Tag Archives: Richelle Holness

Dale Holness’ Daughter Needed $20,000 PPP Loan Just Months After $350,000 Payday From Democrat Executive Committee Of Florida?

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Richelle Holness’ big payday

Richelle Holness, daughter of U.S. Congressional candidate Dale Holness, received nearly $20,000 in COVID-19 relief funds just months after her company scored a $350,000 payday courtesy of the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida. Last summer, REDBROWARD reported Richelle Holness applied for and received a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan as a self-employed individual. Public records show Richelle Holness received a $19,920 loan as an independent contractor.

The May 17, 2021 loan was paid by Prestamos CDFI, LLC, a division of an Arizona entity tied to the progressive political group La Raza. Despite owning several companies, records show Richelle Holness’ PPP loan was intended to save one job.

With just a single employee, one might assume a company with very healthy revenues did not need a government loan, right?

ALL CONSULTING BROWARD

State corporation records show Richelle Holness formed All Consulting Broward on September 16, 2020. The business was located at an apartment in Plantation. In just one month after its creation, the money began filling All Consulting Broward’s coffers.

Federal records show All Consulting Broward received a $175,000 payment from the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida on October 27, 2020. One day later, Holness’ new company picked up another $175,000 from the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida. Both payments were made for GOTV [Get Out The Vote] consulting.

Later that month, All Consulting Broward picked up an additional $16,450 from the Florida Freedom PAC.

Curiously, the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida payments to All Consulting Broward did not use its Plantation address. Instead, campaign reports list All Consulting Broward’s address as 5523 Barnstead Circle in Lake Worth.

OMAR SMITH & THE SHADY PAC GAME

In September 2020, REDBROWARD exposed Richelle Holness’s ties to the mysterious Stronger Together Florida political committee. On July 20, 2020, Kayla Butler filed paperwork forming the political committee with the Division of Elections in Tallahassee. According to the documents, the political committee is located at 5523 Barnstead Circle in Lake Worth, Florida. The telephone number for the committee is (754) 444-6117.

Campaign reports from the 2016 Broward election show Kayla Butler was a paid intern on the Dale Holness campaign even though she was living in Palm Beach. According to her social media posts, Butler is a yoga instructor living in Palm Beach county.

The telephone number for Stronger Together Florida is also found in State records regarding third party groups conducting voter registrations. The number is listed for “All Consulting And Marketing, Inc.” which conducted voter registration drives at 4325 W. Sunrise Blvd in Plantation since May, 2019.

This is the same address for All Broward Realty, Inc, a real estate company owned by Broward Mayor Dale Holness.

According to the State third party voter registration records and State corporate records, All Consulting And Marketing Inc. is owned by Richelle Holness. State corporate records indicate the corporation was dissolved in September 2019 after failing to file its required corporate report. The company was reinstated in April 2021.

“I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’RE CALLING ME”

REDBROWARD called Richelle Holness to ask about her involvement in voter registration drives and the Stronger Together Florida political committee.

After confirming she was Richelle Holness, she said, “You know you’re calling Richelle. I don’t know why you’re calling me.” After advising Holness that her telephone number was listed in the documents filed with the Florida Division of Elections, we asked what was the purpose of the PAC. Holness said, “You can look it up on FEC [Federal Elections Committee] or whatever.”

When asked if she knew Kayla Butler, Holness said, “Thank you for your time, goodbye” and hung up.

In a later report, REDBROWARD revealed the Barnstead Circle address is the home of Dale Holness’ ex-wife.

State records show Richelle Holness started Tax Unlimited Corp in 2016 with the former Mrs. Holness. That corporation was located at 4325 W. Sunrise Blvd in Plantation.

Following the publication of that story, Omar Smith reached out to REDBROWARD by telephone. Smith asked REDBROWARD to remove the name of the Holness’ ex-wife since she had no involvement in politics.

