Tag Archives: Strategic Technologies & Research

Embattled Broward Health Lawyer No Stranger To Controversy

3 Replies

The Broward Health attorney accused of blocking an FBI probe into corruption is no stranger to legal controversy. Earlier this month, the Florida Bulldog reported Lynn M. Barrett, Broward’s Health’s general counsel, “failed to cooperate with the FBI, withheld evidence and protected an executive accused of attempting to rape several employees.” The allegations came in an email from an investigator hired by Dr. Nabil El-Sanadi, the Broward Health CEO. In January, El-Sanadi committed suicide at his Lauderdale-By-The-Sea condominium.

According to the Florida Bulldog, private investigator Wayne Black alleged, “Barrett had shut him out of ‘various investigations’ and accused her of wrongfully asserting a claim of legal privilege to block law-enforcement access to a laptop used by an executive suspected of improprieties.”

Last week, Barrett created more trouble for Broward Health when she advised the hospital district’s commissioners to discuss the matter outside the presence of the public.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel blasted Barrett’s advice. The Editors wrote, “[W]e do not believe it is legal — let alone, appropriate — for this public board to prevent the public from hearing discussion of an email that alleges obstruction of justice.” Barrett convinced some board members that a public discussion would hinder the FBI investigation. Broward Health Chairman David Di Pietro blasted Barrett’s advice. The Sun-Sentinel reported, “DiPietro later said he wouldn’t participate in such a scheme.”

This is not the first time a controversy involving Lynn Barrett made the pages of the Sun-Sentinel.

In July 1987, Barrett claimed her boss was hindering her private practice. Her former boss was Broward State Attorney Mike Satz. According to the Sun-Sentinel story, Barrett, “accused [Satz] of blackballing her and hindering her new career as a defense attorney.” Barrett was upset that the State Attorney’s office would not accept a plea bargain agreement in a DUI case. It was Barrett’s first case in private practice.

“I’m embarrassed. I’m humiliated. My ability to earn a living in this county is being hampered,” Barrett told Judge Dale Ross. Barrett blamed Asst. State Attorney John Countryman for “abusive and unfair” treatment because “he simply dislikes her.”

Countryman denied all the allegations.

After less than a year in the State Attorney’s office, Barrett “resigned because she was ‘stressed out’ from handling a huge caseload.”

Barrett claimed the State Attorney handling the DUI case told her no plea deal would be offered if she was on the case. When asked if an offer would be extended if another attorney represented the client, Barrett claimed she was told yes.

After another lawyer was brought onto the case, the State Attorney’s office made the deal.

Judicial Candidate Spamming Judges With Campaign Emails

2 Replies

doreen2In an apparent violation of Florida elections law, Broward County Judges are receiving campaign solicitations from a candidate for Broward County Circuit Court. At least two sitting judges received wordy emails urging them to contribute to the campaign of Doreen Turner Inkeles. Florida Statute 106.15(4) states, “No person shall make and no person shall solicit or knowingly accept any political contribution in a building owned by a governmental entity.”

Inkeles’ email urging up to $1,000 contributions went sent to the judges’ official email accounts. The Broward County Courthouse is owned by a government entity. Florida Statute 106.15(5) states, “Any person violating the provisions of this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree.”

The Inkeles email is signed by 7 lawyers: Steven Berzner, Deborah Ann Byles, Nancy Brodzki, Mark Abzug, Doreen Yaffa, Joel Feldman and Scott J. Brook. (Yesterday, REDBROWARD reported Brook was all smiles with Lea Krauss, another candidate for Broward County Circuit Court. Brook faced ethics charges for failing to report a free yacht trip provided by the corrupt developers, Shawn and Bruce Chait.)

The long, wordy-email states:

To contribute to her campaign, you can make your check payable to the Doreen Turner Inkeles Campaign(maximum of $1,000.00 per person and/or entity) and send it to the address above. You can also contact Doreendirectly on her mobile phone at 954-729-7890 or by email to ElectDoreenTurnerInkeles@OurFloridaCourts.org. Doreen will be happy to talk with you. Of course, you can also contact any one of us directly anytime to discuss her campaign as well.

