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Dale Holness Campaign Says Tamarac Commissioner Elberg Mike Gelin Gave Them Contribution With A Worthless Check

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Elberg Mike Gelin “Bounced Contribution Check”

Congressional candidate Dale Holness claims Tamarac Commissioner Elberg Mike Gelin made a campaign contribution with a worthless check, Federal records show. Holness’ failed bid for Congress ended last year with a stunning defeat at the hands of political newcomer Sheila Cherfilus McCormick. Gelin is a longtime ally of Holness, a former Broward County Commissioner.

A January filing with the Federal Elections Commission lists a $500 contribution from Elberg Mike Gelin of Tamarac. Records show October 29, 2021 as the date of Gelin’ contribution. In the same filing, the Holness campaign lists an October 28, 2021 disbursement of $500 to Elberg Mike Gelin.

In the space marked “purpose for disbursement,” the Holness campaign wrote, “Bounced Contribution Check.”

Bounced. See, Non-sufficient funds or worthless.

Of course, anyone can bounce check. And there are numerous reasons why a check would not clear. A simple bank error could have been the cause of Elberg Mike Gelin’s bad check.

Perhaps Gelin lost track of his numerous campaign contributions. A review of campaign records show Gelin made thousands of dollars in contributions to politicians over the last decade. Last year, Gelin made contributions to radical Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Senator Raphael Warnock, the late Alcee Hastings, numerous progressive political committees, State Rep. Dotie Joseph and several (non-returned) contributions Dale Holness.

No wonder Elberg Mike Gelin tried to get the Tamarac City Commission to limit campaign contributions a few weeks ago!

But Elberg Mike Gelin isn’t just anyone. As a Tamarac Commissioner, Gelin loves to spend taxpayers’ money.

Remember the race track controversy at a city park?

What about the huge increase in Commissioners’ travel budget?

And don’t forget the recent City newsletter that some residents feel was Gelin campaign propaganda.

Then, there’s the $300,000 disparity study that Gelin wanted to ram through without disclosing his wife was a huge proponent of the study.

REDBROWARD obtained an August 2020 video of Shaheewa Jarret Gelin, founder of the Broward County Black Chamber of Commerce, bragging how the studies would help her affiliates get a piece of the 41 million dollars spent by the City Of Tamarac. The 2020 interview was conducted by Ann Marie Sorrell, one of consultants seeking the $300K deal with Tamarac and a relative of Dale Holness.

Now, Gelin wants more money Tamarac taxpayers so he can hire more aides and community liaisons to spread his name across town.

If Elberg Mike Gelin can’t keep his own finances in check, should Tamarac residents continue to trust him with their money?

Foreign Donor Operating Cricket Stadium Gave Big Bucks To Shady PAC Tied To Broward Commissioner Dale Holness (Again!)

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The owner of a Jamaican cricket team made large contributions to a Federal political action committee (PAC) tied to Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness. In 2017, Holness was the driving force behind giving control of the Broward County-owned cricket stadium to Krishna “Kris” Persaud, the new owner of the Jamaica Tallawahs. As REDBROWARD reported, Dale Holness worked hard to give Persaud control of the $80 million dollar cricket facility along Sunrise Boulevard. Holness said, “Kris Persaud and his team members are willing to invest their own funds to help Broward County utilize [the] stadium to fulfill its mission of providing international cricket games that will not only bring tourists to Broward County, but also grow our economy and create jobs for the people of Broward County.” Campaign records show Kris Persaud was more than willing to invest his money in Dale Holness as well.

Last year, REDBROWARD revealed key members of Dale Holness’ campaign team tied to the shady People Of Principle PAC. This committee circulated mailers endorsing primarily black candidates in Broward and Miami-Dade county. Records show Holness’ longtime campaign marketing guru Omar Smith was tied to the “People Over Principle PAC.”

Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show People of Principle PAC was created by Charmalin Brown in January 2019. Brown used the address of a Margate UPS store as the headquarters for the political committee. In April 2019, Charmalin Brown purchased the domain name currently used by People Of Principle PAC.

State corporation records show Charmalin Brown, a tax preparer, started a business in 2006 using Omar Smith as her registered agent. Brown used a home on the 300 block of Berenger Walk in Royal Palm Beach as her business address. Numerous records show Omar Smith uses the same Berenger Walk address.

For months, the PAC failed to file the required campaign reports documenting money raised and spent on political activities.

When the reports were finally filed after the November election, only the contributions were provided for review.

These Federal Elections Records show five companies owned by Kris Persaud made large contributions to the People Of Principle PAC. The companies represented Broward apartment complexes owned by Persaud. They were Canterbury Square, Golf Vilas Square, Lauder Ridge Apartments, Oakland Hills Square and Windsor Forest Apartments. On July 13, 2020 the five companies gave $5,000 to the People Of Principle PAC.

Amazingly, this was not the first time Kris Persaud gave money to a shady political committee with ties to Dale Holness.

THE LATINO VOTE

In August 2016, REDBROWARD exposed Persaud’s financial support of a local shadowy political committee supporting the re-election of Dale Holness. The Latino Vote funded by Persuad, the director of a Cayman Islands-based reinsurance company. Formed in 2015, The Latino Vote of South Florida political committee received its first contributions one year later. Four of the five contributions were the apartment developments owned by Persaud, the director of Oxbridge RE Holdings in the Cayman Islands.

Just like the People of Principle PAC, The Latino Vote failed to list expenditures even though its mailers were showing up all across Broward. The group’s card featured the likenesses of Holness and Congressman Alcee Hastings. The card was dubbed the “diversity ballot.”

The card urged voters to “increase diversity” by voting for African-American judicial candidates, but the real stars of the card were Hastings and Holness.

Records show companies owned by Persaud made direct contributions to Holness’ campaign. According to the Broward Supervisor of Elections website, in 2016, The Latino Vote made two $1,000 campaign contributions to the Dale Holness campaign.

This year, Persaud supported both shadowy PACs. On July 24, 2020 Persaud’s Windsor Forest Apartments gave $4,000 to The Latino Vote.

Why is Dale Holness tied to so many shadowy political committees?

Who keeps asking Dale Holness’ supporters to make big contributions to these political committees?

Why can’t these political committees follow the rules?

Does anyone care?