Update 2: Sources: Layoffs Planned At Rothstein Firm; Where Is Scott?
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein called the rumors swirling around Broward political circles about his fleeing town are “bullshit.”
The comment came in an e-mail to Browardbeat.com.
Meanwhile, sources say layoffs are planned at the firm in the wake of Rothstein’s strange, unexplained departure. Rumors spread by phone calls and text messages spread through Broward Sunday, as political insiders guessed about the reasons Rothstein disappeared.
Rothstein, when we knew where to find him
One rumor claims he is in Morocco. Another says he is hunkering down in his plush waterfront east Fort Lauderdale compound.
Rothstein did not throw light on where or the reason he can not be found in his e-mails to Browardbeat.com today:
The e-mail sent in response to my e-mail to him is below. It was sent from his corporate e-mail account.
“I am coming into town on tuesday late in the day. Rumors that I left town permanently are bullshit. U will see me live and in person. If u want to meet with me we can meet wednesday morning.
Be well
Scott”
In a second e-mail, Rothstein said:
“I am fine… rumors are just that…rumors.”
The language and salutation are typical of other e-mails I have received from him, but he did not return a call placed to him earlier today.
I got more than a dozen calls from various sources since last night.
Members of his firm did not return calls for comment. One member of his firm that was reached said, “I can’t comment about it.”
My experience after more than three decades of being a columnist and reporter is that when a source says “I can’t comment about it” something is going on. Otherwise, the word “it” wouldn’t be used and the comment would be a flat denial.
Several sources from inside the firm say layoffs are planned as early as Monday. The firm was reported closed today.
If the layoff reports are true, the lawyers and support staff getting the pink slips will have a rough time. The Broward legal community is reeling from the recession and many other firms have been downsizing, not hiring.
Where is Rothstein?
One political figures told Browardbeat.com that he saw Rothstein on Friday and nothing looked out of the ordinary. He was in an animated discussion with firm partner Grant Smith and Paul Anderson, a former lobbyist for, among others, the JM Family Companies.
The Las Olas lawyer burst into the limelight in the past two years by building a huge law firm and hiring well-known talent while other firms were shrinking in the recession. Among those who work at his firm are former Sheriff Ken Jenne and political hitman Roger Stone.
The firm has more than four dozen lawyers and handles some South Florida’s most prestigious clients, including Citicorp, Ed Morse Automotive Group, National Beverage Corporation, Sovereign Bank and Edify health care.
What happens to all these lucrative clients if the firm lays offs its lawyers?
Rothstein is a huge donor to local charities and politics, having given approximately $500,000 to Gov. Charlie Crist and the Republican Party among others.
His free spending ways shocked some locals, who could never understand how the law firm produced enough for him to give $100,000s to charities in one night or millions to buy numerous houses, luxury cars and businesses.
He told me he invested most of his money in real estate. But the downturn in the Florida real estate market didn’t seem to stop his spending.
With all the publicity about his wealth, Rothstein was fearful of his safety and surrounded himself and his housewith off-duty police. Inside his firm, sources say, there was elaborate security including hidden cameras in some areas.
The Rothstein saga is bizarre and this latest chapter is mind blowing. Like all good stories, I and many others will be eager to see how it all turns out.
November 1st, 2009 at 9:34 am
Didn’t the Jewish Avenger say he was going to sue New Times Bob Norman and take his house?
Perhaps you should ring up the Norman residence. Maybe Bob and Scott are now bunk mates…
– Chaz Stevens
MyActsOfSedition.com
November 1st, 2009 at 9:44 am
Bob had 2 separate posts last night/early this morning on this topic. As the comments fomented more fanciful and speculative allegations, suddenly the SR blog postings came down. Maybe Bob has heard from SR or he just got worried about getting threatened again.
FROM BUDDY: The “Bob” in question, I assume, is Bob Norman of The Broward/Palm Beach New Times.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:02 am
Bob Norman got a no-comment comment out of “…Grant Smith, a lobbyist who works at the Rothstein Rosenfeldt, Adler firm, today. ‘As a firm, we have no comment on this,’ he told me. ‘I am not prepared to comment. When the time is appropriate, we will comment.'”
November 1st, 2009 at 10:06 am
Clickity Clack…Clickity Clack…Clickity Clack….
November 1st, 2009 at 10:09 am
Buddy, you are correct. Sorry about that shorthand.
November 1st, 2009 at 11:27 am
The legal world has always been suspicious of Rothstein’s House of Cards. It was very strange that Scott could be tossing around huge salaries to draw attorneys to his firm, while the rest of the world was collapsing. He even hired criminal defense attorneys and former judges, who had no civil clients. Regardless of my misgivings and the misgivings of many I know, I hate to see anything happen to Scott or his associates and partners.
November 1st, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Scott,
I have a nice one bedroom condo I would be willing to share with you.
Best Wishes,
Bernie
November 1st, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Does this mean Pat Roberts Former ABT Major is out of a job protecting strip clubs ? If so please call Mayor Armstrong of Plantation who has numerous slush Funds ( City Attorney Lunny ” We fudge numbers”)so he can take a good job with the city !