While that may be the case, members of Team Holness have repeatedly used her address for political payments and political committees. More on that in part two.

Last week, Omar Smith was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud in order to illegally obtain a $215,500 PPP loan.

Richelle Holness’ sister, Damara Holness, just started a twenty month prison sentence for fraudulently obtaining a $300,000 PPP loan.

With all the hefty campaign revenues flowing into their companies, why did Team Holness feel the need to secure PPP loans? This money was meant to keep employees paid during the COVID-19 lockdown. Instead, the well-connected used the money to pad their bank accounts.

Shame on them.

UPDATE: DALE HOLNESS’ CAMPAIGN GURU RECEIVED $212,000 PPP LOAN TO SAVE THIRTY JOBS

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New records show a company owned by Dale Holness’ “campaign guru” received a $212,000 Pandemic Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to save thirty jobs. Last September, REDBROWARD exposed how Omar Smith’s A Star For I, Inc. company received a PPP loan despite collecting payments from Dale Holness and his allies during the COVID-19 lockdown. At the time, it appeared Smith applied for a PPP loan as a sole proprietor. Political insiders doubt Omar Smith’s company ever had a payroll with thirty employees.

Last week, Dale Holness’ daughter Damara Holness was arrested on a conspiracy to commit wire fraud to fraudulently obtain a PPP loan. Last August, REDBROWARD exposed Damara Holness’ laughable claim she owned a company with eighteen employees and a $1.4 million dollar payroll. Damara Holness used Dale Holness’ business address to obtain a $300,000 PPP loan.

Days later, REDBROWARD exposed how Richelle Holness, another daughter of Dale Holness, also received a PPP loan. Like Damara, Richelle Holness appears to be heavily involved in Dale Holness’ political operations. When REDBROWARD revealed Richelle Holness’ ties to a shadowy political committee, Omar Smith reached out to REDBROWARD to ask for a favor. With a female screaming in the background, Smith asked REDBROWARD TO redacte the name of Dale Holness’ ex-wife from the story.

How many members of the TEAM HOLNESS political operation received federal loans?

Original story is below:

A company owned by Broward Mayor Dale Holness’ controversial campaign consultant received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for up to $350,000, records show. According to news organizations tracking the COVID-19 relief program, A Star For I, Inc. received approval for a loan between $150,000 and $350,000 on June 1, 2020. As REDBROWARD previously reported, A Star For I, Inc. is owned and operated by Omar M. Smith, Dale Holness’ campaign “guru.”

Even though PPP loans were intended to be used on employee payroll, these organizations state A Star For I, Inc. reported zero employees on its loan applications. Self-employed business owners were eligible for PPP loans.

According to Marketwatch.com:

After much confusion, it’s now clear that self-employed individuals who have no employees, and therefore no actual payroll expenses, can qualify for PPP loan forgiveness by simply paying themselves so-called owner compensation replacement. The amount that can be forgiven is based on your 2019 net self-employment income and can be up to 100% of the loan amount. However, the maximum loan amount for a self-employed person with no employees is $20,833.

How did A Star For I, Inc. receive nearly ten times more for “owner compensation replacement” than average self-employed business owners?

But why was A Star For I, Inc. seeking “compensation replacement” at all?

HOLNESS CONSULTANT PAID THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DURING LOCKDOWN

According to the Florida Division of Elections, Omar Smith’s company received 14,188 from political campaign after receiving a six-figure PPP loan. This includes a July 9, 2020 payment of $1,500 by George Odom’s judicial campaign and and a July 30, 2020 payment for $10,200 by former Broward Judge Ian Richards.

Broward election records show Omar Smith made even more money from his work as Dale Holness’ campaign consultant. Holness is seeking re-election for his District 9 seat this November. Holness has no Republican opposition, just an unknown write-in candidate.

According to Holness campaign reports, Omar Smith/A Star for I, Inc was paid $46,750 as a consultant. More than $31,000 was paid after the COVID-19 lockdown.

