Tag Archives: michele lazarow

Hallandale Beach Mayor Keith London Introduced Lobbyist To Gaming Company Executives

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While the average citizen may think lobbyists introduce politicians to their special interest clients, sworn testimony shows Hallandale Beach Keith London introduced his lobbyist ally Evan Ross to Gulfstream Park Casino executives. As REDBROWARD reported, London and Ross gave sworn testimony to the Broward State Attorney’s Office in early 2017. Their testimony was part of the State Attorney’s Office investigation of former Hallandale Beach Vice Mayor Bill Julian. The probe started after London and Ross leaked recordings of Julian to a local television station. The Broward State Attorney believed Julian was the victim of a political dirty trick and cleared him of any wrongdoing.

In his February 20, 2017 sworn testimony Keith London said Evan Ross was “helping” him with a Diplomat Hotel development project at the time the Julian recordings were made. London said he was not paying him. Asked how Ross was helping, London testified, “By exposing Bill Julian’s–exposing Bill Julian to be the patsy that he is, and the guy that really didn’t care about the city and just was there to be Joy Cooper’s lap dog.”

London explained he met Evan Ross in 2014 at a campaign event for Florida House Representative Joe Geller. “Evan was helping his campaign,” London said. Schulson asked what triggered Ross’ interest in Hallandale Beach.

“We became friendly in 2014 after we met at the Joe Geller event,” London said.

Soon after their meeting, Evan Ross became involved in Hallandale Beach politics although London could not tell when Ross started coming to meetings.

LONDON INTRODUCED ROSS TO GAMING INDUSTRY BIGWIGS

In his March 2017 sworn testimony, Evan Ross gives a more detailed version of how his relationship with Keith London began.

Ross told Assistant State Attorney David Schulson he worked on Joe Geller’s 2014 campaign for the Florida House. Ross could not recall if he was paid by the Geller campaign. “He may have paid me, but if he did, I don’t think it was anything of note,” Ross said. “[B]ecause Joe is somebody I’m very close to, and I told him to save the money for things he needed, and if there was anything left over at the end, I’d be happy to be paid.”

Ross confirmed he met Keith London at a Joe Geller fundraiser in North Miami Beach in 2014. Ross said he gave London advice during his 2014 Hallandale Beach campaign, but he “didn’t play a major role”in London’s campaign.

Ross said he became friends with London. “We enjoyed bouncing ideas off of each other and developed a friendship,” Ross testified. He testified London introduced him to Commissioner Michele Lazarow to discuss supporting Joe Geller.

Ross said he began attending Hallandale Beach City Commission meetings in 2014.

Schulson asked Ross if, prior to meeting Keith London, he had any affiliation to Gulfstream Park. Ross said his grandfather worked in the admissions department for twenty-five years.

Schulson asked Ross about the people Keith London introduced to him. “I believe the first person that Keith introduced me to a Gulfstream was Alon Ossip,” Ross said. “He is the CEO of The Stronach Group, which is Gulfstream’s parent company.” Ross said he met Ossip at a community meeting hosted by Keith London at a Gulfstream Park restaurant in 2016. Ross said it was the first time he met anyone involved with Gulfstream Park.

Ross said he met Michael Fucheck, Gulfstream Park general counsel, at a City Commission meeting.

Asked about his relationship with Alon Ossip, Ross testified, “We developed a relationship. We stayed in some level of communication.”

Schulson asked if Ross discussed forming political action committees (PAC) with Ossip. Ross said he discussed Hallandale Beach politics with Ossip. Ross said, “[Ossip] was not the person that I dealt with when it came to discussing money, generally for campaigns.”

Ross said discussions about the PAC were with Michael Fucheck and Tim Ritvo, the COO of The Stronach Group. Ross said he helped form the Ethics Matter political committee which ended up “being involved exclusively was [sic] issues surrounding Hallandale Beach.”

Ross said, “Gulfstream funded that PAC almost exclusively.”

