By Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org
Testimony began Tuesday in the politically-charged, insider stock trading trial of Fort Lauderdale heart doctor and top Republican fundraiser Dr. Zachariah P. Zachariah.
Zachariah, who has raised millions of dollars for the GOP, stands accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of using nonpublic information to make nearly $1 million in illegal profits [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Politics category.
Republican fundraiser’s insider trading trial opens, big names expected to testify
Timeshare industry to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, refunds to settle federal allegations
By Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org
Campaign contributions typically go to politicians, but timeshare owners in Broward, the state and across the country will soon split $562,000 – an amount equal to the illegal contributions collected by the political fundraising arm of the U.S. vacation industry from 2003-2007.
The payout is part of a deal between the industry and [...]
Democrat Butterworth, state appeals court judge testify for embattled GOP fundraiser Zachariah
By Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org
Fort Lauderdale heart doctor and major GOP fundraiser Zachariah P. Zachariah has picked up two influential allies in advance of his federal insider stock-trading trial this summer.
Former Florida Attorney General and top Democrat Bob Butterworth and Fourth District Court of Appeals Judge Melanie May, both Broward residents, testified under oath two weeks [...]
Nine-year-old Boulis murder coming to big screen in Abramoff saga before trio of alleged killers stand trial
Anthony Moscatiello, top, Anthony Ferrari, left, and James Fiorillo
By Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org
It was Fort Lauderdale’s murder of the decade: the 2001 gangland-style slaying of day-cruise casino cruise ship kingpin Konstantinos “Gus” Boulis.
On Oct. 1, it’s coming to a movie theater near you.
The three men charged in 2005 with conspiring to kill Boulis have yet to [...]
Fort Lauderdale zoning vote on church’s expansion plans delayed again
UPDATE: Fort Lauderdale’s planning and zoning board will meet June 16 at 6:30 p.m. to decide whether to approve First Presbyterian’s proposed expansion plans.
By Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org
Fort Lauderdale’s planning and zoning board can’t get its act together to take a vote on First Presbyterian Church’s controversial building plans in historic Colee Hammock.
The board announced Wednesday [...]
Broward’s $1.5 billion no-bid trash deal under fire by cities
By Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org
The first shot was fired last week at Oakland Park City Hall in a brewing rebellion among Broward cities over the high cost of garbage disposal.
County officials have offered a proposal they say will save the cities nearly $49 million a year over what they now pay to get rid of their [...]
Former Chief Justice Wells failed to file required financial disclosure forms
By Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org
When former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Wells retired in March 2009 he did not file final financial disclosure forms required by state law and judicial canons.
He belatedly did so this week after Broward Bulldog inquired about that omission.
Supreme Court justices, like lower court judges and other officeholders, must annually [...]
Ex-Supreme Court chief justice approves ballot petition, gets hired by firm allied with its sponsor
By Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org
Weeks after casting the deciding vote to approve a controversial ballot petition in December 2008, former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Wells joined a law firm aligned with the petition’s sponsor.
The high court’s 4-3 ruling gave life to a push by developers and statewide business interests – led by the [...]
Contractors, campaign contributions and questions about Broward’s big money runway expansion project
By Dan Christensen
As Broward commissioners prepare to publicly debate the merits of a proposed new ethics code, a county contractor is accusing county officials of unfairly playing politics when handing out multimillion-dollar contracts.
CH2M Hill, the international engineering giant, says it ran into a buzz saw last year when it sought the lucrative job of lead [...]
As Lincoln Diaz-Balart exits, the question is why?
By Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org
South Florida congressmen are dropping left and right.
First, it was liberal Democrat Robert Wexler. He bolted mid-term last month to take a job running a Middle East think tank.
Now, it is conservative Republican Lincoln Diaz-Balart. He announced last week he won’t be running for a 10th term later this year.
Diaz-Balart, who represents voters [...]
