The OIG investigation substantiated the original allegation that that the candidate and treasurer used cash for a post-election campaign expenditure. During the investigation, we uncovered that before the election the campaign routinely deposited cash, and before and after the election it withdrew cash from the campaign depository, without correctly reporting the transactions and in violation of Florida law.
Commissioner Martin’s sole treasurer and campaign manager committed misconduct with Commissioner Martin as they handled and reported the campaign’s finances before and after the November 3, 2020, election, when Commissioner Martin was elected to office. These included the third-degree felonies of knowingly and willfully accepting and failing to report an excessive cash contribution and helping to make and accepting contributions made through or in the names of others.
Commissioner Martin and her campaign treasurer also committed additional criminal misconduct when they accepted an excessive cash contribution—a loan from the candidate—of more than $5,000.00; accepted a contribution received less than five days before the election; and willfully certified as true reports they knew were incorrect, incomplete, or both. The false reporting included deliberately failing to report cash contributions and falsely reporting cash contributions; overreporting contributions; underreporting an expenditure or disposition of surplus campaign funds; failing to list a corporate contributor’s name and principal type of business; failing to report the post-election return of a campaign sign bond; failing to report expenditures; and failing to identify the full name, address, or purpose of cash expenditures. Each occurrence of this activity constituted a first-degree misdemeanor.
In accordance with our charter mandate, considering the misconduct detailed above, we are referring or have referred this matter to the Broward State Attorney and the Florida Elections Commission for whatever action those agencies deem appropriate.
Broward OIG Report
An April 2021 REDBROWARD report on North Lauderdale Commissioner Regina Martin’s lavish election night party triggered a Broward Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report which found Martin and her campaign treasurer repeatedly made unlawful deposits and withdrawals of cash from campaign accounts and committed “numerous crimes in their knowing and willful violations of other Florida campaign finance laws.” While he is not named in the report, the Broward OIG investigation documents numerous large payments Martin made to companies tied to Tamarac Commissioner Marlon Bolton. The Broward OIG referred the matter to Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor for prosecution.
On April 21, 2021 REDBROWARD reported how campaign records failed to show who paid for an “election watch party” hosted by North Lauderdale Commissioner Regina Martin in November 2020. Martin held the party at the Grand Palace Ballroom located in a North Lauderdale strip mall. State of Florida corporate records show the Grand Palace Ballroom is owned and operated by Dorothy Borgelin, wife of North Lauderdale Commissioner Samson Borgelin.
Regina Martin’s final campaign treasurer’s report (termination report) was filed in late January. There was no listing of any payment to Grand Palace Ballroom or Dorothy Borgelin. There is no listing for any “in-kind contribution” from Grand Palace Ballroom or Dorothy Borgelin.
On October 7, 2018, Tamarac Commissioner Debra Placko paid $4,000 to Resident United Advertising LLC for a “campaign expense,” records show. State records show Resident United Advertising LLC was a Margate company owned by Trace Robinson. Over the last year, REDBROWARD exposed the deep ties between Tamarac Commissioner Marlon Bolton and another Margate-based company owned by Trace Robinson. And Debra Placko never said a word.
In addition to Resident United Advertising LLC, State records show Trace Robinson also owns Happy Feet Advertising LLC. Both companies are located at 300 Lakewood Circle in Margate. While the business paperwork shows the Margate address, the mailing address for Happy Feet Advertising is listed as P.O. Box 451711 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33345.
State records also show businesses owned by Marlon Bolton use the same post office box.
MATCHING MAILBOXES
Florida business records show the post office box address used by Happy Feet Advertising has been used by Marlon Bolton since at least 2014. These businesses include Tyson Bolton and Associates, Forecast Holdings, LLC, Prophet Fire, and Win Without War. These same records show Marlon Bolton and Trace Robinson are business partners.
Records list Marlon Bolton and Trace Robinson as owners of The Driven Project, Praise Experience Worldwide Outreach Church, and South Florida Theological Seminary, Inc. The companies also use the same post office box.
In 2020, Trace Robinson created the Broward Vision PAC political committee. The address for the PAC is the same post office box used by Bolton.
State of Florida campaign records show Broward Vision PAC paid $1,400 to Exy Consultants, a corporation created under the Happy Feet Advertising LLC name by Robinson. Exy Consultants used the same P.O. Box 451711 address as Marlon Bolton.
According to his campaign reports, Commissioner Bolton provided Happy Feet Advertising with a huge payday—nearly $14,000 during the 2020 election cycle.
In April 2021, REDBROWARD exposed the roles Bolton and Happy Feet Advertising played in the election of North Lauderdale Commissioner Regina Martin. Campaign records show Happy Feet Advertising, LLC performed extensive campaign work for the newly-elected Martin.
Last month, REDBROWARD revealed State House candidate Elijah Manley paid Happy Feet Advertising LLC $2,800 for “monetary” work on his January campaign.
