a hypocrite in advocating for something she won’t do herself. Secondly, if anyone has taken the time to read the FL Constitution (I know it is an abhorrent document) they would know that the term limits imposed at the County lever are most likely unconstitutional and Rodstrom will be successful in overturning that provision. So basically we will be stuck with Sue for far longer than you realize.
Also, I want to point out, that every single Commissioner called her a liar and were upset with her (or should I say, Ronnie’s) antics. How effective will she be serving S. Broward when the rest of the commission does not want to work with her?
August 16th, 2010 at 11:39 am
I think SouthPark had it right. This is a decision between a Giant Douche and a Turd Sandwich.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=4284258
August 16th, 2010 at 11:44 am
“every single Commissioner called her a liar and were upset with her”
Maybe I don’t have my finger in the pulse of the community like some of you hardcore political junkies, but isn’t it a plus for Sue that the her distrusted scumbag colleagues don’t like her? In any anti-incumbent year like this, these attacks from status quo incumbents can only help Sue.
August 16th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Buba Rothstein gave to alot of politicians. Bottom line she returned the monies Rothstein gave her. Stick to the issues. I think this has been the most rough and tough campaign of all the canidates. Being an advocate for the elderly among other causes I engage myself in remember this lady is 70 yrs young and from the sidelines here or on the outside looking in Comm. Gunzburger certainly has shown she can rumble with the best of them. Please in the last weeks of the campaign all the mud has been slung now let the voters decide and let the chips fall where they may.
August 16th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Buddy,
How can her campaign call it “Really a misstatement (accidental) than a lie (intentional) as she believed she was right?” It was Steve who showed Michael Putney on air the actual mailer she had already sent out to thousands of voters attacking Steve for taking money from Rothstein (before we all knew about his scam) even though she had taken contributions from many of his companies and his firm LONG BEFORE Steve did.
When Steve pointed out to Mr. Putney that she had not only taken contributions but had taken them first, she interrupted loudly claiming “That’s not true. That’s not true.†Clearly, it is the truth. The public records prove it.
Doesn’t she read her own attack mailers? Her desperate, relentless negative hit mailers against Steve have been full of lies, half-truths, innuendo, supposed news paper quotes where only a few words are actually in quotes and the rest is just made-up.
In one of her disgusting mailers she has the gall to put up a quote under a newspaper banner in which only one word was actually in quotation marks. ONE WORD. The rest of the copy was again made-up.
In her just released hit piece calling Steve “anti-woman†after she miss-describes a bill that not only Steve voted for, but was also supported by then Rep. Lois Frankel (Now the Mayor of West Palm and the founder of the first woman’s shelter) and then Rep. Ann Gannon (the immediate past Chair of the local National Organization for Women, (NOW). Is she asserting that they are anti-women†as well. Give me a break.
As one of her fellow Commissioners said last week, (and this is not a quote but pretty close), Sue will throw anyone under the bus to try to make herself look good to the voters.
But Broward voters see right through that brand of illegitimate politics as usually.
August 16th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
I watched the Putney interview and wanted to throw up. If it was the first few weeks of the campaign, Sue could be forgiven for a “misstatement”…but it’s not. This issue has been kicked around for months now and she’s been lying so much she can’t even keep her own BS straight.
This campaign is NOT about who got a check first or who can best distance themselves from Scott Rothstein.
It’s about who has the honesty, integrity, and ethics to represent our community. Sue may have started her career well, but she’s finishing it by wallowing in a cesspool of deceit and unethical behavior while visciously and self-servingly attacking anyone that dares to interfere with her personal ambitions.
Her only basis for calling Geller “sleazy” in every single political ad is because he knows someone that’s sleazy. Wow. If that was her standard, then she should have “ULTRA SLEAZY” tattoed on her forehead for having bred that slimeball son of hers. Now, THAT’S SLEAZY!
People have this perception that this has been a dirty campaign, but it’s ALL come from one direction. Geller (correctly) pointed out that practically half of Sue’s family worked for or profited from Broward County. Like it or not, that’s the truth. Even then, she tried to exploit the memory of her dead husband by making it sound like Geller was attacking him personally (a grostesque and unforgivable distortion if ever there was one). Unless I’m out of his “super voter” loop, I haven’t seen ANYTHING else from Geller that was particularly hard-hitting, let alone “dirty”.
Yet EVERYTHING from Sue contains name-calling, personal attacks, misrepresentations, and outright lies. But the reason she needs to resort to that is 1) she’s losing and 2) after 18 years, she has no legislative accomplishments to campaign on.
