Why am I not surprised by this in the slightest?
Posted on 01/29/2003 7:49:35 AM PST by tomball
The state investigation into the office of Broward County Supervisor of Elections Miriam Oliphant took a personal turn Tuesday as she was forced to surrender her 2000 campaign reports.
''I'm not concerned about that,'' was all Oliphant would say about the subpoenaed records.
Her attorney, David Bogenschutz, said he did not know what investigators were looking for in the reports, which detail campaign donations and expenditures.
''I went through them page by page, and there is nothing in there worth looking at,'' said Bogenschutz, who defended former Broward County Commissioner Scott Cowan in 2000 when he was charged with misusing campaign funds.
''As I recall, everything was balanced to the penny,'' said Steve Michaelson, Oliphant's deputy campaign treasurer and a chief assistant public defender.
Oliphant raised $138,306 in her successful campaign because of support from the public defender's office, black leaders and Democratic activists. She defeated political consultant David Brown in a primary runoff and former Republican Party officer Rose Marie Cossick in the general election.
Bogenschutz also said Oliphant never broke the law during negotiations with voting equipment vendors -- an area of inquiry by the FBI.
''I think they're getting complaints, and no one wants to leave a stone unturned,'' he said. ``I'm prepared for a lengthy investigation by the state attorney.''
Meanwhile, Oliphant got another financial bailout from reluctant Broward County commissioners on Tuesday, in the form of a $179,000 cash advance designed to carry her through the Feb. 11 city primaries.
As with the $1.4 million advance she received last year to pay for the Nov. 5 election, the county will oversee a dual bank account to ensure that all of the money goes toward expenses related to the February election.
That wasn't enough for the four commissioners who voted against giving Oliphant the cash advance.
Oliphant has not shown enough belt-tightening, Commissioner Lori Parrish said. ''We have to have some accountability,'' Parrish said. ``You can't issue a blank check without some accountability.''
But Oliphant would not agree to more stringent oversight, and a majority of commissioners said they felt obligated to make sure there was enough money to run the Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach primary elections.
Investigators have interviewed numerous elections employees, including mailroom clerk Glen Davis. He was chiefly responsible for picking up absentee ballots in the Sept. 10 election. Another employee told the Broward state attorney's office that hundreds of absentee ballots remained unopened in the mailroom at least two days after the vote. One week ago, an investigator removed a tray of apparently uncounted yet valid absentee ballots from a filing cabinet in the office.
The Herald reported Tuesday that a new memo from Davis' boss says he continually misdirects mail. He may be transfered to another department, said Oliphant's top aide, Ken Leb. On Tuesday, Davis worked out of the voting equipment center.
Oliphant refused to answer questions about Davis on Tuesday and has continued to employ him despite several reprimands for coming to work late or drunk.
He has shared an address with her sister, Robin Darville, and Oliphant has said they are ``friends.''
On his employment application, Davis used a false address. He put down 1024 NE 15th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, the office of Coast Chiropractic Center. Davis also used that address when he registered to vote Feb. 26, 2001 -- though he has not voted since then.
State law says voters must provide their ''legal residence.'' The voter's signature on the application is an oath. If the information is incorrect, the voter could be convicted of a third-degree felony.
Davis could not be reached Tuesday. A woman who answered the phone at the chiropractic office, but would not give her name, said Davis used to be a patient.
Herald staff writer Erika Bolstad contributed to this report.
One more time:
Conventional wisdom has Janet Reno sweeping the black vote, but two of Florida's three black members of Congress, all Democrats, are not hopping on the Reno bandwagon. "Janet Reno can't win," said U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings of Broward County, a Reno stronghold. "I told her that if she hadn't seen Waco burning enough, Bill Clinton kissing Monica enough, and Elian being snatched enough, then she should run for governor." He favors Bill McBride.
The Sun Sentinel adds this after the election:
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, said nothing Oliphant is accused of rises to the level of misdeeds he thinks were committed by former Secretary of State Katherine Harris in the 2000 election. He said Bush would face the wrath of black voters in the November election if he removes Oliphant.
"I dare the governor to remove her," Hastings said. "He'll create a firestorm that will eclipse the one he created in the One Florida plan. He'll need Katherine Harris to count the votes for him again."
Why am I not surprised by this in the slightest?
I expect her to get off with a mere slap on the wrist. Anything else would be "racism", don't you know.
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