Tag Archives: Ken keechl

Fort Lauderdale Residents File Election Challenge Claiming Commission Candidate John Herbst “Unqualified” To Hold Office

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An election challenge by two Fort Lauderdale residents may keep John Herbst from taking the District 1 seat on Tuesday. REDBROWARD obtained the challenges which claim Herbst does not meet the residency requirement in the City Charter. Section 3.04 allows any elector to file an affidavit “showing that a candidate has violated this provisions of this charter as to the matter of his or her election, or is otherwise unqualified to hold office, and the city commission shall take proof at such meeting and declare the results.”

The challenges were filed by two Herbst opponents—Democrat Ken Keechl and Republican Christopher Williams.

The Charter requires a candidate be a Fort Lauderdale resident for six months. For Herbst to qualify, he need to reside in Fort Lauderdale as of May 12, 2022. According to the challenge, Herbst did not use a Fort Lauderdale address on his driver’s license and voter’s registration until May 31, 2022.

Herbst does not own a residence in Fort Lauderdale or even Broward County. Instead, Herbst owns a Lake Placid home in Highlands County. The challenge states Herbst has owned the Lake Placid home since July 2021.

Section 3.03 of the City Charter states any candidate that fails to meet the residency requirement “shall forthwith forfeit his or her office or candidacy.”

Sources say Mayor Dean Trantalis and Commissioner Steve Glassman will determine the validity of the challenges.

And that determination that may not come before Tuesday morning when the new Fort Lauderdale City Commissioners are set to take office.

Judy Stern must be very unhappy.

Sun-Sentinel Touted Fort Lauderdale Commission Candidate John Herbst’s Dislike Of Lobbyists But Failed To Mention His Deep Ties To Controversial Democrat Lobbyist Judy Stern

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Judy Stern and Steve Bousquet

In September, Steve Bousquet and his Sun-Sentinel Opinion Makers™️ dubbed John Herbst as the candidate with the “once-in-a-lifetime chance” to reshape the City of Fort Lauderdale. Herbst is no newcomer to city government. Seven months earlier, Herbst, the longtime city auditor, was fired by Mayor Dean Trantalis and the current city commission.

Claiming he is armed with “a fine-tuned BS detector,” Bousquet and his Opinion Makers™️ said Herbst “soundly rejects the status quo, which is just what this city needs.”

Bousquet and Co. wrote how Herbst recognized the danger posed by lobbyists at City Hall. “We need to recognize the influence of lobbyists who push bad projects on our neighborhoods,” Herbst told the Sun-Sentinel.

Despite the myriad of lobbyists working in Fort Lauderdale, Herbst and Bousquet singled out land use attorney Stephanie Toothaker. Herbst said Toothaker “has her thumb on the scale,” a saying used to described cheating. The Sun-Sentinel even asked Herbst’s opponent, Ken Keechl for his opinion on Toothaker.

One lobbyist never mentioned in the endorsement is Judy Stern. The controversial Stern has been a fixture in Fort Lauderdale for decades. Stern is listed a registered lobbyist in the City of Fort Lauderdale for four companies: Suntex Marinas, The Corradino Group, Skanska USA and Garth Business Solutions.

In addition to her lobbyist role, Stern is campaign manager/consultant.

In fact, despite his alleged dislike of lobbyists, John Herbst is using Judy Stern to run his campaign. Herbst told REDBROWARD that he has known Stern for many years.

But Judy is not the only Stern in Herbst‘s corner. In April 2022, the lawyer for John Herbst wrote a letter to Fort Lauderdale City Attorney Alain Boileau seeking to settle matters surrounding his dismissal. John Herbst’s lawyer is Barbra Stern, daughter of Judy Stern.

So why didn’t Steve Bousquet and his Opinion Makers™️ ask John Herbst about Judy Stern?

Last week, Bousquet penned another story about John Herbst. It was more love letter than news report.

Bousquet wrote, “While other candidates rely on canned, phony text messages that could have come from a car dealer, or slick direct-mail attacks that are half-true at best and usually end up in the trash, Herbst is out there in the flesh with his dog Chester, walking Bayview Drive and tweeting about it.” Judy Stern couldn’t have said it better herself.

According to political insiders, Bousquet and Stern are friends.

Does Steve Bousquet have a duty to disclose ties to a campaign consultant before endorsing her candidate?

Did Steve Bousquet use the Sun-Sentinel to target a youthful competitor of Judy Stern?

Does Tallahassee resident Bousquet really think Stephanie Toothaker is the only land use lawyer working in Fort Lauderdale?

Do candidates using Judy Stern get preferential treatment by the Sun-Sentinel?

REDBROWARD reached out to Steve Bousquet for comment. As of publication, he has not responded.