The attorney for Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes is threatening to shut down the DailyBroward website. Burnadette Norris Weeks sent an email demanding the website “remove all references to me.” While Norris Weeks admits the stories contain “true matters,” she claims her “research shows that Judy Stern is behind the malice and misinformation that you are constantly writing.”
Normally, anybody who claims this website works in conjunction with Judy Stern would be dismissed as delusional. Norris Weeks goes beyond claiming RedBroward is in cahoots with the salami sandwich doyenne. She throws in the specter of hacked computers. Norris Weeks writes, “Your attempts to contact my clients, taint my reputation through malicious posts and even target my computer has resulted in a loss of business — which is provable.” (Emphasis added)
Norris Weeks should contact law enforcement if she has proof someone “targeted” her computer.
Nobody “contacted” Norris Weeks’ clients. As an employee of the City of West Park, the State of Floridarequires Norris Weeks to submit a Form 1 financial disclosure document. By law, this document is filed with the Broward Supervisor of Elections Office. Earlier this month, REDBROWARD made a public records request for this document. It appears Norris Weeks was notified of this request. REDBROWARD has not used this information in any previous story.
On January 29, 2015 REDBROWARD posted a story regarding Norris Weeks hosting Dale Holness fundraisers at Avenue Executive.
Property records show the building at 405 NW 7th Avenue is owned by Lin LLC. The group was founded by Gerald Lindor in 2005.
In February 2012, disbarred attorney Gerald Lindor was convicted of misappropriating $3 million dollars belonging to his clients. Instead of paying his client’s mortgages, Lindor used the money to fund a lavish lifetsyle. Judge Cynthia Imperato gave Lindor twenty years probation so he could repay his clients.
Lindor’s property is connected to office space owned by Right Perspective Development Group. As REDBROWARD reported, Right Perspective Development Group is owned by Burnadette Norris Weeks, the attorney for the Broward Supervisor of Elections office.
According to Florida corporation records, Burnadette Norris Weeks became a managing member of Lin LLC in 2007. By May 1, 2008, Lindor vanished from official records filed with the State of Florida. Less than a month later, Lindor reported his crimes to the Florida Bar. No record of Lindor’s removal from the company is listed.
However, in July 2008, a notice of commencement of roof repairs at 405 NW 7th Avenue shows Lindor’s continuing to the property. “Lin LLC Gerald Lindor” is listed as the owner on the notice. The notarized document is signed by Lin LLC manager, Burnadette Norris Weeks.
While Lin LLC may own the property, Avenue executive, the business which operates at that address, is owned by Burnadette Norris Weeks and Kathy Eggleston. Florida records show Norris Weeks and Eggleston are the managers of Avenue Of The Arts Executive Suites LLC.
In her email, Norris Weeks complains, “There was no need to record a deed under a different name because we purchased the entire business through a contract.” Ok. However, the original story never made mention of deeds or contracts.
Norris Weeks complains about our February 5, 2015 report regarding a Fort Lauderdale Commission candidate.
The campaign headquarters of Fort Lauderdale City Commission candidate Donna Guthrie is located in a building owned by Norris Weeks. In a Facebook post from December 2014, Guthrie announced the grand opening of her campaign headquarters at 2219 Sistrunk Blvd. (NW 6th Street) in Fort Lauderdale. Guthrie promised “great food, fun and music!”
Official records from the Broward County Property Appraisers Office (BCPA) show 2219 Sistrunk Blvd is owned by Right Consulting LLC. The property records indicate Right Consulting is located at 401 NW 7th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. Right Consulting LLC purchased the property in July 2014 for $115,000 dollars.
Guthrie called her event a “grand opening,” not us. Norris Weeks writes, “Even the “grand opening” that you referenced was actually held outside under rather than inside.” Really? That’s awesome, we’ve had beautiful weather lately. But, who cares if the event was held in the building or the parking lot. You own both.
Norris Weeks devotes several lines to money she received from the South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC). She writes, “My business partner and I did not receive $300,000 in grant funding. As you know, SFRPC is not a grant, but rather a loan that we pay back each month. You saw that on my financial report as a debt.” Note: Norris refers to her financial disclosure report.