Asked why Gulfstream funded the Ethics Matter PAC, Ross said, “Gulfstream felt very strongly that they were not being treated fairly by the City Of Hallandale Beach, that they were being almost extorted by the city and they wanted to see a change in the way that the city was run.” Ross said Gulfstream contributed $75,000 to his political committee.

Ross said Gulfstream made contributions to other political committees he created including Public Service, Good Government, Citizens For Public Service and Progressive Principles.

When asked to describe Keith London’s relationship with Gulfstream, Ross said, “Commissioner London…had a reasonable view of the issues and just wanted to treat Gulfstream fairly.”

GULFSTREAM BACKED PAC FUNDED LONDON ALLIES

REDBROWARD previously exposed Ross’ role in shadowy political committees funded by gaming interests in Hallandale Beach.

According to April 2016 campaign treasurer reports, Lazarow received $3,000 from the Village At Gulfstream Park, Gulfstream Park and Orchid Concessions. Taub received the same exact contributions in September 2016.

In October, Michele Lazarow and Anabelle Taub recorded large contributions from out of state gaming interests.

Just days before the November election, Michele Lazarow and Anabelle Taub received maximum contributions of $1,000 from several political committees created by Evan Ross. On October 31, Lazarow received a $1,000 contribution from each of the following committees: Good Government, Public Service, and Progressive Principles.

On November 3, Anabelle Taub received $1,000 contributions from Good Government, Public Service, Progressive Principles.

Lazarow and Taub also received $1,000 each from the Ethics Matter political committee.

In a November 5, 2016 “Dirtiest Election In Broward County“ editorial, Evan Ross told the Sun-Sentinel that Gulfstream wanted to work with Hallandale Beach. “[T]hey just don’t want to be strong-armed into giving it away or pressured into getting a deal done in an unreasonable amount of time,” Ross said. He declared a deal could be reached within 12 months if Michele Lazarow and Anabelle Taub won the election.

In his sworn testimony, Evan Ross said Keith London was Anabelle Taub’s campaign manager.

Is Hallandale Beach Mayor Keith London Obsessed With Lobbyist Judy Stern?

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Was mere mention of lobbyist Judy Stern enough to get Hallandale Beach Keith London to attack the credibility of Assistant State Attorney David Schulson? During his February 21, 2017 sworn testimony, Keith London was asked to identify an e-mail. The August 2016 e-mail attacked Vice Mayor Bill Julian over remarks made on a tape London and lobbyist Evan Ross leaked to WPLG Local 10 reporter Bob Norman.

Schulson told London, “I have an e-mail from you to Judy Stern.” London shot back, “I don’t write e-mails to Judy Stern. This is my e-mail blast that goes out to a few thousand people. That didn’t go to Judy Stern, this went to thousands of people.”

Schulson said, “this says ‘from Keith London. The exhibit says from your e-mail to her e-mail.”

London replied, “I find it interesting I’m sitting here with you, and I’m talking about Bill Julian, and the only e-mail you produced, or an e-mail address is from Judy Stern.”

Schulson said her did not get e-mail from Judy Stern. London said, “No. I assume you got it from the Diplomat.” Assistant State Attorney Schulson said he did not get it from the Diplomat developers and he did not have to tell London where he got the e-mail.

Keith London’s attorney David Di Pietro wisely told his client, “Just answer.”

JUDY STERN IN A CAMPAIGN T-SHIRT?

One of the key allegations in the Bob Norman story was whether the Diplomat developers would supply 300 volunteers for Bill Julian’s re-election campaign. In his sworn testimony, lobbyist Evan Ross identified Keith London as the campaign manger for Bill Julian’s opponent. Schulson asked Keith London if he had personal knowledge that developers paid for 300 volunteers to work for Julian.

London said, “I did see Judy Stern out there handing things to volunteers. I have pictures of Judy Stern handing stuff out to the volunteers.” Schulson asked what was Judy Stern’s relationship to the Diplomat developers. London said, “I don’t know. You’re handing me something [e-mail exhibit] that has Judy Stern right here, so obviously Judy Stern has a relationship with the developers.”

