I have been trying to stay out of the sand but, the same old names keep popping up with sand in their mouths. Ol’ Peter Traceit is back and what a great time to be drag netting through the sands! In the game of Politricks you are always bound to come up with some DIRT (Discredit Information Revealed Tactically). This could refer to a strategy where damaging information about a political opponent is strategically disclosed to discredit them.
Well, from the sand traps it looks like Yoram Izhak, the controversial North Miami real estate mogul once accused of laundering money for the so-called “Cuban Mafia,” is back in the spotlight and throwing cash around Broward County politics. Though Izhak’s rap sheet includes a guilty plea for tax evasion and a dropped racketeering case, it seems his wallet still carries plenty of weight when it comes to funding local political players. The streets say he’s funding the Broward Vision PAC, a committee linked to Tamarac Commissioner Marlon Bolton, and making significant donations to several Lauderhill Commission candidates, including mayoral hopeful Denise Grant.
Grant, along with fellow candidates John Hodgson and Richard Campbell, has racked up multiple contributions from various corporate entities owned by Izhak, raising eyebrows—and a few questions. The trio even appears on so-called “voter guides” that have a whiff of déjà vu, considering the same type of guides previously drew criticism for being deceptive.
But Izhak’s generosity doesn’t stop at campaign contributions. His companies have pumped $30,000 into the PAC chaired by one of Bolton’s allies, all while Bolton continues to dance with the devil in the red dress. Ol’ Peter Traceit remembers Izhak’s previous brushes with scandal, including a scrapped deal with Miami-Dade County and a scuttled police substation project in Fort Myers. But Bolton, Grant, and other candidates don’t seem too bothered by his past; they’re welcoming his support with open arms—or maybe just with open coffers for campaign contributions.
With all these political donations, voters may be wondering: What’s Izhak really hoping to get for his money? Could the City of Lauderhill be for sale or the Tamarac Commission for rent? And will the candidates feel any pressure to distance themselves from the tainted real estate investor? We’ll have to wait and see if they can weather the political season, but voters will have the final say come November 5th. Stay tuned!
Don’t be surprised if the Street Detective doesn’t find he/she/him/her/them/they in your sandbox.
