FLORIDA. >> GOOD MORNING, GLAD YOU COULD JOIN US, I’M MICHAEL PUTNEY.
>> I’M GLENNA MILBERG, WE BEGIN
WITH THE POWER OF THE VOTE AND A
CHALLENGE TO IT AS WE COME ON
THE AIR THIS MORNING, SOME
RESIDENTS HAVE NO REPRESENTATION
IN THEIR CITY, ALMOST A MONTH
AFTER AN ELECTION DAY.
>> THAT CITY IS FORT LAUDERDALE
AND THE PROBLEM INVOLVES A WAR
POLITICAL AND LEGAL BETWEEN THE
CITY COMMISSION CANDIDATE
ELECTED BY THE VOTERS AND
OPPOSITION TO SEATING HIM BY THE
MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER.
AT THE HEART OF THE DISPUTE IS A
QUESTION OF WHETHER WINNING
CANDIDATE JOHN HEARST MET THE
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS LAID OUT
IN THE FORT LAUDERDALE CITY
CHARTER.
HE SAYS HE DID.
>> A SIMPLE QUESTION THAT HAS
BLOWN UP INTO POLITICAL DRAMA.
LOCAL 10 STARTS US OFF, TRENT.
>> GLENNA, THIS POLITICAL DRAMA
SEEMED TO BLOW UP EVEN MORE LAST
WEEK WHEN MAYOR DEAN WROTE A
LETTER TO THE STATE ATTORNEY
GENERAL ASKING HER TO WEIGH IN,
THIS HAS LEFT HER CONSTITUENTS
WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATION,
SOMETHING THAT WILL CONTINUE AS
THIS POLITICAL DRAMA CONTINUES
TO PLAY OUT.
>> MY DISTRICT IS WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION RIGHT NOW.
AND THIS IS NOTHING LESS THAN AN
ATTEMPT TO STEAL THE ELECTION.
>> WILL HE OR WON’T HE SWARY IN
THIS WEEK?
VOTERS ELECTED JOHN TO THE FORT
LAUDERDALE COMMISSION LAST MONTH
BEGINNING THE KEEPING HIM FROM
TAKING OFFICE, THE MAYOR SAYS HE
DOESN’T MEET RESIDENCY
REQUIREMENTS, HE SAS EVIDENCE HE
DOES, BUT THE QUESTION IS
COMPLICATED BY CONTEXT AND
HISTORY.
LAST FEBRUARY THE MAYOR LED THE
TERMINATION OF ERBST GO CITY
AUDITOR.
HE WAS INVESTIGATE HING
POTENTIAL WASTE AND WRONGDOING
IN CITY GOVERNMENT, THEN IN LAST
MONTH’S COMMISSION ELECTION THE
MAYOR BACKED ONE OF HIS
OPPONENTS.
NOW ONE OF THOSE CANDIDATES
ALLEGE THE MAYOR’S OFFICE IS
WORKING AGAINST ERBST’S SWEARING
IN.
>> YOU HAVE BEEN PLAYED BY A LOT
OF PEOPLE.
>> THAT VOICE MAIL AND SIMILAR
TEXTS ARE SAID TO BE FROM THE
MAYOR’S CHIEF OF STAFF TO A
CANDIDATE WHO FIRST CHALLENGED
ERBST WIN BUT THEN WITHDREW.
>> WHY IS THE MAYOR’S OFFICE
INTERSECT-- JECTING THEMSELVE IN
CHRIS WILLIAM CHALLENGE AND HIS
DECISION TO WITHDRAW?
>> AND THE CITY SPOKESPERSON
TELLING LOCAL TEN NEWS THAT
WHILE WILLIAMS DID WITHDRAW HIS
AFFIDAVIT THEY’RE NOT AWARE OF
ANY CHANGE IN STALT US TO THE
OTHER CHALLENGE THAT WAS
PRESENTED BY THAT OTHER
CANDIDATE.
>> REPORTING FOR THIS WEEK IN
SOUTH FOR DA FROM PEM BROKE PARK
I’M TRENT KELLY, LOCAL TEN NEWS.
>> ON TUESDAY THE MAYOR AND
COMMISSION ARE SCHEDULED TO
DECIDE WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP
THEY’RE GOING TO MAKE.
>> AND MAYOR DEAN IS HERE WITH
US LIVE TO GET INTO ALL OF THAT.
MAYOR, GREAT TO YOU HAVE.
>> MR. MAYOR.
>> GOOD MORNING, GLENNA.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT, SO ALLOW ME TO GET
RIGHT TO THE CHASE.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU AS A MAYOR
HAVE YOUR THUMB ON THE SCALE OF
THIS ELECTION WHICH YOU ARE FREE
TO DO, IF YOU LIKE.
