Miami Herald reporter Melissa Sanchez is on the case.  On the front page of today’s local section, her article, Former North Miami Beach mayor investigated over cost of bus bench ads, tells the sordid tale of corruption and fraud perpetrated by none other than our very own EX-mayor Myron Rosner.

A year and a half ago when Myron was running for re-election, I discovered that Myron under reported the cost of his thirty campaign bus bench ads which I had estimated to be worth nearly $21,000.00 for the three month period beginning February 1, 2011 through April 30, 2011.  My calculations were based on the retail rate that was posted on Martin Outdoor Media, Inc.’s website.  His Campaign Treasurers Report listed only a $500.00 in kind donation from Martin Outdoor Media.  I knew something was very, very wrong.

On April 11, 2011 I filed a complaint with the Florida Elections Commission.  On April 12, 2011, I published Priceless!  Two hours after posting that blog, the bus bench ads started coming down!  By April 15, 2011 all of them were down.

When queried why he removed his advertising so abruptly, Myron told a reporter that his contract expired.  That excuse was so bogus!  Why would he enter into a campaign advertising contract that would terminate two weeks BEFORE election day –  the most crucial time during any political campaign?  Duh!  He wouldn’t!  But, he would lie about it.  That’s so Myron!  The truth is that he got caught with his proverbial pants down and tried to cover his ass.

Didn’t work.

Myron then tried to claim that he had written a check to Martin Outdoor Media in January but that it hadn’t been cashed yet.  According to his Amended Campaign Treasurers Report dated March 31, 2011, he stated that he wrote a check for $4,500.00 on January 25, 2011, and THEN gave his campaign a loan to cover that check on April 13, 2011 – THE DAY AFTER I BUSTED HIM!

On top of that, even IF he paid only $5,000.00 for the advertising (the $500.00 in kind donation plus the $4,500.00 check), that was barely enough to cover ONE FOURTH of what the total bus bench advertising was worth.  Something was still rotten in Denmark.

Further digging led me to the fact that Martin Outdoor Media, Inc. was a vendor of the City of North Miami Beach.  The plot thickened.  It was (and still is) my opinion that Myron somehow bullied a city vendor into giving him over $20,000.00 worth of advertising at a very, very, very steep discount.  Talk about stretching the boundaries of ethical governance!  Then again, ethics has never been one of Myron’s strong points.

After Myron filed his amended report, I contacted the Florida Elections Commission to explain this new development.  In addition to the under reporting of this expense, Myron also allegedly violated campaign laws by writing a check without having sufficient funds to cover the amount.  Instead of amending my original complaint, I was advised by the Commission to file a new complaint, adding this new violation, and attaching the original complaint as an exhibit.  I did just that on April 20, 2011.

Last week I was contacted by an investigator at the Florida Elections Commission to advise me that the case was still pending.

Imagine my surprise to also receive calls last week from several reporters letting me know that Myron was most likely going to be arrested this past Friday.  I’m told the arrest was forestalled because Myron’s newest high powered lawyer (and probably his most expensive so far) managed to cajole the authorities into holding off for the time being.

It seems that the State Attorney’s Office had picked up this case and had been investigating it under the radar for quite some time.  I never even filed a complaint with that office.  I also never  filed a complaint about this matter with the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.  I knew that would have been a waste of time.

Lawyer Ben Kuehne (who also represents North Miami corruptocrat mayor Andre Pierre in his various and sundry cases) told the Miami Herald reporter that Myron has been “fending off” various complaints about this CAMPAIGN FINANCE FRAUD CASE, and that Myron “favorably resolved the matter with the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics” and that “the complaints have been shopped to other agencies…”

THOSE ARE ALL BOLD FACED LIES!

Then again, criminal attorneys like Ben Kuehne are probably used to “fending off” the truth on behalf of their criminal clients.  I’m just saying.

The TRUTH is that I filed one complaint, which was followed by a second updated complaint, then I sat back and let the chips fall where they may.

Somehow the chips fell right into the lap of the State Attorney.

Hopefully, the State Attorney won’t drop the ball.

Hopefully, the State Attorney won’t be intimidated by the fact that Myron’s wife, SARAH ZABEL, is a Miami-Dade County CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE.

Hopefully, the State Attorney won’t be dazzled by the lawyer bullshit sure to be spewed by Ben Keuhne, Attorney to the (Corrupt Public Official) Stars.

Hopefully, Myron will FINALLY be brought to justice.

Preferably in handcuffs.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”