Candidate: I Never Authorized Questionable Ad
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Stefanie Moon’s campaign for Broward Circuit Judge is entangled in questions over whether her advertising violated state ethics rules.
Moon was endorsed on a flyer that included endorsements of partisan candidates and other candidates for judge.
Such joint and partisan ads traditionally violate the State Code of Ethics for judicial candidates.
Stefanie Moon
Suddenly realizing she has a serious problem, Moon’s campaign committee is dissembling. They are sprinkling fairy dust everywhere in the hope the controversy will go away.
Moon did not authorize the questionable flyers, the committee states.
But Moon’s campaign funneled money to the person who appears to be behind the questionable flyer — West Palm Beach political player Omar Smith and firms connected to him.
And the flyers continue to be distributed.
The time line is:
- Browardbeat wrote about the flyers.
- And then Moon’s committee issued a statement.
The original Browardbeat post is linked here.
The Moon committee statement after the post is here:
The statement raises more questions than it answers:
- Moon’s campaign committee states that the money was spent in the primary and not on the ethically-challenged flyer being used now.
We would like to know more.
- The campaign committee says, “Funds were expended in the Primary Election for discrete services that were rendered in the Primary Election.” Just what are “discrete services” in a judicial campaign that is supposed to be transparent?
We would like to know more.
- In answer to a question from a reader on Facebook about the meaning of “discrete services,” Moon stated that “discrete services” were “services indicated on the finance report that were rendered at the times indicated.” The finance report states that she paid $10,715 for “mobile list”, “printing,” “telephone outreach” and “mailing services.” Why are those “discrete services?”
We would like to know more.
- Moon’s campaign statement also alleges that she “consulted with the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee regarding this mailer.” What mailer? The one she did “not authorize?” What did the ethics folks in Tallahassee tell her?
We would like to know more.
Moon and her campaign strategist Catherine Minnis did not return calls nor repeated emails to various email addresses.
It is too bad that they didn’t even call back to dissemble.
Because we would like to know a lot more. Voters should want to know a lot more about the questionable flyer, too.
Moon’s opponent is Jason Allen-Rosner.
October 19th, 2018 at 10:25 am
Here are two interesting posts from the Moon campaign page.
1) a photo described as the Moon Campaign Headquarters…the photos show what appears to be campaign literature but one of the cards is the card in question put out by A Better florida for all and another bogus campaign card from Black Judges Matter.
https://www.facebook.com/156275665032996/posts/246743709319524/
2) Aug 15, the day after her last payment to Omar Smith and his companies why did the Moon campaign thank A Better Florida for All for ” selecting me” on fb. The post has since been removed? Why?
Ms. Moon, selecting you to what? Their partisans palm card with a selected slate of Judges? If so is a violation of the Cannons.
October 19th, 2018 at 11:23 am
Interesting that the photo of Murray Robinson, Political Director, has been removed from the http://Www.abetterfloridaforall.com. Murray Robinson was paid by the campaigns of Demmery and Powell. Both “somehow” ended up on Mr. Robinson’s, A Better Florida for All, partisan card which appears to violate the Judicial Cannons like Moon and Curry..
October 19th, 2018 at 12:05 pm
On the website for A Better Florida for All, the group says it is about electing Democrats. I don’t understand how they could endorse Moon who was endorsed by the Christian Family Colaition. I have read elsewhere that if a candidate accepts this endorsement they have to sign a pledge stating they will not accept any endorsements from hate groups such as the KKK and those who have “equality” in their name.
http://cfcflorida.net/2018-august-broward-county-primary-elections-voter-guide/
October 19th, 2018 at 12:46 pm
That statement is incoherent which is the problem with elected judges. Any buffoon with the right name, a pretty face and a personality can get elected. Moon obviously never got an “A” in legal writing.
October 19th, 2018 at 5:13 pm
Was almost willing to give the benefit of the doubt until her letter to voters identified The Broward Teachers Union as a Non-Partisan Organization. Nothing could be further from the truth. First Deal-breaker. Aside from that, “discrete services” is a huge red flag. In a political climate as sneaky and dishonest as Broward, it’s clear that there were no viable options to explain the indefensible.
October 19th, 2018 at 9:37 pm
Oh my she’ll be a wonderful judge. Just lovely
October 19th, 2018 at 10:38 pm
Thank You Browardbeat.com and Buddy Nevins –
If so ignorant of the Canons for attorneys in Florida do we want to reward them with a seat on a judicial bench in Broward County?
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-broward-judicial-candidates-partisan-claim-20181019-story.html#nt=oft12aH-1li3
“…The endorsements raised eyebrows when they were publicized on a local political blog, BrowardBeat….”
October 21st, 2018 at 7:00 pm
There is a facebook ad sponsored by a PAC called Florida Alliance that is a graphic that says
COUNTY COURT GROUP 9 PREFERRED SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
A photo of Tanner Demmery with an arrow pointing at photos of Ginsburg and the other 3 liberal justices.
Below that
A photo of Corey Cawthon with an arrow pointing towards a photo of Cavanagh and the other conservative justices.
The Florida Alliance PAC has two distributions total this year,both to The Whitson Group. The Whitson Group has been paid $10,000 by the Tanner Demmry campaign this year.
Tanner is this just another misunderstanding like your campaign paying Murray Robinson Political Director For A Better Florida For All for “signs” and somehow ending up on all their palm cards?
October 22nd, 2018 at 8:41 am
Let’s get serious.
After hearing the facts in a case, I have never heard of a Judge asking a defendant about their political affiliation before passing judgement. Have any of you.
PS. To all of you.
Your comments are as worthy as your Pseudo names.
FROM BUDDY:
Partisan campaigning in a judicial race is against the state’s ethical code for candidates for judge. The violators can get thrown off the bench if they win using such a campaign.
October 23rd, 2018 at 2:27 pm
As much as I wanted to vote for Moon’s opponent, I could not get over his fake name. Changing his name to Jason Allen-Rosner to get on the top of the ballot is blatant cheating. It is his middle name- how dumb does that look. As a woman with a hyphenated last name I find it insulting. My name is hyphenated because I spent a long earning my reputation under my maiden name and I had to balance that with wanting my children to share my name. What Jason did is cheating, and cheaters shouldn’t win.
October 24th, 2018 at 2:48 pm
#9
Buddy,
And all this ranting and raving is all about believing that the Candidates do not care about the State’s Ethical Code.!!
COME ON NOW