Richelle Holness, daughter of U.S. Congressional candidate Dale Holness, received nearly $20,000 in COVID-19 relief funds just months after her company scored a $350,000 payday courtesy of the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida. Last summer, REDBROWARD reported Richelle Holness applied for and received a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan as a self-employed individual. Public records show Richelle Holness received a $19,920 loan as an independent contractor.

The May 17, 2021 loan was paid by Prestamos CDFI, LLC, a division of an Arizona entity tied to the progressive political group La Raza. Despite owning several companies, records show Richelle Holness’ PPP loan was intended to save one job.

With just a single employee, one might assume a company with very healthy revenues did not need a government loan, right?

ALL CONSULTING BROWARD

State corporation records show Richelle Holness formed All Consulting Broward on September 16, 2020. The business was located at an apartment in Plantation. In just one month after its creation, the money began filling All Consulting Broward’s coffers.

Federal records show All Consulting Broward received a $175,000 payment from the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida on October 27, 2020. One day later, Holness’ new company picked up another $175,000 from the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida. Both payments were made for GOTV [Get Out The Vote] consulting.

Later that month, All Consulting Broward picked up an additional $16,450 from the Florida Freedom PAC.

Curiously, the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida payments to All Consulting Broward did not use its Plantation address. Instead, campaign reports list All Consulting Broward’s address as 5523 Barnstead Circle in Lake Worth.

OMAR SMITH & THE SHADY PAC GAME

In September 2020, REDBROWARD exposed Richelle Holness’s ties to the mysterious Stronger Together Florida political committee. On July 20, 2020, Kayla Butler filed paperwork forming the political committee with the Division of Elections in Tallahassee. According to the documents, the political committee is located at 5523 Barnstead Circle in Lake Worth, Florida. The telephone number for the committee is (754) 444-6117.

Campaign reports from the 2016 Broward election show Kayla Butler was a paid intern on the Dale Holness campaign even though she was living in Palm Beach. According to her social media posts, Butler is a yoga instructor living in Palm Beach county.

The telephone number for Stronger Together Florida is also found in State records regarding third party groups conducting voter registrations. The number is listed for “All Consulting And Marketing, Inc.” which conducted voter registration drives at 4325 W. Sunrise Blvd in Plantation since May, 2019.

This is the same address for All Broward Realty, Inc, a real estate company owned by Broward Mayor Dale Holness.

According to the State third party voter registration records and State corporate records, All Consulting And Marketing Inc. is owned by Richelle Holness. State corporate records indicate the corporation was dissolved in September 2019 after failing to file its required corporate report. The company was reinstated in April 2021.

“I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’RE CALLING ME”

REDBROWARD called Richelle Holness to ask about her involvement in voter registration drives and the Stronger Together Florida political committee.

After confirming she was Richelle Holness, she said, “You know you’re calling Richelle. I don’t know why you’re calling me.” After advising Holness that her telephone number was listed in the documents filed with the Florida Division of Elections, we asked what was the purpose of the PAC. Holness said, “You can look it up on FEC [Federal Elections Committee] or whatever.”

When asked if she knew Kayla Butler, Holness said, “Thank you for your time, goodbye” and hung up.

In a later report, REDBROWARD revealed the Barnstead Circle address is the home of Dale Holness’ ex-wife.

State records show Richelle Holness started Tax Unlimited Corp in 2016 with the former Mrs. Holness. That corporation was located at 4325 W. Sunrise Blvd in Plantation.

Following the publication of that story, Omar Smith reached out to REDBROWARD by telephone. Smith asked REDBROWARD to remove the name of the Holness’ ex-wife since she had no involvement in politics.

While that may be the case, members of Team Holness have repeatedly used her address for political payments and political committees. More on that in part two.

Last week, Omar Smith was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud in order to illegally obtain a $215,500 PPP loan.

Richelle Holness’ sister, Damara Holness, just started a twenty month prison sentence for fraudulently obtaining a $300,000 PPP loan.

With all the hefty campaign revenues flowing into their companies, why did Team Holness feel the need to secure PPP loans? This money was meant to keep employees paid during the COVID-19 lockdown. Instead, the well-connected used the money to pad their bank accounts.

Shame on them.