Shawn Chait

Some Tamarac Residents Want Patte-Atkins Grad Recalled

Just because you're a public official once accused of corruption, doesn't mean you can't pick make a comeback. Tamarac city commissioner Patricia Atkins-Grad in December was acquitted on corruption charges stemming from a 2010 indictment. The commissioner, a realtor who goes by the nickname "Positi ... More >>

Tamarac Commissioner Patricia Atkins-Grad Found Not Guilty of Corruption Charges

As first reported on this here bloggy blog by Bob Norman back in 2010, Tamarac City Commissioner Patricia "Positively Patte" Atkins-Grad was arrested and charged with bribery, official misconduct, receiving unlawful compensation, and conspiring to commit unlawful compensation after she threw herself ... More >>

Will Ilene Lieberman's Scandal-Skirting Past Affect Her Run for Circuit Court Judge?

If you vote in next week's Broward primary election, you'll be able to pick from a number of judges who are up for election. One of them is Ilene Lieberman, a Broward County commissioner who nearly fell to corruption charges before testifying against her friends for prosecutorial immunity.She's also ... More >>

Bob Norman's Greatest Hits

Bob Norman is not a man to gloat, so we're doing it for him. During his 13 years as a writer at this periodical (four as feature writer, nine as a columnist, five of those nine as the Daily Pulp blogger), he has had a rash of successes -- especially if you count sending corrupt public officials to ... More >>

A Commissioner Under Oath: The Lieberman File

Suspended Tamarac Mayor Beth Talabisco was arraigned today and pleaded not guilty to corruption charges involving dirty developers Bruce and Shawn Chait. Talabisco may not have been forced to stand in court if it hadn't been for the testimony against her by Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lie ... More >>

Embattled Stacy Ritter Back on the Fundraiser Trail

Cal Deal Wild Art: Sheriff Al Lamberti at a pill mill protest Friday at the Galleria in Fort Lauderdale. Also pictured: Broward Commissioners Chip LaMarca (left of Lamberti) and Kristin Jacobs (far right). Thanks to Cal Deal for the photo. ​Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter may be in t ... More >>

Democrats Honor Criminally Charged Politico With "Emeritus" Position

The Kings Point Condos have long been a tumor on Broward County's body politic. The Democratic-voter-packed condo complex for the elderly is in the heart of Tamarac -- and Tamarac, of course, is a nest of bribe takers that has recently become the corruption capital of not only Broward but also ... More >>

Ed Portner: I Did More for Dirty Developers Than They Did for Me

Former Tamarac Commissioner Ed Portner -- best-known as Stacy Ritter's dad -- claimed in yesterday's Sun-Sentinel that he took no money from criminally convicted developers Bruce and Shawn Chait before his vote for their controversial housing project on two golf courses in his city.This after the Ch ... More >>

Did Ilene Lieberman's Public Bailout of Operative Buy Loyalty?

Lieberman, far right, presenting an award from her the Transplant Foundation to dirty developer Shawn Chait (second from left).​So the Sun-Sentinel is reporting that political consultant Beverly Stracher defended Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman under oath, telling prosecutors that Lieb ... More >>

Rick Scott Appoints Shutts & Bowen Lawyer to State Ethics Commission

Rick Scott never rests. Every day, he comes up with another assault on the senses of good Floridians.  Scott, right, and his apparent alter ego.​Today, in another example of Scott's incredible disdain for all that is good and holy, the governor appointed attorney Linda Robison to the Florida ... More >>

Working Girls: Ritter And Lieberman Won't Stop Trickin'

Simple question: How are Broward County Commissioners Stacy Ritter and Ilene Lieberman even still in office? Ritter at work​Seriously. Both voted for the dirty developers Bruce and Shawn Chait and both received something from them in return. Lieberman is now a state's witness testifying again ... More >>

Why Did Stacy Ritter Appoint Les Stracher To Powerful Planning Council?

Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter, shortly after voting in favor of the controversial housing project being pushed by dirty developers Bruce and Shawn Chait, appointed the husband of  the Chaits' chief political consultant to the Broward County Planning Council. In early 2007, Ritte ... More >>

Tea Party Leader: It's Revolution or Die

Yesterday I called the Tea Party rotten and its members "yahoos." As an exhibit to support that characterization, I submit the above video of Danita Kilcullen, founder of the Fort Lauderdale Tea Party,Kilcullen is another one of those warmongers talking about starting a revolution in America. In the ... More >>

Total Recall: Can It Happen in Broward?

