Anne Geggis
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony’s bid to get re-elected promises high drama and beaucoup bucks — with the first reports showing cash donations on the level of a congressional race.
Less than a month since announcing his bid, Tony has $628,000 in cash-on-hand, counting both his personal campaign donations and those to the political committee supporting him, Broward First, according to his campaign’s news release.
About $465,000 of it came in during the last quarterly reporting period that ended Sept. 30.
Tony is currently facing three rivals running as Democrats, as well as an independent candidate. They are all vying to lead the largest, fully accredited Sheriff’s Office in the country, with 5,800 employees and an annual operating budget of nearly $1 billion.
Tony ascended to his position in 2019 after Gov. Ron DeSantis ousted the former Broward County Sheriff, Scott Israel, responding to the department’s lackluster response to the state’s worst ever school shooting. It left 17 people dead and 17 others injured. Later reports showed a delay in law enforcement officers entering the building as shots rang out.
Tony has come under a cloud as well since it was revealed that he did not disclose a juvenile arrest for murder and other omissions at the time he was being selected for the Sheriff’s position. He also neglected to mention them when he applied for a job at the Coral Springs Police Department.
The Florida Commission on Ethics found there was probable cause Tony misused his office in the situation, but no settlement has been reached. The case was put on hold with no status update due until Dec. 15. Calls have been issued for the Governor to suspend his appointee from office.
Still, Tony, who won election to the job in 2020, received 202 donations in the last reporting period, with donors spanning from rank-and-file law enforcement individuals to sports stars.
The largest checks the campaign received were two donations each for $50,000. David MacNeil of Fort Lauderdale, who owns a national car accessories business, WeatherTech, sent one of those checks. The other came from Mo Vaughn of Boca Raton, who won Major League Baseball’s MVP Award during his days as the Boston’s “Hit Dog” in the 1990s.
Tony’s political committee also received $25,000 from Lewis Stahl, a Boca Raton businessman who recently served time in federal prison for tax evasion, as well as Hillsboro 56 LLC, based in Deerfield Beach. The committee received $20,000 from Geno Roefaro of Pompano Beach, the CEO of SaferWatch, a panic alert mobile app and $18,000 from American Learning Systems in Plantation.
Sending $10,000 to the PC were Nicholas Sadowsky of Delray Beach, a wealth advisor; Jonathan Chadwick Ingram, a Boca Raton real estate businessman; Robyn Lefcourt of Fort Lauderdale; EYP Real Estate in Davie; Scott Vemer of Parkland; and Suzanne Kalafer of Fort Lauderdale, whose family was connected with a New Jersey used truck dealership.
Well-known names and companies popped up elsewhere on his donor list. JM Family Enterprises, the mammoth Deerfield Beach car dealership, donated $5,000. Brian Flores, a former Dolphins football coach, now working as the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, contributed $250.
Seventy-one donors were identified as “law enforcement” on Tony’s campaign paperwork.
The biggest expense out of the $30,000 paid over the last reporting period was about $11,500 the campaign paid for political consulting services. Of that, $2,500 went to Renaissance Campaign Strategies of New York City. Another $9,000 went to David Delgrange, a Hollywood political consultant.
Also running as Democrats in the Sheriff’s race are Steven Geller, a former member of the Plantation Police Department who retired from being a Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent last month; David Howard, who lasted less than a year as Chief after the launch of the Pembroke Park Police Department; Town Commission members said they wanted to go in a different direction; and Al Pollock, a former colonel with the Broward Sheriff’s Office who also ran against Tony in 2020.
Pollock hasn’t been running for the post long enough to have a report of donations and expenditures due, but finance reports show that the two other Democrats are far behind in the money race.
Geller has raised nearly $30,000 and spent $400 in his bid.
Howard raised nearly $34,000 and spent $6,000.
An independent, Charles Whatley, has filed to run as an independent, repeating a bid he undertook in 2020.
3 comments
Lewis Stahl
October 24, 2023 at 12:19 am
Negative. Either this Fake news or you’ve gone coo coo with your writing. As entrepreneur this math ain’t adding up.
I checked the records through the county’s website. His first fundraiser he made $69k including all the idiotic minions who donated that work there who were too scared to tell him no & to pound sand.
His PAC spent all of its funds the last campaign. He was taking money in small chunks of 10-25k here and there for legal fees. Lewis stahl paid that money what 1st quarter maybe 2nd of this year when he was begging for help.
Now all of the sudden you’re reporting $689K. Lady let me tell you sober up real quick because your credibility is as bad as Toney on the Brady list.
The PAC has been reporting inaccurately. There’s no current/up to date bank accounting documentation. The campaign account has to accurately report and reflect. Not the PAC.
We all know he’s a liar and boost himself up. But this is completely inaccurate. DONT be lazy. Do the math. Follow the money coming in and the money going out from the last campaign and you too will see that it don’t add up. Stevie Wonder saw that from the parking lot lady.
You know when there’s a guy on the Brady list for lying and being investigated with 3 pending cases for lying to everyone. His math is full of lies. Now that’s the only thing that makes sense.
Because of this article I need a cigarette.
Thanks govenor
October 24, 2023 at 12:29 am
So… long standing sheriff Rick Bradshaw in palm beach county (next door north) reaches $100K in quarter #3 of his fundraising….
But this incompetent Brady list guy who murdered his own friend has $689K. This is a comedy skit for Saturday night live. It’s that funny.
Nice try buddy. Keep on lying while I listen to the theme song from the hit show “Good Times”
Because we’re moving on up! 😂😂😂😂 the saying rapper alive. Here’s a new one: best liar alive.
The sad part is you’re actually writing this garbage lie as news.
rick whitaker
October 24, 2023 at 9:39 am
sounds like tony needs to go no matter how much influence money he did or did not receive . police departments don’t need big donations from companies.
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