TEAM HOLNESS

In July, REDBROWARD exposed how Broward Mayor Dale Holness’ campaign team appeared to be behind a mysterious federal political committee backing mostly black candidates. Records show Holness’ longtime campaign marketing guru Omar Smith is tied to the “People Over Principle PAC.” These same records show the committee has failed report any money contributions or expenditures as required by law.

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.

Federal records show People of Principle PAC has never reported its financial information. The FEC sent “failure to file” notices on August 15, 2019, February 19, 2020 and May 1, 2020 to the committee.

In addition to costs used to purchase domain and rent a mailbox at the Margate UPS Store, People Of Principle PAC is spending money on advertisements promoting Broward candidates. These candidates included Dale Holness, George Odom and Ian Richards.

In January 2018, REDBROWARD exposed the roles Omar Smith and County Commissioner Dale Holness played in Dean Trantalis’ Fort Lauderdale Mayoral campaign.

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.”

Division of Elections records show Omar Smith is the treasurer of the “A Better Florida For All” political committee.

On December 7, 2017 A Better Florida For All hosted a fundraiser for Dean Trantalis. According to an announcement posted on the group’s Facebook page, the A Better Florida For All event was being held at 4325 West Sunrise Boulevard in Plantation. This is the address for All Broward Realty, a company owned by Dale Holness.

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.”

Omar Smith talked to the Sun-Sentinel about the palm card controversy. Smith “insisted this week 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.”

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.

In November 2018, Omar Smith made national headlines when Project Veritas showed undercover video of him calling Florida a “cracker state.” Smith was working for the Andrew Gillum campaign.

While some Gillum supporters claimed Omar Smith did not work for the campaign, financial records show otherwise. According to Florida Division of Elections records, the Andrew Gillum campaign paid Smith’s company, FlyerSmith, $50,000 in August 2018.

Also, the Project Veritas video appears to have been recorded inside Dale Holness’ real estate office in Plantation.

ANOTHER HOLNESS CONSULTANT AND PPP

Last month, REDBROWARD revealed a Florida corporation based inside Broward Mayor Dale Holness’ real estate office received a loan up to $350,000 via the Federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) intended to help companies affected by the COVID-19 lockdown pay employees. Numerous records and published reports show Holness Consulting Inc. received a PPP loan between $150,000 and $350,000 on June 27, 2020. According to State records, Holness Consulting Inc. is located at 4325 W. Sunrise Blvd in Plantation. Damara Holness, daughter of Dale Holness, is listed as its president.

Two businesses owned by Broward Mayor Dale Holness, All Broward Realty and American Holding Group, are located at 4325 W. Sunrise Blvd in Plantation.

State corporation records show Damara Holness formed Holness Consulting Inc in November 2018. Ms. Holness, president of the Broward Black Democratic Party Caucus, is active in local and State political campaigns. In December 2018, Holness Consulting Inc received a $350 payment from Coral Springs Commissioner Joshua Simmons. In June 2019, Coral Commission candidate Khurrum Wahid paid $4,500 to Holness Consulting Inc.

It appears Holness Consulting Inc failed to file its 2019 annual report in 2019. Holness Consulting Inc. filed for reinstatement on June 22, 2020. Five days later, Holness Consulting Inc received its PPP loan.

According to available records, Holness Consulting Inc. claims to have eighteen employees. It is rare for any local political consultant to employ anyone other than themselves.

When REDBROWARD reached her by telephone, Damara Holness said, “I’m in a meeting right now” and hung up.

Dale Holness and Damara Holness have worked closely on political campaigns in the past. In 2018, the Holness offices housed the Andrew Gillum for Governor campaign offices. Earlier this year, Damara Holness hosted a party registration event at Dale Holness’ office in Plantation.

Did Broward Mayor Dale Holness encourage his daughter and his campaign guru to seek a PPP loans?