BUT JOHN WAS ELECTED BY THE
VOTERS, DOES SEEM TO HAVE ALL
THE DOCUMENTATION HE NEEDS, WHAT
IS THE ISSUE HERE?
>> WELL, A LOT OF WHAT YOU SAID
IN YOUR PROMO IS NOT ACCURATE.
SO LET’S JUST BACK STEP.
>> TELL US.
>> ON NOAFER 8th, THE
ELECTION FOR THIS DISTRICT 1
CITY COMMISSION OF FORT
LAUDERDALE, HE WON BY ALMOST 40%
IN A FIELD OF FOUR CANDIDATES
WHO RAN FOR THAT OFFICE.
THE DAY AFTER THAT ELECTION, I
RAN INTO HIM HERE IN CITY HALL.
AND I CONGRATULATED HIM, I SHOOK
HIS HAND AND I SAID JOHN, I’M
LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
YOU.
WE MAY NOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING
BUT WE CERTAINLY AGREE THAT
WE’RE BOTH INTERESTED IN DOING
WHAT IS RIGHT NOR THE CITY.
DAY OR TWO LATER, ONE OF
THE-- TWO OF THE OTHER CAP
DATES, MR. KECEL AND WILLIAMS
BOTH FILE AND AFFIDAVIT
CONTESTED MR. ERBS ELIGIBILITY
TO RUN FOR THAT OFFICE BECAUSE
OF CERTAIN ALLEGATIONS THEY MADE
IN THEIR AFFIDAVIT.
MR. WILLIAMS SUBSEQUENTLY
WITHDREW HIS AFFIDAVIT.
HE WAS THREATERNED BY SOME
PEOPLE AND HE JUST DIDN’T WANT
TO BE INVOLVED ANY MORE.
SO MR. KEYCHEL APPARENTLY KEPT
HIS AFFIDAVIT IN, AND THAT IS
THE WAY THE CHARTER READS, IT
READS IF YOU CONTEST AN ELECTION
DUE TO ELIGIBILITY YOU SUBMIT AN
AFFIDAVIT INDICATING WHAT THOSE
CLAIMS ARE.
>> MAYOR, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING
TO DO WITH THOSE CHALLENGES?
BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THE TEXTS
THAT WERE IN TRENT KELLY’S
REPORT RIGHT THERE, WE ACTUALLY
PRINTED OUT HERE, IT LOOKS LIKE
THE TEXTS WERE COMING FROM YOUR
OFFICE, YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH
THOSE CHALLENGES?
>> I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
CHALKINGS?
IT’S TOTALLY UP TO THE
CANDIDATES.
AND I INDICATED THAT WE
WILL-- WE NEED TO DEFINE WHAT IS
ELIGIBILITY.
THE CHARTER OF FORT LAUDERDALE
SAYS THAT YOU MUST MAINTAIN YOUR
RESIDENCE IN ORDER TO BE
ELIGIBLE TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
NOW THAT IS.
>> MR. MAYOR, I BEG YOUR PARDON,
LET ME JUMP IN HERE, I’M NO
EXPERT ON FORT LAUDERDALE CITY
CHARTER BUT IT ESSENTIALLY SAYS
YOU HAVE TO HAVE LIVED WITHIN
THE CITY FOR SIX MONTHS TO
QUALIFY FOR OFFICE T IS REALLY A
LITTLE BIT VAGUE AND THE
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS HAS
CERTIFIED THAT MR. HERBS, AND HE
SHOWED A LEASE THAT HE SIGNED IN
APRIL, WHICH WOULD INDICATE THAT
INDEED HE HAS BEEN A RESIDENT OF
THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE FOR
AT LEAST SIX MONTHS.
>> SO THOSE STATEMENTSES ARE
TRUE.
BUT IT GOES BEYOND THOSE
STATEMENTS.
MICHAEL, THE REALITY IS THAT IF
WE JUST ALLOWED ANYBODY TO WALK
IN TO THE CITY, GET AN
APARTMENT, EVEN THOUGH THEY LIVE
SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT IS JUST BEGS
FOR VOTER FRAUD AND CANDIDATE
ELECTION FRAUD.
>> OKAY.
SO LET ME JUST.
>> LET ME-- LET ME JUST FINISH.
>> MAYOR, THIS IS A MAN WHO
WORKED FOR THE CITY AS AN
AUDITOR FOR 16 YEARS WHO WAS
SUMMARILY FIRED BY YOU, AND
OTHERS.