As we watch the images of the common folks -- and multimillionaire Norman Braman -- celebrating in Miami over the successful recall of Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas, it's easy to wonder: Can it happen here? Can the people in Broward County dump the co ... More >>

Ilene Lieberman: From Political Godmother To Star Witness

Historical artifact: An invitation for a fundraiser Ilene Lieberman held for Talabisco to kick off her 2006 election.   I think it's safe to say we now know the primary reason Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman was, quite literally, out of commission ​recently for se ... More >>

UPDATE: Talabisco Arrest Affidavit Details Election Plot

BSO Talabisco's mug shot ​ UPDATED: The arrest affidavit for just-arrested Tamarac Mayor Beth Flaunsbaum-Talabisco lays out an intricate plot to deliver the 2006 mayoral election to the 57-year-old politician. Blacktie South Florida Talabisco and Lieberman before ... More >>

UPDATED: Stephanie Kraft Was Behind The Dr. Bill Boondoggle

You may remember the post about Bill Mathis, the psychologist hired by the board four years ago after it was discovered during the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools that the board was "dysfunctional." He was also contracted to help the school board do its dog-and-pony show evalu ... More >>

Sheriff's Top Political Aide Defends Criminally Charged Krafts

You may not expect much drama and controversy out of a Coral Springs/Parkland Democratic Club meeting, but you got some last night. The night was meant for Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein, who gave a very successful speech, but the drama arrived in the form of Sheriff Al Lamberti and his ... More >>

Ilene Lieberman Gives Wrong Answer

So Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman won't say why she's gone AWOL from commission meetings, telling the Sun-Sentinel (the WofP, actually) that she is "dealing with some personal matters, and I'm not at liberty to discuss them at the moment." ​Not at liberty? That implies that some ... More >>

The Dirty Dozen: 2010's Most Despicable People

Notter May Not Remember, but Document Doesn't Lie

  Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter has unveiled a new haircut. This photo comes from her latest "Coffee With Stacy" event last week. ​Enough about fashion, let's get down to business. When Broward County School Board construction chief Mike Garretson gave sworn testi ... More >>

UPDATED: Alleged Bribe-Taker Serves On Powerful City Committee

​When elected officials are charged with crimes, the governor suspends them from office until the case is resolved. But if a member of a key government committee or other government appointees get hit with, say, felony bribery charges, there is no such prot ... More >>

UPDATED: Charges Brought In Ynot Case

​ ​ Ynot with son Max just days prior to his death​ UPDATED: The SAO just announced that it has filed charges in the case of graffiti artist Jonathan "Ynot" Corso. The release: The Broward State Attorney's Office has charged Reynaldo Rodriguez, 32, with vehicular homicide in ... More >>

Former School Board Construction Chief Talked of "Machine"

When we stop to remember Michael Garretson, we should never forget that the late School Board construction chief led the spending of a billion dollars a year in what was one of the largest and most damaging school building booms in Broward County history. For ... More >>

Evidence Piled High On Stephanie Kraft's Hubbie In SAO File

Bova girls always brighten a room​You know, every criminal investigation has its side notes apart from the nuts and bolts of the case, the stuff that fills in the dialogue when the story needs to be told.  The Stephanie Kraft school board corruption case has some of that. We know abo ... More >>

Dirty Developers Sue City; Ritter on Diplomat Tab: "I Don't Remember"

Bruce and Shawn Chait paid off a who's who of Broward County public officials to get government approvals for their controversial housing development on two golf courses in Tamarac. ​The father-and-son team bought since-imprisoned Broward County Commissioner Joe Eggelletion a golf ... More >>

Is Stephanie Kraft Working Off Time?

