Political fraud: ‘Unity’ mailer divides Broward Democrats
An enduring perception about Broward County is that too many voters are basically clueless. People don’t pay enough attention to local issues or candidates and will fall for a misleading message every time.
This is patently not true of most voters. But it might be true enough to make a difference in a crowded race in a low-turnout primary. That’s obviously what some insiders hope, and it’s shameful.
A highly misleading campaign piece is making the rounds, targeting Black voters in the Aug. 18 primary election. It’s so grossly misleading that leading elected officials and a respected pastor have labeled it a fraud and are warning voters not to buy the deception. Voters should heed these warnings.
Labeled “Black Community Voter Guide,” the piece emphasizes the word “unity” to suggest — falsely — that the Black community is united behind every candidate highlighted in the piece. Those candidates include Sheriff Gregory Tony, Clerk of the Court Brenda Forman and newcomers Joe Scott for supervisor of elections and Harold Pryor for state attorney.
In an obvious tip-off that this is anything but a “unity” piece, other Democrats are listed along with their opponents, but conspicuously are not endorsed. The piece snubs such well-known Black incumbents as Reps. Bobby DuBose of Fort Lauderdale, Shevrin Jones of West Park, Anika Omphroy of Lauderdale Lakes and Sen. Perry Thurston of Plantation.
It’s a truism in politics that the establishment rallies around its party’s incumbents, absent a disqualifying scandal. So something is wildly amiss here.
Thurston said it’s accepted in the Black community that the piece is strongly backed by Broward Mayor Dale Holness, who’s up for re-election and is prominently featured in the brochure’s artwork along with three Democratic members of Congress.
“It’s misleading to our community,” Thurston told me. “Dale should not be representing to the community that he speaks for them, or for us, or for me. It’s time for us to call it out, and it’s time for the community not to be persuaded by this.”
Holness is the most prominent Democrat supporting Tony, who was appointed sheriff in place of Scott Israel, who was suspended by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in January 2019 and permanently removed by the Florida Senate.
Tony faces five Democratic opponents, including Israel, who wants his job back. Thurston, DuBose and several other prominent Black political leaders support Israel. It’s the county’s most closely-watched race and the decisions of Black voters are seen as critical.
Though it’s untrue that the Black community stands united behind Tony, Holness does not repudiate the flyer’s misleading message.
“I am very happy to have their support and I am supportive of their efforts to choose good representation for our community,” Holness said in a text message. “This is a constitutional right that every American has.”
Who are “they”? Here, things get murkier. The piece was paid for by a shady political action committee called People of Principle, which can be found only on the Federal Elections Commission website as a federal PAC, with a business address in Margate that includes a Publix and a UPS store. Who paid for the mailer? We can’t tell. The FEC notified the PAC July 15 that it’s being dissolved due to inactivity.
The PAC’s chairman, Sattayah Chang, defended the piece, telling the Sun Sentinel that critics “hate the ability of others to engage in constitutionally protected speech.”
To add to my suspicions, Holness declined interview requests and insisted on responding by text messages only. He did not respond when I told him Thurston accused him of being an author of the mailing. “I have already made my statement,” Holness said twice.
County Commissioner Barbara Sharief, on her Facebook page, wrote: “Mailers like these deceive the voters and contribute to losing elections … It would appear they came from a legitimate organization but they are not.”
A prominent pastor, the Rev. Dr. Derrick Hughes of First Baptist Church of Piney Grove, posted images of the flyer on Facebook with the word “FRAUDULENT” across them and wrote: “NOT APPROVED BY OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS NOT IN OUR INTEREST!!!”
The clash over this misleading flyer is another sign of tension between African American and Caribbean American factions in local politics. But in this case, Thurston is right. A cynical “unity” flyer has no place in politics, especially during a pandemic when voters are preoccupied with health, jobs and whether their kids will return to school.
At this pivotal moment in Broward history, Holness holds the rotating ceremonial title of mayor. He has been a frequent and often reassuring presence on national TV during the health crisis. That means he has the responsibility of being a force for unity. Race-based appeals to voters are wrong, whether they are from whites or Blacks. What matters are qualifications, experience, honesty and integrity.
The county faces unprecedented and simultaneous change in the powerful constitutional offices of sheriff, state attorney, public defender and supervisor of elections. What voters need most is accurate and independent information. False claims of “unity” insult voters’ intelligence.
What Broward voters should do is refuse to fall for phony appeals. Make up your own minds and don’t be misled.