FOR ESSENTIALLY DOING HIS JOB,
JUST INVESTIGATIONS YOU DIDN’T
KNOW ABOUT.
AND WAS RETIRING NORTH.
AND DECIDED TO RUN FOR
COMMISSION AND RENTED AN
APARTMENT AND NOW LIVES IN THE
CITY.
AND THERE IS PROCESS AND DETAIL
BUT ESSENTIALLY HE DID PROVIDE
DOCUMENTATION.
SO HE IS NOT REALLY AS, I’M SURE
YOU WILL AGREE, ANYONE OFF THE
STREET JUST COMING TO RUN FOR
COMMISSION.
>> NO, I DIDN’T SAY OFF THE
STREETS.
WHAT I-- IF I CAN BE ALLOWED TO
CONCLUDE, THE REALITY IS THAT
WHEN HE TERMINATED HIS
EMPLOYMENT HERE WITH THE CITY,
HE EVEN STATED RIGHT AFTER THE
MEETING THAT HE HAD PLANNED TO
RETIRE AND MOVE TO ANOTHER
COUNTY.
WHICH HE DID, BY THE WAY, WITHIN
THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
HE SOLD HIS HOUT IN FORT
LAUDERDALE.
HE MOVED TO HIGHLAND’S COUNTY
AND HE REGISTERED THAT HOUSE AS
HIS HOMESTEAD WHICH HE CURRENTLY
MAINTAINS AS HIS HOMESTEAD.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WHEN YOU
HAVE A HOME STED, IS THAT YOUR
PRIMARY RESIDENCE OR IS THAT NOT
YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
SO LOOK.
>> THE CITY COMMISSION ASK GOING
TO MAKE THAT DECISION ON
TUESDAY, THERE ARE A LOT OF
COMPETING FACTORS.
HE HAS HIS VOTER REGISTRATION
HERE.
HIS DRIVER’S LICENSE HERE, ALL
PASSED THE SIX MONTH PERIOD
WHICH MAKES IT MORE ELIGIBLE TO
BE A CANDIDATE.
SO THESE ARE VARIABLES.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE LAWS ARE NOT
SO.
WE ARE GOING TO DO OTHER BEST.
THE COMMUNITY IS DEMANDING THAT
WE DO THE BEST AND WE’RE GOING
TO MOVE ON AND THE CITY OF FORT
LAUDERDALE WILL CONTINUE TO
THRIVE AS IT HAS FOR MANY, MANY
YEARS.
>> MAYOR, IT SEEMS TO ME, I READ
A LETTER BY YOUR CITY ATTORNEY
ALLEN-- THAT SEEMED TO SAY A LOT
OF THESE QUESTIONS ARE REALLY
MOOT AND THAT MR. HERBST SHOULD
BE SWORN IN ON TUESDAY.
THAT SHIS LEGAL OPINION, IS IT
NOT?
>> I’M NOT SURE WHICH EMAIL YOU
READ BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN HIS
OPINION UP TO NOW.
YOU AND I MUST BE READING
DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
RIGHT NOW-- WHAT ABOUT THE
OPINION YOU ASKED FROM THE STATE
TORN GENERAL WITHOUT-- DID YOU
AN END RUN AROUND YOUR OWN CITY
ATTORNEY, WHY DID YOU ASK ITS
STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR AN
OPINION?
>> BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT
MR.-- SHOULD NOT ALONE BE
BURDENED FOR THE INTERPRETATION
WHAT A CLAUSE SAYS IN OUR
CHARTER.
I WANTED TO HEAR FROM OUR
ATTORNEY GENERAL WHAT GOES ON IN
OTHER CITIES, OTHER COUNTIES,
THROUGHOUT THE STATE,, IN
INTERPRETING WHAT RESIDENCY
MEANS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY FAIR
QUESTION TO ASK.
AND I THOUGHT THAT IT IS AN
ISSUE THAT IMMEDIATES TO BE
RESOLVED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND I REALLY BELIEVED THAT I
DIDN’T WANT TO INVOLVE HIM
BECAUSE HE IS GIVEN HIS
OPINIONS.
AND I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO COR
ROB RATE WHATEVER HE SAID WITH
THE AUTHORITY COMING FROM THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE.
I THINK THAT’S ONLY FAIR FOR
EVERYBODY, DON’T YOU?
>> AND HAVE YOU HEARD FROM
MADAME ATTORNEY GENERAL, HAVE
YOU GOTTEN A RESPONSE.
>> WE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK AND I
SUSPECT WE WON’T HEAR BACK BY
TUESDAY ANYWAY.