It's a question that keeps popping up: Is Stephanie Kraft cooperating with law enforcement? I've never seen anyone so disgraced try to retain such a high profile. She's running around town, claims she's going to beat the nails-hard case against her, and is trying to maintain a presence in scho ... More >>

Official: Supt. James Notter Made Call for Dirty Developers

In a sworn statement with state prosecutors, late Broward Superintendent Michael Garretson gave a downright creepy description of the telltale sign of when "cunning" former School Board Member Stephanie Kraft, who is facing corruption charges, was lying.   ... More >>

Broward League of Cities Set to Drop Klenet

The hits keep coming for lobbyist Russ Klenet. As if investigations regarding his work for Mutual Benefits fraudster Joel Steinger, a State Attorney's probe into his Broward County Commissioner wife Stacy Ritter's involvement with dirty developers Bruce and Shawn Chait, and civil charges stemm ... More >>

Michelson Talks of Leaving Controversial Sunrise Job

Stuart Michelson, husband of investigated Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman, is expected to leave his controversial job as city attorney for the City of Sunrise. After criticism here and elsewhere regarding his no-bid appointment to the job -- which has paid him more than half a million d ... More >>

Villegas Video, Awarding Incompetence, and Judge Lazarus' Latest Stupid Email

UPDATED: My colleague Lisa Rab obtained this video of Debra Villegas speaking with Plantation police officers about the Melissa Britt Lewis murder. It was taken in December 2009, after the Rothstein Ponzi scheme and the RRA law firm imploded. Make sure and read Rab's post. Villegas d ... More >>

Stacy Ritter Vid: Like Obama, I Must Withstand "Hammering"

Stacy Ritter just can't stop herself. It seems that everything the Broward County commissioner does sends a stench heavenward. One reason for that may be that she doesn't do anything at all unless it is to benefit her; her lobbyist husband, Russ Klenet; or the people who helped get ... More >>

Get a Jackhammer to City Hall

​Above, you can see former Tamarac Mayor Joe Schreiber at City Hall pointing out the "two bums" honored with pavers in the walkway. One is Marc Sultanof, the former vice mayor charged last week with bribery and other crimes for allegedly taking car payments and cash from dirty developers Bruce ... More >>

Fail Ceasar!

Mitch Ceasar's political palace is falling apart. The Democratic Chairman lost big on Election Day. Broward laid down for the Republican push on Tuesday, with voter turnout in the supposed Democratic powerhouse county a meager 40 percent -- eight point under the state avera ... More >>

Caught Red-Handed! (Also: Sultanof Booked)

​Well, this one is priceless. Sunrise City Commissioner Sheila Alu had noticed that her campaign signs were disappearing all around town. So she says she decided to drive around to try to catch the culprit. Caravella​And Alu, who is also a state prosecutor, found her man. Unbeliev ... More >>

Sources: Another Corruption Arrest Coming on Election Day

Former Tamarac Commissioner Marc Sultanof will turn himself in to the Broward County Jail tomorrow on state corruption charges regarding his involvement with dirty developers Bruce and Shawn Chait and possibly other matters, two informed and reliable sources tell me. Sultanof w ... More >>

Levine: "I'm Going To Be The 'Columbo' Of The School Board"

As media attention continues in the infamous handshake, attacks on School Board candidate Jaemi Levine are intensifying. It's no secret where they're coming from. "Ivory Johnson" may be dead, but dirty anonymous attacks are alive and well in this race between Levine and Dav ... More >>

Commissioner Ritter's Bunker Mentality

Stacy Ritter seems to be retreating deeper and deeper into perhaps the only place that takes her seriously as a politician anymore. No it's not her bedroom closet, but a place even more suspended from the real world, a place where voter ignorance isn't a problem but a path to victory.  ... More >>

Honey, I Rigged the Vote (Part II): With Wasserman-Rubin Charged, Time to Revisit the Juice's Corrupt Couples Watch-List

​Way back in October, this blog used the Tom Ridge terrorist threat chart to rank Broward County's power couples according to the threat they posed to the integrity of local government. The duo of Richard Rubin and Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin posed an "elevated" risk of committing corruptio ... More >>

Sue Gunzburger Ensnared by Corruption Probe

Photo: C.StilesSue Gunzburger​The Broward Sheriff's Office is getting mighty ambitious with its corruption investigation. The Sun-Sentinel is reporting that County Commissioner Sue Gunzburger is a target of agency investigators who are looking at deals that her husband's company made with Broward ... More >>