Even her claim to be “Ms Ethics” was exposed as a fraud by her fellow commission colleagues. When have you EVER seen an elected body so completely and thoroughly shred someone while discrediting the absurd accusations and innuendos that she’d made?!? “Ms Ethics” my ass.
Don’t forget: Lamberti cleared her of CRIMINAL wrongdoing but offered no comment on ethical violations. That question got pretty thoroughly answered by the other Broward Commissioners.
Even if you love Sue and hate Steve, it’s clear that she’s burned any working relationships with the remainder of the commission, most of whom will be back. Her behavior HAS RENDERED HER USELESS TO THE COMMUNITY.
So, on one hand, you have Steve Geller who, admittedly, can be obnoxious and abrasive, but who otherwise has run a clean campaign and has a SPOTLESS record on legal and ethical issues. On the other hand, you have a used up, unaccomplished, unethical, filthy campaigner who funds budgets that enriched the finances of at LEAST three other family members. Her own colleagues are obviously revolted by her deceitful acts and desperation.
For anyone that actually cares about the success of their community instead of perserving the political status quo (and rewarding unethical behavior), this choice should be crystal clear. GO GELLER!
August 16th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I went to the polls today and voted for STEVE GELLER. Gunzburger has been a Broward commissioner far too long and has stooped too low to keep that position. She needs to move on…maybe she can lobby the commission once she’s out =D
August 16th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
I just went and voted for Sue- so we cancel eachother out Yaki.
August 16th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Did Gunzberger really promise to live with self imposed terms limits and went back on that promise? When did this happen?
FROM BUDDY: Gunzburger’s campaign may be able to answer that question.
August 16th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
The idea that the rest of the county commission is against Sue Gunzburger is a positive.
Geller not negative. Those who say that forget that Geller proded the sheriff into a political investigation of Sue Gunzburger.
August 16th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
To Geller Wrong:
That’s not true…Geller and Lamberti have both denied any dealings on the issue. You’re just falling for more GONESburger propaganda. She started making that accusation IMMEDIATELY, before she could possibly have had any proof. To this day, she refuses to say what actual evidence she had to support such speculation.
That was JUST ONE MORE LIE from the Gunzburger campaign.
This woman lacks any honor or ethics whatsoever. Maybe her son corrupted her, but SOMETHING has gone terribly wrong with her.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
I did not say Gunzburger ever said she was going to have self imposed term limits. What I said is if she is in favor of term limits (I believe they are 12 years for Commissioners), then she should practice what she preaches and self impose term limits on herself. I was just saying that by her advocating and supporting 12 year term limits (but not imposing them on herself, especially after 18 years) then she’s a hypocrite.
August 16th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Just got an email from the Gunzburger campaign a few minutes ago. Former Attorney General Bob Butterworth just endorsed Sue because of her brave leadership in winning the fight for an ethics code.
August 17th, 2010 at 7:18 am
To Tommy The Fry Cook (Steve Geller or David Brown)
GELLER WAS INVOLVED IN THE BSO INVESTIGATION OF GUNZBURGER. THIS CONTINUED DENIAL BY HIM IS JUST MORE LIES.
THE SUN SENTINEL WROTE JULY 13 THAT “Sheriff says Geller spoke to BSO investigators about opponent Gunzburger”
“Gunzburger said she was “grateful’’ and felt “exonorated,’’ but noted that BSO investigators never contacted her, not even to tell her the case was closed. They did, however, contact her election opponent, Steve Geller, the sheriff confirmed Monday.
The complaint against Gunzburger came from a spurned plastics bidder, Michael Hazlett of American Recycled Plastics Inc., who contacted BSO after he learned she was running for re-election. He maintains that Gunzburger’s family business, Better Than Wood, had an improper lock on business with the county because of her position.
He had initially been contacted by Geller, who was digging into possible negative aspects of
her past for his election campaign.”
CLEAN CAMPAIGN CLAIM BY STEVE IS MORE LIES.
August 17th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Once again, I am David Brown. I only post under my real name. I am not Tommy, Yaki or anyone else.
As Steve has said, he was contacted by the new Public Corruption Unit of the BSO. An investigator came to his office and asked him questions. He responded honestly and completely as he expects every citizen would.
Remember, it is Sue, not Steve, who has spent nearly $25,000 to hire an opposition research firm out of Texas to dig up dirt on Steve and obviously use it, twist it or just make it up.
August 17th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Geller- Please tell us where you got the “Jewish Avenger” super hero costume made for Scott Rothstein and how much did it cost you? Now you barely knew the guy- right? What a joke you are.