BUT GOING FORWARD, WYATT LEAST
LIKE TO HEAR WHAT HER INTERNTION
IS FOR FUTURE RUNS, TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE HAVE AN ELECTION
INTEGRITY HERE IN BROWARD
COUNTY, HERE IN FORT LAUDERDALE.
I THINK EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR
THAT.
>> YEAH, MR. MAYOR, I DON’T KNOW
THE ENTIRE HISTORY AND I DON’T
KNOW THAT IT IS ALL THAT
IMPORTANT.
THE FACT OF THE MAT CERTIFICATE
THAT MR. HERBST FOR 16 YEARS
SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A VERY FINE
CITY AUDITEDDER.
BUT THEN HE STARTED
INVESTIGATING YOUR THEN POLICE
CHIEF BECAUSE THE POLICE CHIEF
HAD A SIDE JOB AS A NCAA REV
ERIE, APPARENTLY WAS VERY GOOD
AT IT AND WAS A SECOND JOB AND
UNDER HIS CONTRACT HE WASN’T
ALLOWED THE JOB AND YOU REALLY
POED AT HERBST BECAUSE HE DID
THE INVESTIGATION ON HIS OWN
WITHOUT ASKING YOUR PERMISSION S
THAT RIGHT?
>> SOME OF THAT IS CORRECT.
FIRST OF ALL, YES, HE HAS BEEN
OUR CITY AUDITOR IN THE CITY FOR
A NUMBER OF YEARS.
HAVE I NOT ALWAYS AGREED WITH
HIS POINT OF VIEW.
IN FACT, A NUMBER OF MAJOR
TOPICS AND ISSUES THAT HAVE COME
BEFORE THIS COMMISSION, I COULD
NOT AGREE WITH HIS APPROACH.
AND SO IT’S NOT TO SAY THAT, YOU
KNOW, HIS TENURE WITH THE CITY
WAS IN KEEPING WITH MY
PHILOSOPHY ON WHAT IS IN THE
BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY.
BUT I DON’T WANT TO REHASH THAT.
AND IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, WHEN
HE REVEALED HE WAS DOING A
SECRET INVESTIGATION AGAINST OUR
POLICE CHIEF, THE REALITY IS HE
WENT ON TO REFER TO THE FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND THEY JUST PUSHED IT BACK AND
SAID THEY’RE NOT INTERESTED.
BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WAS
INSIGNIFICANT AND UNIMPORTANT.
SO THERE IS LITTLE DETAILS HERE.
THE POINT IS, WE’RE GOING TO
COME TO A CONCLUSION ON TUESDAY.
WHATEVER IS IN THE BEST INTEREST
OF THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE
IS WHAT WE ARE ALL GOING TO
AGREE UPON AND CONTINUE TO MOVE
THE CITY FORWARD.
SO REHASHING HISTORY OF 16, 17
YEARS IS NOT GOING TO GET US
THERE.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL
HAPPEN ON TUESDAY.
>> WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE
SOMETHING HAPPENS.
>> SO HOW IS THIS GOING TO BE
RESOLVED ON TUESDAY, DO YOU
THINK?
>> WELL, IT ALL DEPENDS WHAT
EVIDENCE IS PROVIDED.
YOU KNOW, THE EVIDENCE IS GOING
TO SHOW THAT HE MAINTAINS HIS
HOMESTEAD IN HIGHLANDS.
EVEN TO THIS DAY.
THE EVIDENCE IS GOING TO SHOW
THAT HE HAS HIS DRIVER’S LICENSE
AND VOTER REGISTRATION THAT HE
SECURED AT LEAST SIX MONTHS
PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY.
SO SOME INTENT TO SHOW THAT HIS
RESIDENCY MAY ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN
REVERTED BACK TO FORT LAUDER
DAIL.
EVEN THOUGH HE STILL MAINTAINS
HIS LOCAL HEM STED IN HIGHLANDS
SO THAT BAS KIND OF WHAT I WAS
HOPING TO HEAR FROM THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL, CAN YOU CLAIM A
RESIDENCE, A PRIMARY RESIDENCE
IN ONE LOCATION AND YET STILL
HAVE A HOME STED REGISTRATION IN
ANOTHER LOCATION.
I THINK THAT’S A FAIR QUESTION
TO ASK AND I THINK WE ALL NEED
TO KNOW THE ANSWER.
>> YOU KNOW MAYOR, A LOT OF
PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF FORT
LAUDERDALE ARE GOING TO BE
WATCHING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN THE VOTER ELECTS SOMEONE
WITH THESE KIND OF ISSUES THAT
YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.