MYSTERY PACS
REDBROWARD exposed Marlon Bolton’s ties to Residents United PAC, a State of Florida political committee. Elections records show the committee was formed in April 2019 by chairman Carl Williams and treasurer Malucci Joseph. Both individuals are close associates of Marlon Bolton.
Carl Williams was a Bolton appointee to the City of Tamarac parks & recreation committee. REDBROWARD obtained videos showing Williams assisting Bolton during church services at the Praise Experience Worldwide Outreach Church in North Lauderdale.
On the very same day he created Residents United PAC, Carl Williams created the “Go Tamarac Go PAC.” The only money listed in the Go Tamarac Go reports is a $1,750 contribution by the PAC’s treasurer Malucci Joseph.
In addition to her roles in Go Tamarac Go PAC and Residents United PAC, Malucci Joseph is the chairperson and treasurer of the Tallahassee based Conservative Governance PAC. Joseph also formed the Federal “Our Blue Democracy” committee using the same Tallahassee address.
This week, REDBROWARD attempted to contact Malucci Joseph at the Tallahassee telephone number for the committees. Instead on Joseph, Marlon Bolton answered the telephone.
PLACKO “FOR A BETTER FLORIDA FOR ALL?”
In January 2018, REDBROWARD exposed the roles former Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness and his campaign guru, Omar Smith played in Fort Lauderdale Mayoral race.
City of Fort Lauderdale campaign records from December 2017 show Dean Trantalis’ mayoral campaign hired Sophia Nelson, another consultant closely tied to Commissioner Dale Holness, and her SA Nelson And Associates firm for “marketing” purposes.
Florida Division Of Elections records show Sophia A. Nelson is the chairperson of the “A Better Florida For All” political committee. The address for this political committee is the same address found on a December pro-Trantalis email sent to Fort Lauderdale voters by “FlyerSmith,” a company owned by Omar Smith.
Division of Elections records show Omar Smith is the treasurer of the “A Better Florida For All” political committee.
In October 2018, Buddy Nevins of Broward Beat reported on four local judicial candidates appearing the endorsement card produced by A Better Florida For All. The card promoted Democrat candidates most notably Andrew Gillum. Nevins wrote, “Four Broward lawyers running for judge could end up in trouble for appearing to violate state Code of Ethics for judicial candidates. Partisan appeals judicial candidates’ ads are forbidden by the Florida Supreme Court Code of Judicial Conduct. Joint advertising by judicial candidates is also prohibited.”
Shortly thereafter, the State of Florida revoked the registration of A Better Florida For All. Smith failed to properly submit paper to the Florida Division Of Elections. Attempts to contact Smith failed.
Since the committee is no longer a legal entity, legal steps were made to keep the card from being distributed to voters. In Late October 2018, (now Judge) Corey Cawthon filed an emergency motion against A Better Florida All over its inappropriate endorsement card. A judge granted the motion and ordered the card removed from polling locations.
Omar Smith told to the Sun-Sentinel “that none of the candidates were picked because of financial ties to the political action committee or to any of Smith’s businesses, which perform campaign services.”
A copy of the A Better Florida For All card was included in Cawthon’s emergency lawsuit. One of the candidates prominently displayed is Tamarac Commissioner Debra Placko.
Placko is pictured alongside Commissioner Elberg Mike Gelin and Elvin Villalobos. Both Gelin and Villalobos enjoyed the support of Marlon Bolton.
Is timing of Placko’s $4,000 payment to Resident United Advertising LLC and her inclusion on the For Better Florida For All endorsement card in October 2018 a mere coincidence?
Last year, REDBROWARD reported how a bombshell report commissioned by the City of Tamarac Human Resources Department in 2019 revealed a pattern of “bullying” of City employees by Commissioner Marlon Bolton. The report documents several instances of Bolton attacking political opponents by using their race, ethnicity and religion.
Fire Captain William Duesler told investigators Bolton told a voter Mayor Michelle Gomez was a “White Jew–Don’t vote for her.” Another complaint heard Marlon Bolton tell a voter, “Gomez can’t even speak Spanish…and that she is a White Jew.”
In the same report, Mayor Gomez told investigators, “that Commissioner Bolton misappropriated the City’s name and/or logo for purely political purposes. She asserts that he utilized the City’s name and/or logo in a political advertisement for Residents United…with its membership base being members of Commissioner Bolton’s church congregation.
Didn’t Commissioner Debra Placko recognize the “Residents United” name? Just a year earlier she paid $4,000 to Resident United Advertising LLC. That’s not chump change.
Did Debra Placko confirm Mayor Gomez’s allegations to investigators?
Why did Debra Placko pay $4,000 to Resident United Advertising LLC?
Why did Debra Placko say nothing as Happy Feet Advertising and The Tamarac Post were used to bash her fellow commissioners?
Some Tamarac residents have wondered why Debra Placko has not criticized Marlon Bolton’s behavior on the dais. Placko bemoans the rancor yet she stands by in silence as Bolton attacks Gomez and Villalobos.
Perhaps she’s afraid residents will learn about her alliance with Bolton’s team?
REDBROWARD reached out to Debra Placko for answers. She has not responded.
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