Yes, Burnadette, we know you received a loan and not a grant. That is why we titled the story: “South Florida Regional Planning Council Gave Low Interest Loans To Broward Mayor and Elections Office Lawyer.” On October 15, 2014 REDBROWARD wrote:
A[n] investigation has found Broward Mayor Barbara Sharief and other well-connected officials received low interest loans from a public policy agency. The South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) gave the low interest loans to Sharief as well as Broward Supervisor of Elections attorney Burnadette Norris-Weeks. Created by Florida statute, the SFRPC’s mission “is to identify the long-term challenges and opportunities facing Southeast Florida and assist the Region’s leaders in developing and implementing creative strategies that result in more prosperous and equitable communities, a healthier and cleaner environment, and a more vibrant economy.” However, these loans to appear to have added little to the local economy.
Most troubling is Norris Weeks’ threats to shut down a media website. She writes, “Your consistent attempts to taint my reputation leaves me no other choice than to reach out to you and request that you remove the derogatory comments throughout the RedBroward site. Your failure to do so will result in my seeking an injunction to shut down the site.” Merriam-Webster defines “derogatory” as expressing a low opinion of someone or something : showing a lack of respect for someone or something.
Norris Weeks, the lawyer for one of Broward’s most powerful politicians, wants to stifle freedom of the press because of a lack of respect? Holy Prior Restraint, Batman! Norris Weeks, the lawyer for the Supervisor of Elections, wants to silence anybody that holds a low opinion of her business and/our legal skills?
HERE IS THE FULL EMAIL:
“I hope that this e-mail finds you well.
The purpose of this e-mail is to request that you remove all references to me on your website RedBroward. For some time, (along with a few others that you consider Black community leaders) I have been a target of your site. Research shows that Judy Stern is behind the malice and misinformation that you are constantly writing.
You have taken marginally true matters and mixed with information that is not true in any way. For instance, a business partner and I purchased a business from Mr. Lindor which included a property for which we paid fair market value several years ago. He is not associated with the business at all. There was no need to record a deed under a different name because we purchased the entire business through a contract. My business partner and I did not receive $300,000 in grant funding. As you know, SFRPC is not a grant, but rather a loan that we pay back each month. You saw that on my financial report as a debt.
Ms. Guthrie used office space on only a few occasions and paid for that time. Even the “grand opening” that you referenced was actually held outside under rather than inside. Ms. Stern’s candidate did not pay for his headquarters at all and used that Sistrunk location each and every day.
Know that I did not go to the airport conference to secure business. The tape/pics given to you was from a Broward County sponsored promotional event intended to get people to attend the same conference in South Florida later this year. Other vendors who do business with the County were also there dancing and wearing the glasses given to us by county staff. We were all attempting to promote the conference this year. I paid for the conference as I have numerous others to learn. I am a married women and your underlined suggestion is sickening.
Your consistent attempts to taint my reputation leaves me no other choice than to reach out to you and request that you remove the derogatory comments throughout the RedBroward site. Your failure to do so will result in my seeking an injunction to shut down the site. Your attempts to contact my clients, taint my reputation through malicious posts and even target my computer has resulted in a loss of business — which is provable.
Know that the purpose of the CRA program is to encourage businesses to move into the CRA. My law office was located in downtown Fort Lauderdale across from the courthouse for years before I purchased in NW Fort Lauderdale. I lived in a Broward suburb at the time. By choice, I moved and also relocated my business. On a weekly basis, I spend countless hours working to improve the area. My business partners and I have done nothing sinister and you have no idea who we employ and when (again, your information is incorrect). I do not profit from Avenue Executive. We use the business to offer low priced professional office space to local businesses. I don’t know of anyone else who is doing the same while not profiting.
Why aren’t you targeting the millions of dollars that have been secured by non-Black business owners from the CRA? These folks do not live in the area and could care less about the people here. We received a relatively small amount of funding from the CRA compared to so many other businesses.
Again, kindly remove the untruthful posts or I will have no choice but to seek an injunction and sue personally. Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation!
Burnadette Norris-Weeks, P.A.
401 North Avenue of the Arts
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311″
REDBROWARD.COM 