An obscure Broward political committee, with ties to allies of Dale Holness and Keon Hardemon, received most of its funding from political committee operated by a former Miami politician, records show. Founded in September 2019, the Resiliency Coalition political committee raised more than $75,000 to influence Broward elections. Yet, Broward Supervisor of Elections records show most of the money came from a political committee operated by former Miami City Commissoner Marc Sarnoff.

State elections records show the “Truth Is The Daughter Of Time PC” political committee was formed in May 2017. The chairman of the political committee is former Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff. Truth Is The Daughter Of Time PC made four contributions totaling $44,000 to the Resiliency Coalition. Sarnoff is a lobbyist with the Shutts Bowen law firm.

Another prominent contributor to the Resiliency Coalition is B and B Professional Consultants Inc of West Park, a company owned by Barbara Hardemon, the lobbyist aunt of Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon. In January, REDBROWARD exposed a growing alliance between Dale Holness and the Hardemon family.

B and B Professional Consultants Inc made contributions to the People Of Principle PAC operated by a Holness campaign guru. In June, REDBROWARD revealed Barbara Hardemon’s financial support of Miramar City Commissioner Alexandra Davis, a close ally of Dale Holness.

REDBROWARD also exposed how Barbara Hardemon formed the “Better Leadership” political committee in May 2021. The timing coincided with the launch of Alexandra Davis’ campaign for a seat on the Broward County Commission.

BROWARD PAC HIRED OPERATIVES TIED TO HARDEMON

In January 2021, the Resiliency Coalition made a $4,000 payment to B and B Professional Consultants Inc.

On February 3, 2021, made a $10,000 payment to The Donner Group in Miami. Two weeks later, Resiliency Coalition paid $5,000 to 527 Advertising LLC of Miami. State records show both companies are owned by Miami political consultant Keith Donner.

Throughout January and February, Resiliency Coalition made payments of $6,137.75, $8917.57, $5,117.75 and $5,993.56 to The Campaign Superstore of Miami. State records show the nearly $21,000 in payments went to a company owned by Charles Safdie, a lobbyist and former executive director of the Miami-Dade Republican Party.

UNFAIR ATTACK ADS TARGETED HARDEMON OPPONENT

In 2020, Keith Donner created an ad campaign attacking an opponent of Keon Hardemon. The Miami Times reported Donner is “longtime ally of the Hardemons, whom he calls his friends and clients.” Even though published reports state the attacks on Haitian activist Gepsie Metellus and her Sant La organization were false, Donner remains proud of his work for Hardemon.

“Had Gepsie not trash-talked the Hardemons, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Donner said. “She would have lost [in the Aug. 18 primary] and the dignity of her organization and reputation would not have been called into question. I’m sure a lot of what I did caused a lot of consternation among Miami’s white garden club members. They were beside themselves. The Hardemons are inviting targets and that’s the nature of the beast, especially in the City of Miami where nothing gets done unless you claw your way to get it done. Welcome to the NFL, Gepsie.”

On Wednesday, even though he easily won the election, Keon Hardemon kept up his attacks on Metellus. The Miami Herald reported Hardemon tried to change the county budget by removing $500,000 earmarked for Sant La, Metellus’ non-profit organization which serves the Haitian community. Hardemon’s move failed but he called for an investigation into Sant La.

Does Broward really want this type of Miami-Dade politics infecting our elections? Too late….

HARDEMON CAMPAIGN TEAM WORKED MIRAMAR RACES

City of Miramar election records show Hardemon’s campaign team worked for candidates in the March 2021 election. Commissioner Maxwell Chamber, another Dale Holness ally, paid $1,087.50 to B and B Professional Consultants Inc. He paid $1,000 to Epic Events Entertainment LLC a West Park company owned by Miramar employee Zakiya Kelley, the daughter of Barbara Hardemon.

But the big bucks for Team Hardemon came from Miramar City Commissioner Yvette Colbourne.

In February, Colbourne made a $10,000 payment to The Donner Group. Colbourne made multiple payments totaling $12,510.99 to The Campaign Superstore of Miami. Both companies received similar payments from the Resiliency Coaltion. One of Colburne’s paid volunteers, Lizca Francois of West Park, was also a paid volunteer of the Resiliency Coaltion.

Loyal readers of REDBROWARD will not be surprised to learn Yvette Colburne made three payments totaling $18,268.44 to B and B Professional Consultants Inc.

REDBROWARD previously revealed how an August 2013 investigation by the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission exposed the role Billy and Barbara Hardemon played in City of Miramar politics and Yvette Colbourne’s campaigns. The 2013 complaint alleged Billy Hardemon, then an employee with the Miami-Dade County Department of Public Works and Waste Management (PWWM), spent “substantial amounts of county time, taken without authorized leave, in the City of Miramar, in Broward County…during hours when Hardemon was understood to be working at his Miami-Dade County job.”

What was Billy Hardemon doing in Miramar? According to the complaint, Hardemon attended numerous City of Miramar government meetings as the “de facto chief of staff” for Miramar City Commissioner Yvette Colbourne. (Other employees claimed Hardemon served a similar role with Miramar City Commissioner Alexandra Davis).

In an interview with investigators, Colbourne admitted Billy Hardemon was her “advisor.” She said his role was to advise her and “attend meetings for and with her.” While he assisted with her campaign, Colbourne stated Hardemon was not paid or compensated in anyway.

However, investigators determined Colbourne’s campaign paid $2,000 to B and B Professional Consultants, Inc., a company owned by Barbara Hardemon.

Colbourne told investigators that Billy Hardemon and Barbara Hardemon were members of “Team Colbourne.” As to his employment in Miami-Dade County, Colbourne told investigators, “I felt that was being handled with his superiors.”

The whistleblower claimed Hardemon’s superior, PWWM director Kathleen Woods-Richardson, was fully aware of his violations.

When asked if she was aware of Hardemon working for Yvette Colbourne in Miramar, Woods-Richardson told investigators, “absolutely not!”

Investigators were shocked by Woods-Richardson’s denial. In addition to calling Hardemon a “friend,” Woods-Richardson’s assistant was Yvette Colbourne.

Additionally, the interview with Kathleen Woods-Richardson was held at the Miramar government center. After Colbourne was elected to office, Woods-Richardson was named Miramar City Manager.

While the investigator was not persuaded by the testimony of Colbourne and Woods-Richardson, he could find no evidence that Woods-Richardson “directed” Hardemon to work for Colbourne in order to increase her chances of becoming city manager.

MIRAMAR OFFICIALS PART OF HOLNESS CAMPAIGN TEAM

Now, Yvette Colbourne, Alexandra Davis and Maxwell Chambers are using their clout as Miramar City Commissioners to help get Dale Holness elected to the United States Congress. Holness is seeking the Democratic nomination for the CD 20 seat previously held by Alcee Hastings. Miramar is part of Congressional District 20. This explains Holness appearing alongside the Commission at numerous Miramar City events. Last month, Dale Holness posted photographs of his Miramar group seated at his campaign headquarters in Plantation.

Does Keon Hardemon and the Hardemon family have seats at the Holness table too?

Are the operatives for Hardemon and Colbourne working for the Holness campaign?