Al Crespo posted the third installment of his investigation into the corrupt financial dealings of Katherine Fernandez-Rundle.  If you haven’t read it, check out The State Attorney has a History of Secret Money Deals.

According to Crespo, Kathy took $62,611.75 in gifts since 2008, earning her the title of “Queen of Swag.”  He also reminded his readers of a “$50,000.00 high interest loan” she made to a Key Biscayne homeowner in 2007.  He also mentioned the $52,000.00 loan (which I wrote about in Love Letter from KFR) that she made in 2011 to a one time criminal defendant originally charged with felony child abuse, which charges were reduced to simple battery, who she then refused to prosecute.  Kathy charged a staggering 12% interest rate on both loans, which loans are still listed as assets on her Form 6 Financial Disclosure as of December 31, 2014.

And now, he’s uncovered this newest scandal surrounding the “secret slush fund” that Rundle established at the Miami Foundation, which so-called “real” reporters don’t seem to deem newsworthy.

Meanwhile, over in Opa-locka, Commissioner Luis B. Santiago can add “Campaign Finance Fraud” to his list of accomplishments on his resume.

In the case of Florida Elections Commission vs. Luis B. Santiago, a Consent Order was signed on September 10, 2015 (and filed on November 23, 2015) by the Opa-locka Commissioner and his lawyer, Benedict P. Kuehne.

According to the terms of this Order, for the low price of $2,000.00, the Florida Elections Commission agreed to drop the most serious charge of campaign finance fraud against Santiago for his violation of Florida Statute 106.19, which is a criminal misdemeanor of the first degree.

The Consent Order, which states that “All counts alleging violations of Section 106.19(1)(d), Florida Statutes, are hereby dismissed,” in exchange for Santiago’s admission that he violated Sections 106.08(3)(b) (regarding in-kind donations), 106.11(1)(b) (specifying the information to be printed on campaign account checks) and 106.11(4) (prohibiting the bouncing of campaign account checks).

All Santiago had to do was sign on the dotted line.

And have Ben Kuehne hand over this check to the FEC:

Snap!  That was easy!

So for all of us non-lawyer types, what does all this actually mean?  I’ll break it down for you.

According to a Press Release issued by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust:

“The COE investigation into Santiago also stemmed from 2012, when he ran for a seat on the Opa-Locka City Commission. Serving as his own campaign treasurer, Santiago failed to pay vendors in a timely manner, wrote multiple checks on an account with insufficient funds, and then, after winning office, asked a printer to falsify invoices so as to avoid reporting campaign finance violations. The printer refused to do so, and Santiago was forced to open a new account – other than his original campaign account – and made an improper payment to the vendor to settle the unresolved campaign debt. The FEC found Probable Cause to several violations of Section 106 of Florida Statutes (election laws). The Consent Order approved last month required Santiago to pay a $2,000 fine.”

Like Ben Kuehne’s other criminal politician client, North Miami Beach EX-Mayor Myron Rosner, Luis B. Santiago wrote bounceable checks from his campaign finance account and also tried to strong arm a vendor.

Like Myron, he got caught.

Unlike Myron though, Santiago avoided being arrested for grand theft in the third degree.

Obviously, Santiago didn’t think big enough.

And maybe because Santiago wasn’t able to successfully bully the printer into making an “in-kind” donation like Myron did with the bus bench sign company.

Or it could also be that, unlike the obnoxiously arrogant Myron Rosner, Santiago was willing to accept responsibility for at least some of his actions.

For whatever reason, Luis B. Santiago didn’t go to jail and he gets to keep his seat on the Opa-locka Commission.

Still, I wonder if Ben Keuhne ever asks himself, “How did I get here?”

I realize that with all the criminal politicians in South Florida, he’ll never run out of clients to rescue.  But, I don’t know how he sleeps at night knowing full well that the people who pay his bills with their ill-gotten gains will most likely offend again and again.

Then again, I guess that is the point.  As long as these criminals are free to offend again, Ben Kuehne stays in business.

And as long as corruptocrats like Katherine Fernandez-Rundle keep getting elected, there’s nothing we can do about it.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”