It’s getting weird out there on the campaign trail, and there’s still a long way to go. The Aug. 20 primary is still a month away.
On his Facebook page, a candidate for a Broward County judgeship, Scott R. Shapiro, falsely boasted that he’s “endorsed by those who know justice best.”
“Honored to receive the endorsement of the County Court,” Shapiro’s Facebook page said. “Their support is a testament to my dedication to justice and fairness.”
What?
To begin with, “the County Court” does not endorse judicial candidates under any circumstances. It’s a lie.
Second, it would be highly unethical for any individual judge to make an endorsement. Broward’s chief circuit judge, Jack Tuter, told me on Friday that he had contacted the Florida Bar about the false endorsement claim.
But with a Florida Bar review certain to drag on far beyond the Aug. 20 election, Tuter said the circuit would send Shapiro a brief and blunt cease-and-desist letter, telling him to knock it off.
“What he’s doing is clearly improper and illegal,” Tuter said. “We’re going to get a letter out to him.”
When I called Shapiro Friday afternoon, he said he had no idea what I was talking about.
“What’s this all about?” he asked. “I didn’t put it up there.”
Shapiro said a California vendor runs his Facebook campaign account and that he had not looked at it lately. (The post was there since Tuesday. No payments to a California vendor appear on his campaign reports.)
Every campaign ad must carry a disclaimer that it’s paid for by the campaign, the point of which is that the candidate approved it and stands behind it. Shapiro said he hadn’t.
Shortly after our brief talk, the “County Court endorsement” was gone, replaced with this: “It appears the company my campaign uses for social media posted that I received an endorsement from the court. This is FALSE. I did not receive such an endorsement and I am fairly certain the court would never make an endorsement. I take full responsibility for not monitoring the page more frequently to avoid a mistake like this. It will not happen again.”
How stupid do some people think voters are?
At least Shapiro took full responsibility. But is this the level of attention to detail we should expect from a judge?
Shapiro, a Tamarac lawyer, is challenging County Judge Kathleen Mary “Katie” McHugh, who’s seeking a third term.
The Sun Sentinel endorsed McHugh in an editorial that revealed a shocking truth: Shapiro said he picked McHugh at random for one reason: She was the first judge assigned to the court’s civil or non-criminal division whose name he saw among judges up for re-election this year.
Now for something completely different.
Gregory Tony is the sheriff of Broward County — and don’t you ever forget it.
The county commissioners who approve his budget recently attended the dedication of the new gymnasium and training center, and some were taken aback by how Tony’s name is plastered all over the building on the floors, the walls, and even in light fixtures overhead (complete with the reference to “Ph.D.” to note his recent doctorate from Nova Southeastern University).
Tony is not the first Broward sheriff to make the agency an extension of his ego.
But all that self-promotion costs money, and the next sheriff will have to remove every bit of it.
The grandiose seven-story training center, originally proposed to cost $34 million, will end up costing more than $70 million, according to a report by the county auditor, the Sun Sentinel has reported.
Steve Bousquet is Opinion Editor of the Sun Sentinel and a columnist in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. Contact him at sbousquet@sunsentinel.com or (850) 567-2240 and follow him on X @stevebousquet.