Last year, the issue of sending campaign emails to government buildings was raised during the Jacksonville Mayoral race. In February 2014, Mayor Alvin Brown emailed campaign solicitations to government employees and leaders. Jacksonville.com reported Brown’s campaign emailed an urgent fundraising appeal to thousands of people, asking them to “stand with me” by donating “$50, $35 or $10 to my campaign today.”

The emails forced Jerry Holland, the Jacksonville Supervisor of Elections, to investigate the matter. According to Holland, his consultations with the Florida Division of Elections determined email solicitations were illegal.

State law prohibits campaign fundraising on government property, and that would include fundraising sent to government email accounts, Holland said.

Holland said of the Brown campaign’s emails. “It’s a matter of them doing their due diligence and removing the government addresses.”

City Councilman Bill Bishop told Jacksonville.com, “[I]t’s ‘campaign literature 101’ to not send fundraising letters to government email accounts.”

Besides the possible illegality of the campaign contribution solicitation, the email shows TEAM Inkeles may be avid REDBROWARD readers.

NAME GAME NO MORE?

In September, REDBROWARD exposed Inkeles’ attempt to play the name game.

Even though she’s practiced law for years under the name Inkeles, she filed for the Circuit 17 Group 24 seat under the name “Doreen Carol Turner.” Inkeles divorced Dr. Paul Martin Inkeles in 2000.

Since the divorce, she has continued to use the name Inkeles. The Florida Bar lists her license under the name “Doreen Turner Inkeles.” The Bar lists her place of employment as “Beiner Inkeles & Horvitz PA” in Boca Raton. Internet domain records show her website,InkelesLaw.com, was created in 2007, seven years after her divorce.

Property records show Doreen Turner Inkeles purchased a Coconut Creek home in February 2010. The Broward Clerk of Courts lists Doreen Turner Inkeles as representing clients in 2015. The State of Florida says Doreen C. Inkeles is registered to vote in Broward County at her Coconut Creek address.

Even her Facebook page is listed under “Doreen Turner Inkeles.”

In an interview with REDBROWARD last month, Inkeles claimed the name change was meant to help voters. She said voters had a hard time remembering the name “Inkeles.”

Two weeks later, her email blast lists her as “Doreen Turner Inkeles.”

BROWARD FINALLY GETS A SHOUT-OUT FROM CONSULTANT?

Inkeles’ email was crafted by Strategic Technologies & Research, Inc. When readers click “powered by JNAC” at the bottom of the email, they are redirected to the JNACOnline website. The bottom of the JNAC website states “Copyright (c) 2015-2019 – Strategic Technologies & Research, Inc.”

Also, the campaign solicitation lists Inkeles email as”ElectDoreenTurnerInkeles@OurFloridaCourts.org.” Domain records show “OurFloridaCourts.org” is owned by Strategic Technologies & Research, Inc.

According to State of Florida records, the Fort Lauderdale company is owned by consultant Dan Lewis.

In November, JNACOnline and “OurFloridaCourts.org” appeared on emails sent on behalf of Broward County Court candidate Rhoda Sokoloff, Broward Circuit Court Judge Hope Tieman-Bristol and Broward County Judge John “Jay” Hurley.

REDBROWARD reported the Hurley email forgot an important word in his disclaimer: “Broward.”

Sure, the word “Broward” appeared a few times in Hurley’s email solicitation. But in the all important disclaimer, Hurley used “county judge” not “Broward County Judge.”

Perhaps Hurley thought voters don’t need to have simple things spelled out for them, LIKE THE NAME OF THE OFFICE YOU’RE SEEKING!

The disclaimers from Judge Hope Tieman-Bristol and Rhoda Sokolff also lack the word “Broward” in their disclaimers.

Looks like Lewis learned something since our Hurley story. In the Inkeles email, the disclaimer reads, “Political advertisement paid for and approved by Doreen Turner Inkles for Broward Circuit Judge Gr. 24, Non-Partisan.”

At the time of publication, Inkeles and Lewis had not responded to requests for comment.