Pat Tornillo To Serve Two Years In Plea Deal

nbc6.net South Florida ^ | 7:13 p.m. EDT August 25, 2003 | NBC 6 News Team

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Tornillo To Serve Two Years In Plea Deal Tornillo Will Get Two-Year Sentence NBC 6 News Team

POSTED: 12:58 p.m. EDT August 25, 2003 UPDATED: 7:13 p.m. EDT August 25, 2003

MIAMI -- The longtime leader of the Miami-Dade County teacher's union pleaded guilty Monday in a deal after a public corruption task force found he fraudulently charged the organization for up to $650,000 in personal expenses for cruises, vacations and other luxuries.

Pat Tornillo, on leave from the United Teachers of Dade, pleaded guilty to mail fraud and filing a false tax return under the deal in exchange for the two-year sentence. The maximum sentence for the charges was eight years.

News of a potential deal leaked on Friday, with a newspaper reporting the deal would also allow Tornillo's wife to avoid prosecution. Tornillo, who will reportedly surrender to authorities this week, will reportedly also be protected from further prosecution as part of the plea deal.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

I had no idea he was this far into the process of heading to the slammer! Great news for South Florida!!

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Tell me, please, who has the FL ping list?

[Pee_Oui]

They shouldn't have given ANY deals...

This is just one of the many reasons our kids are illiterate..!!!

D

[sonsofliberty2000]

Pat Tornillo is President of the United Teachers of Dade, President of the Florida Education Association/United and Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers. Tornillo is recognized nationally for his progressive and innovative leadership in the professionalization of teaching and educational reform in Dade County. As chief negotiator for Dade County's teachers since 1963, Tornillo has made UTD bargaining unit members among the highest paid teachers in the nation. He has also negotiated into the contract numerous benefits and professional initiatives that have given Dade County teachers a multitude of opportunities for growth and professionalism.

http://www.turnexchange.net/leaders/tornillo.htm

Patriot Paradox

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

No kidding! I had no idea all of this was going on, let alone a *deal*!

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

http://www.click10.com/education/2431031/detail.html

"Monday afternoon, the American Federation of Teachers released its statement on Tornillo and the United Teachers Of Dade:

We are pleased that the U.S. Attorney's office has worked so diligently and quickly in the pursuit of justice in this case. We are especially pleased that the plea agreement includes restitution of significant funds to the UTD.

AFT will continue in its efforts to seek restitution of additional funds that may have been misappropriated from the UTD and its members.

Tornillo will be sentenced on Nov. 7. He was released on $100,000 bond."

[Timesink]

What role did this sleazeball play in the 2000 election debacle? He must have been involved somehow.

[sonsofliberty2000]

Desperate Florida Dems Exploiting Children
http://www.newsmax.com/showinside.shtml?a=2002/11/2/75204

In Minnesota, shameless Democrats turned an alleged memorial service for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone into a boisterous political rally for their new senatorial candidate - in Florida, they're exploiting children in a sordid attempt to defeat Gov. Jeb Bush.

Longtime Democrat activist Pat Tornillo, president of United Teachers of Dade, sent an e-mail message to Miami-Dade County teachers asking them to send notes home with their students urging parents to vote for Bill McBride for governor.

"Bill McBride should immediately call on his supporters and the people running his campaign to stop using children for his own political gain," said Todd Harris, communication director of the Bush-Brogan Campaign. "It is shameful to ask teachers to use their position of authority and influence over students in this manner."

McBride is the handpicked candidate of the National Education Association (NEA) and its affiliate the Florida Education Association (FEA), which two years ago mortgaged its headquarters building to raise $1.7 million for a campaign war chest to help Democrats defeat Gov. Bush, who they blame for foiling their attempts to steal the presidential election in Florida.

Here is the text of Tornillo's e-mail:

Subj. Send a note home to parents about the election
Date: 10/30/2002 11:27:42 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Pat@UTOFD.com
Sent from the Internet


As President of the United Teachers of Dade I am asking our members to send the following note home to the parents of their students:

As your child's teacher, I ask you to vote on November 5. Miami-Dade County's teachers support Bill McBride, Amendments 8, 9 & 11. We feel the future of public education has never been at greater risk.

The election of Bill McBride and passage of these amendments will significantly improve public education in Florida.

Please make sure these notes are received in the homes no later than Monday, November 4th. Together, we CAN make a difference in this election. It is within our grasp.

Sincerely, Pat Tornillo, President United Teachers of Dade

Patriot Paradox

[Bogey78O]

Does Druce have any cousins in Florida?

[concerned about politics]

Now, this is a good thing in two ways. A crimminal is in jail, and the democrats are out $650,000 bucks.
It's a win/win situation.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

[manic4organic]

You want funny? I'm pretty sure tornillo means "screw" in Spanish....heh heh

[concerned about politics]

Tornillo is recognized nationally for his progressive and innovative leadership

Sheesh! What ever you do, I suggest you don't follow THIS guy anywhere. Vote conservative! Vote conservative!

[squidly]

I'd do two years for six hundred fifty grand, as long as I got to keep the money.

[concerned about politics]

As President of the United Teachers of Dade I am asking our members to send the following note home to the parents of their students:

As your child's teacher, I ask you to vote on November 5. Miami-Dade County's teachers support Bill McBride, Amendments 8, 9 & 11. We feel the future of public education has never been at greater risk.

Pssssst. Publik Scrools are a tax exempt organization because they don't get involved in political matters. Pass it on.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

The teachers and their unions have long been a force in American politics. From 1991 to 1999, for example, contributions to the Democratic Party from the NEA, AFT, and the Service Employees International Union, which includes some education workers, totaled $6.7 million, making teachers by far the party's biggest donor bloc, according to the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity. The largest single contributor to Democrats - the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees - gave $3.7 million in that period.

''There's no question that groups donating millions of dollars like the teachers unions have special access and are able to reach in and affect public policy in ways that others are not able to do, and that's not acceptable,'' said Peter Eisner, the center's managing director.

...The NEA, with its 2.5 million members, is planning to spend millions this year on the campaign. Jack Pacheco, the union's political director, said the NEA will raise $6.5 million to $7.5 million for its political action committee to donate funds to the Democratic Party and individual candidates. The PAC money comes from voluntary donations from NEA members, not union dues, Pacheco said.

Politics has long been a central concern of the NEA.

According to a 1992-93 NEA record of its spending obtained by the Globe, the organization spent 10 times as much of its budget on political activity ($34.7 million) as on ensuring excellence in public education ($3.3 million) or improving professional standards and working conditions for all education employees ($3 million).

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a393989205be6.htm

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

I wish he wasn't allowed to plea bargain. I'd love to see his wife have to place their house up for sale to pay it all back.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Who is Druce?

[concerned about politics]

''There's no question that groups donating millions of dollars like the teachers unions have special access and are able to reach in and affect public policy in ways that others are not able to do, and that's not acceptable,''

And they're holding Americas children hostage. If we don't do as they say, the kids will pay dearly for it!