Later, London admitted he had no personal knowledge of developers hiring Julian volunteers or whether Judy Stern had any relationship to the developers.

In his March 2017 sworn testimony, lobbyist Evan Ross testified Judy Stern was mentioned in one of the ten recordings he leaked to reporter Bob Norman.

As REDBROWARD reported, Ross stated Bill Julian left ten recordings on his system. The night the robo-call went out, Ross noticed a voicemail in “the system.” When he listened to the call, Ross “quickly identified it was Bill Julian’s voice talking to someone.” The following day, Ross claimed he found more voicemails. He testified there were ten recordings.

Evan Ross stated he told Commissioner Keith London about the Julian recordings the same day he discovered them.

When asked about the eight recordings not featured in stories by Bob Norman, Ross testified, “The only thing that I recall being noteworthy were a reference to a conversation that Bill Julian had with Joy Cooper, saying that Joy Cooper wanted him to call her campaign person, Judy Stern.”

MICHELE LAZAROW SOCIAL MEDIA MELTDOWN

Keith London is not the only member of the Hallandale Beach Commissioner with a unhealthy dislike of Judy Stern. Just days after London and Ross testified under oath, REDBROWARD covered London and Lazarow’s appearance at a Plantation City Council meeting. Lazarow was spearheading efforts to ban pet stores in Plantation.

During the meeting, Michele Lazarow expressed her anger over the presence of a local lobbyist. Lazarow told two supporters, ” Fucking Judy Stern is here in the front row.”

With a long list of speakers, (many of whom did not live in Plantation) the meeting ran very late which may have contributed to Lazarow’s late night Facebook meltdown.

Just after midnight, Michele Lazarow incorrectly informed her Facebook friends the ordinance had been repealed. Around 2AM, Lazarow declared, “Yep. So fucking fixed.” Hours later, Lazarow was still ranting about lawyers and lobbyists. When asked why the Petland supporters got time to make their case, Lazarow said, “Because the fix was in with the lawyers and lobbyists.”

While she complained about lawyers Ron Book and Bill Laystrom, Michele Lazarow saved her anger for Judy Stern.

“The cow lobbyist who ran the campaign against me took our second vote. She’s disgusting. Judy Stern should rot,” Michele Lazarow said.

LONDON UNHAPPY

Before the March 2017 Plantation City Council meeting, REDBROWARD asked Keith London about an investigation surrounding GPS trackers. London could not recall whether he hired private investigators to help him find a GPS tracking devices on vehicles belonging to him, Commissioner Lazarow and Anabelle Taub. Lazarow refused to answer any questions.

In October 2016 Keith London and Michele Lazarow held a press conference to discuss the discovery of GPS tracking devices on their vehicles. A week earlier, in front of WPLG Local 10 investigative reporter Bob Norman’s camera, London took GPS devices off vehicles owned by himself, Lazarow and candidate Annabelle Taub. London turned the devices to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

In March 2017, Keith London was not interested in divulging information regarding the FDLE case. London complained REDBROWARD and our “ilk” accused him of committing perjury. REDBROWARD never accused London of anything. At the time, REDBROWARD reported there was no reason to doubt Commissioner Keith London was being followed. He shot video of one man who WPLG later identified as a local private investigator (who was later charged with illegal tracking).

When asked how he knew to check underneath his car for a GPS tracking device, London said,”numerous people told me you might want to look under your car.” When asked who these “numerous people” were, London said he could not recall. When asked if he hired McGarry and Associates, a private investigation firm, London said he could not recall.

When asked if he could recall hiring any private investigator, Commissioner Michele Lazarow tried to interupt the interview. She refused to answer any questions about private investigators.

Keith London asked REDBROWARD if we had any evidence he hired McGarry and Associates. When pressed, London said he could not “remember” if he hired any private investigator.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for the FDLE told REDBROWARD the Hallandale Beach GPS case remains open.

Did his recent sworn testimony in front of an Assistant State Attorney have Keith London on edge that evening?

Were London and Lazarow upset they had to share the same air with Judy Stern that night?

Do Hallandale Beach residents deserve better?

More to come…