Union protesters outside TD Bank in Miami, where they handed out Scott Rothstein fliers that ask “What Other Illegal Activity Are They Capable Of?” (More on this after the jump). [UPDATED: Just learned from a JAABlog post that a typically weak and negligent Florida Bar investigation regarding the Ana Gardiner…
Finally. The Judicial Qualifications Commission — nearly two years after I broke the story about Circuit Judge Ana Gardiner’s improper contact with former state prosecutor (and RRA hire) Howard Scheinberg — has filed formal charges against the judge. Rumors are swirling that Gardiner is set to resign her position as soon as today. We knew that…
UPDATED: The impending Debra Villegas plea deal has for good reason taken top billing in the Rothstein case today. I spoke with Villegas’ attorney, Paul Lazarus, this morning, and he told me that he wouldn’t confirm or deny the existence of a plea deal. “Without an OK from her, I will not discuss the case,”…
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c The Uninformant www.thedailyshow.com Daily ShowFull Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform I’m so glad after Rick Sanchez left Channel 7 to go national with CNN (and MSNBC prior) that Jon Stewart has picked up the mantle of skewering Miami’s favorite…
OK, here’s what I’ve been able to gather from good sources on the Scott Rothstein transfer from the Federal Detention Center in Miami to the local jail in St. Lucie County. 1. Rothstein was indeed admitted to an area hospital at some point. Apparently he believed he was having a heart…
Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein is in custody at the St. Lucie County Jail, according to the National Victim Notification Network database VINELink. Click here and you can see the results of a Rothstein search on the website, which was created to help crime victims find inmates. Here’s what comes on the…
Sources are telling me that Debra Villegas — pictured second from left with NFL star Sam Madison at far right just days before her boss, Scott Rothstein, fled to Morocco — may be nearing a plea deal in the Ponzi case. Villegas, of course, was the queen…
[jump] the ol’ campaign chest can bring home a lot of vino, after all). It’s only fair — people spent the money trying to influence our government, after all. We should get a piece. But this isn’t all fun. Keechl is defining himself for voters. So remember, the mayor is “environmentally sensitive” (I hear he gets the…
As we await, ever so patiently, the feds to actually arrest more people involved in the Rothstein Ponzi (and they will), I wanted to share an interesting opinion from former RRA security man Bob Scandiffio. Remember that Scandiffio was one of two close Scott Rothstein associates whom he invited to Morocco…
Well, I said it wasn’t a problem until it was a problem, and it became a problem. So Lyn Evans is no longer doing part-time research work for the Pulp. Earlier today, I gave her the choice to either keep working for New Times part-time for peanuts or to continue working as well-paid…
On a slow morning, here’s a blast from the past. It’s a segment from Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter’s old radio show during which she and Mayor Ken Keechl talk about investigations and gift bans. Keechl says he doesn’t like the idea of a gift ban because it might — say…
When Scott Rothstein was spending millions in his bid to take over Fort Lauderdale, his many doubters strongly suspected that the money couldn’t possibly be legitimate. And the question heard ’round the city was: Where is this guy getting his money? There was talk of Russian Mob connections and computer…
So I watched the end of last night’s Sunrise Commission meeting and thought it was pretty interesting drama. So I asked Chaz Stevens to jimmy up a synopsis vid, and here’s what he put together (I could have had it done but would have had to go through a guy in Kansas…
On one side, you have the politically connected Bill Scherer and his law firm, and on the other, you have Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler, former state Sen. Skip Campbell, and Florida Bar President-Elect Scott Hawkins. Welcome to the civil suit involving former Judge Larry Seidlin, who became a national…
UPDATED [After the jump, an update from what promises to be a wild Sunrise city hall meeting, which is already packed with people]: Well, I got former Scott Rothstein partner Stuart Rosenfeldt on the phone this afternoon. Rosenfeldt, who is now the subject of a $9 million-plus clawback lawsuit filed…
A garbage executive named James Feeley wants to build a giant garbage transfer station in Sunrise that the people don’t want and the city doesn’t need. It’s so unpopular that neighboring Tamarac is sending busloads of angry residents to protest it tonight. But Feeley, who has had extensive business ties with Wayne Huizenga, might…
Slow news day, working on a couple things that aren’t ripe yet. One thing: Just got George Levin, Scott Rothstein’s largest investor, on the phone. I told him I thought it would be great for everyone if he told me his story. “I don’t have a problem with that,” he…
The following is an email that Broward Mayor Ken Keechl sent Friday to a constituent who had inquired about his Scott Rothstein contributions and was “dismayed” over his campaign spending. In it, he seems to have provided corruption investigators a motive for why he’s paying himself so much money in…
Wealthy Palm Beach polo patron John Goodman has a history of cocaine abuse and was accused this past April of dodging divorce-court-ordered drug screenings, according to records in his divorce court. Goodman, who is under investigation for his high-speed stop-sign-running Bentley crash that killed 23-year-old Scott Wilson in Wellington last week, was accused last year in…
We’re going to have some real federal drama in town next month, and it’s not going to have a thing to do with Scott Rothstein. I’m talking about former Miramar Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman’s criminal trial, where we’re going to learn more details than ever before about the FBI sting operation that netted…
Just got off the phone with Joe “Meaty” Alu, and during the talk, I asked him a question about his boss, Kim Rothstein. He said, “I don’t know — I’m not with her.” I said, “I thought you were back to work.” He said, “I don’t spend my days with her. I don’t…
As the Scott Rothstein’s bogus scheme revved up in 2008, monster investor George Levin, flying high with Ponzi profits, began buying aircraft. Levin started a company called Galleria Aviation in September 2008 and bought at least two jets. One was a King Air 300 that Levin purchased for $1.35 million from the State of…
