Rosie Cordero-Stutz adds $477K to Sheriff’s bid with big boosts from major Donald Trump donors

Republican Rosie Cordero-Stutz’s campaign for Miami-Dade Sheriff enjoyed its best round of fundraising so far between Aug. 16 and Sept. 20: more than $477,000, a huge chunk of which came from a pair of major Donald Trump donors, including one based in Orlando who is buying his own Trump ads.

She collected the funds through her campaign account and political committee, Citizens for a Safer Community.

Her Democratic opponent, James Reyes, raised less than half that sum and now trails her in both total fundraising this cycle and cash on hand by the period’s end.

Cordero-Stutz, Assistant Director of Investigative Services for the Miami-Dade Police Department, received two $100,000 checks. One came from Benjerome Trust, a Las Vegas-based entity linked to a so-called “ghost corporation” called Children of Israel LLC. The company’s principal, private equity executive Saul Fox, has been a big contributor to Trump’s political endeavors.

Trump endorsed Cordero-Stutz in April.

The other $100,000 came from Daniel Newlin, an Orlando lawyer and Trump ally whose website touts “$5 billion recovered” in accident-related litigation. This month, The New York Times reported on how Newlin has spent close to $10 million on campaign ads and donations supporting the former President’s 2024 campaign, plus another $5 million in contributions to state and federal Republican candidates and committees.

Cordero-Stutz received around 70 personal checks in the period, including one for $25,000 from Miami investor Rogelio Tovar. She got $10,000 apiece from Raj Vattikuti, founder and Chair of Michigan IT company Altimetrik Corp.; South Florida auto sales magnate Norman Braman; and Chris and Michael Clementi, respectively the CEO and President of Miami-based AEG Fuels.

Karim Alibhai, founder and principal of Miami real estate and hospitality investment firm Gencom, gave $7,500. Real estate developer Christian Daly gave $6,000. Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, who runs an eponymous investment company, chipped in $1,000.

Cordero-Stutz also got a sizable bump from Republican state Sen. Ileana Garcia, a co-founder of Latinas for Trump and the ex-President’s former Director of Latino Outreach. Garcia gave her $50,000, split evenly from her longtime political committee, No More Socialism, and another one called Getting it Done for Florida that she started after she won re-election in 2022 with 59% of the vote.

Between when she filed to run in mid-October 2023 and Sept. 20, Cordero-Stutz has raised more than $1 million. She had about $472,300 left heading into late September.

She spent close to $87,000 between Aug. 16 and Sept. 20, the last date for which campaign finance information is available on the Miami-Dade Elections website. Much of it covered campaign advertising, text messaging, phone banking, postcards, outreach, campaign staff costs, and bank and fundraising fees.

She paid $18,500 to Coral Coral Gables-based Eclipse Consulting Group LLC, a consulting firm owned and operated by C.J. Giménez and Tania Cruz-Giménez, the son and daughter-in-law of former Miami-Dade Mayor and current U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez, who endorsed Cordero-Stutz in February.

Another $1,000 went to Miami Beach-based Cuban musician Pavel Urquiza. The expenditure was earmarked, “Song for Campaign.”

Reyes, who serves today as Miami-Dade’s Chief of Public Safety overseeing the county’s Police, Fire Rescue and Corrections Departments, raised $173,000 in the period through his campaign account and political committee, Miami-Dade Safe & Secure.

Between when he filed to run in January and Sept. 20, he raised $945,000. He had about $139,000 on hand at the end of the last period.

Reyes accepted more than 40 personal checks. Joseph Badia, President of Doral-headquartered Badia Spices, gave Reyes $10,000. Geno Roefaro, CEO of SaferWatch, a South Florida web- and mobile-based security system company geared largely toward preventing mass shootings, sexual violence and other dangers at schools and workplaces, contributed $8,000. Carlos Migoya, CEO of Miami-Dade’s public Jackson Health System, gave $2,500.

Several police organizations supported Reyes. Political arms of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association and South Florida Police Benevolent Association gave $15,000 each. Another organization that South Florida PBA President Steadman Stahl runs, Dade County PBA PAC, gave $5,000 as well.

Doral construction company Eagle Express Group and a subsidiary of Coconut Grove-based real estate developer Swerdlow Group gave $6,000 and $5,000, respectively.

Reyes also got $20,000 from A Stronger Florida, a political committee chaired by Celeste Camm, director of operations for Ft. Lauderdale lobbying firm Rubin, Turnbull & Associates.

Engaged Florida, a political committee run by Reyes’ Campaign Manager, Christian Ulvert, gave $11,000. Four other entities Ulvert operates kicked $1,000 apiece Reyes’ way too.

Reyes also got $1,000 from the political committees of Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who recruited Reyes from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in 2022 and has since endorsed his Sheriff’s campaign; and former state Rep. David Richardson, a Democrat now running for Miami-Dade Tax Collector. Both use Ulvert’s political services.

Reyes spent about $70,000 last period. Close to $28,000 went to a pair of companies — EDGE Communications and WIN Canvass LLC — that Ulvert owns and operates in exchange for outreach, signage and advertising expenses.

Reyes paid another $11,600 to Plantation-based MDW Communications, run by consultant Michael Worley, for campaign collateral production and digital ads.

Miami Shores-based GW Strategies got $7,500 for fundraising consulting. The company’s principal, Gregory Goddard, gave $1,000 in August to Reyes’ campaign

Reyes also paid $6,000 to Tampa-based Renaissance Consulting for “professional services” and $3,000 to communications specialist Claire VanSusteren’s CVS Comms LLC.

The rest of Reyes’ spending covered outreach, event food and drink, and fundraising expenditures, and a $2,500 ad buy in Doral First Magazine.

Cordero-Stutz defeated 10 Primary opponents to advance to the General Election. Reyes beat three other Democrats to clinch his spot on the Nov. 5 ballot. The two competed in the first of a planned four televised debates this past Sunday. They’re next scheduled debate is on CBS Miami this coming Tuesday.

Miami-Dade voters haven’t elected a Sheriff since 1966, when the county eliminated the position following a grand jury report that revealed rampant corruption within the office. But that changes this year, due to a 2018 statewide referendum requiring that Miami-Dade join Florida’s other 66 counties in having an elected Sheriff by January.

Cordero-Stutz and Reyes also have an ambitious candidate forum schedule too. They participated in a June forum hosted by the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations. Last month, they took part in two others hosted by Miami Realtors and Faith in Leadership.

The candidates then spoke Wednesday at a “Conversation with the Candidates” event the grassroots Black Men Win Together group hosted.

Two other similar discussions are scheduled. One is to happen on Oct. 22, hosted by the Miami Foundation. The Miami-Dade Bar Association then plans to host an afternoon forum Oct. 24 with a to-be-determined moderator.