Audit of Broward elections chief prompts ethics complaint

Sun-Sentinel ^ | November 23 2002 | Scott Wyman

[FlaFreedom]

Audit of Broward elections chief prompts ethics complaint

By Scott Wyman Staff writer Posted November 23 2002

State ethics investigators have been asked to look into findings in last week's audit that Broward County Elections Supervisor Miriam Oliphant mishandled tax money and broke state law while running up a $1 million deficit.

Andrew Greene, a former teacher and longtime critic of Oliphant, said Friday that he filed the ethics complaint after becoming concerned that she seemed to be going unpunished for the way she has run her office.

Greene won $600,000 in a seven-year legal battle with the School District after he was smeared during his unsuccessful 1992 campaign to unseat Oliphant from the School Board. A jury concluded his privacy was invaded when someone in the district leaked his medical records to the news media before the election.

Greene's complaint cites the audit's findings that Oliphant rented a house to an employee whose pay she boosted 38 percent in less than two years and that Oliphant bought office supplies from a company owned by the son of her purchasing agent. The 50-page county audit said both appeared to violate state ethics regulations.

"This is not mismanagement but gross negligence," Greene said. "I was in total shock when I read this. Does anyone catch on that this is taxpayer money? How can she get away with this?"

Oliphant and her attorney could not be reached for comment. A spokeswoman for the Ethics Commission declined to comment.

[FlaFreedom]

As Tom Cruise said in "A Few Good Men"... "And the hits just keep on coming".

How much more can go on in Broward Supervisor of Elections Office?

[Humidston]

Methinks if we taxpayers could ever find out how many (probably) BILLIONS of dollars we pay for fraud like this by elected "officials," there'd be another revolution.

[Cicero]

I imagine it will continue as long as most of the voters are blue-haired New Yorkers who think they are voting for FDR.

[Morgan's Raider]

Olphant - "But, but Mr. McAuliffe said I could skim as much as I wanted. He promised me Governor McBride would take care of any problems that might arise..."

[The Other Harry]

pinging...

[browardchad]

Until 2000, we had a Republican, Jane Carroll, running the office -- with no problems, until, of course, Algore.

Carroll, who is now elderly, was horrified at the circus recount, so she quit, and the Dems backed Oliphant (who's black and beautiful) for the job, despite her horrendous history as a member of the county school board.

Oliphant and the Dems are skilled at playing the race card, so I'll bet she keeps the job, and recent history will repeat itself in 2004.

After all, Alcee Hastings continues to be re-elected to Congress by a landslide.

[stylin19a]

It's a local newspaper, so i GUESS everyone else is supposed to know/guess WHAT party affiliation is involved. Nevermind it isn't mention once in the article.