Jesse Scheckner posted: "In the aftermath of a 2022 midterm walloping that saw Republicans gain major ground in Miami-Dade County for the first time in decades, a group of Democrats are calling for an audit of the organization's finances and the resignation of the local party Cha" Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.
In the aftermath of a 2022 midterm walloping that saw Republicans gain major ground in Miami-Dade County for the first time in decades, a group of Democrats are calling for an audit of the organization's finances and the resignation of the local party Chair, Robert Dempster, accusing him of mismanagement and potentially criminal campaign finance practices.
Ten current and former high-ranking members of the party penned a letter to Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz complaining about Dempster, who has led the Miami-Dade arm of the party since August 2021.
Under his control, they wrote, experienced members of the Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) have been "shut out" of important decisions while the party has "not won a single race."
The group also highlighted several instances of questionable financial activity by the party that could qualify as felony offenses, including one still unaddressed from the 2021 election.
They demanded a "full and independent audit" of the group, the first since 2019, by Jan. 20, when the Florida Democratic Party is to meet and choose its leadership for the 2024 election cycle.
Dempster, a former North Miami Beach candidate for Mayor who has served in several volunteer roles with the DEC over the years, maintained that an audit is already underway. He said the organization is working to correct any bookkeeping errors.
"There has been no wrongdoing on the part of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party and the signatories of this letter (10 of 257 members) are well aware of that," he told Florida Politics by text.
The letter's authors disagree. At the very least, Dempster provided "less-than-optimal leadership" during the last election cycle, according to former state Rep. Robert Asencio, who mounted an unsuccessful bid to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez last year.
"When I launched my campaign for Congress, I felt a lack of candidate support, a lack of interest in getting involved and helping those of us seeking partisan seats," he said.
"(Miami-Dade is) the most expensive market with the most complexities, and candidates are putting their lives on hold, spending their own money and asking others for donations to run their campaigns. The fact we don't have an Executive Committee that's functioning optimally is just unacceptable."
It also has the party more disadvantaged than it's been in 20 years, said Ricky Junquera, who served as acting DEC Chair during the 2018 election, when the party picked up seats in Congress, Tallahassee and at the county level with candidates like Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Donna Shalala, Javier Fernandez and Eileen Higgins.
He named several races anticipated as shoo-ins for Miami-Dade Democrats that instead went to GOP challengers. There was A.J. D'Amico'sfailed run at former Democratic Rep. Nick Duran's seat and Jordan Leonard's upset loss to Republican former reality TV star Fabían Basabe, whose limited outside funding and history of racist and misogynistic behavior had many considering him a longshot.
Then there was the race against Ileana Garcia, considered in the leadup to the election as the most vulnerable Republican in the Senate. Former state Rep. Michael Grieco ended his campaign against her early amid complaints of finance woes and inadequate party support, leaving an underfunded, late replacement with little runway to compete.
These are seats that, in a traditional General Election with the apparatus humming on all sides, we don't lose," Junquera said.
Robert Dempster has led the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee, the governing body of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, since August 2021. Image via Miami-Dade Democratic Party.
The letter listed three examples of alleged campaign fundraising impropriety by the Miami-Dade Democratic Party under Dempster's chairmanship. The first includes more than $61,000 in contributions and $107,000 in expenditures in the party's fourth-quarter campaign report from 2021 still listed as needing "to be amended."
In another alleged violation, the DEC listed no expenses in the second quarter of 2022, an omission that "appears to be … a clear violation of campaign reporting standards" under Florida law, which says incorrectly, falsely or incompletely certifying campaign finance reports is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
A third alleged violation stems from a contribution to Quinn Smith, who placed second Nov. 2, 2021, in a race for the Miami City Commission. The DEC reported a donation of $2,275 to Smith on Jan. 28, 2022, nearly three months after the election was over.
"There are legal concerns regarding this contribution … given there is no reason to make this contribution two months after the election unless it was already earmarked for Quinn Smith which is illegal under Florida Statutes," the letter said.
Verlance Echoles, President of the Miami-Dade Democratic Black Caucus, said she and other concerned DEC members have asked about the DEC's financial discrepancies and repeatedly called for a review of its records to no avail.
"He (Dempster) won't answer our questions,' she said. "There's always an excuse, and he goes on to another question."
Echoles also claims Dempster, who is Black, "hasn't been engaging with the African American community."
Other signatories to the letter included Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus Chair Eleazar Melenedez, Miami Gardens Democratic Club Chair Edith Owens , former DEC Chair Juan Cuba and Cindy Lerner, a former state Representative, Pinecrest Mayor and DEC State Committeewoman Cindy Lerner.
When Florida Politics reached out to Dempster for comment about the letter and accusations against him, he responded quickly by text, offering two statements with the caveat that either or both could be used "only in their entirety."
"I, along with the 246 other members of the Party, remain focused on doing the hard work of registering Democrats, re-enrolling Democrats in Vote by Mail as the (Gov. Ron) DeSantis administration has thrown every single Florida voter off the rolls, and helping elect Democrats," he wrote before comparing the letter's authors to the group of GOP lawmakers who for days have held up the naming of a new Speaker of the U.S. House.
"I continue to urge these 10 members to join the rest of us and become part of the solution, as opposed to a cheap Freedom Caucus knockoff," he wrote.
That response, Junquera said, is further proof the Miami-Dade Democratic Party is rudderless on Dempster's watch.
"I didn't think he was going to go this route publicly, but he doesn't have anyone in his leadership team who guides him, who has experience running a political apparatus or being an elected official," he said. "When he gives a response like that, it just adds fuel to the fire."
Florida Politics contacted Diaz for comment but received none by press time. A former Mayor of Miami, he too has faced calls to resign after Democrats' dejecting performance in November.
The Democratic Executive Committee, the governing body of the Florida Democratic Party, agreed this week to pay a $43,000 settlement with the Federal Election Commission over accusations that the party failed to properly report its debts and accepted over-the-limit donations.
Peter Schorsch posted: "Shelly, a division of Allterco Robotics, is unveiling eight new smart home automation devices at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Among the devices are a smoke alarm, an energy meter and a Bluetooth device to control all other smart" Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.
Shelly, a division of Allterco Robotics, is unveiling eight new smart home automation devices at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Among the devices are a smoke alarm, an energy meter and a Bluetooth device to control all other smart devices in the home.
"At Shelly, we believe that the most advanced smart home automation technology should be available and affordable for all, making it easy to customize and automate a home or business — and save energy in the process," said Svetlin Todorov, CEO of Allterco Robotics U.S., the company which makes Shelly products.
CES 2023 is running from Jan. 5-8 in Vegas and aims to showcase the most cutting edge tech now, and soon to be, available.
The Shelly Plus Smoke alarm can send a notification to a user's smartphone if smoke is detected smoke. "Thanks to embedded webhooks, Shelly Plus Smoke can execute pre-set smart scenes such as an 'Emergency Scene' that automatically opens the blinds, starts the home ventilation system, and cuts power to appliances," according to a release from the company.
Shelly Pro 3EM is "a Wi-Fi-operated, DIN-mountable three-phase energy meter with Bluetooth and LAN connectivity and measurement accuracy to 1%" The device "allows users to monitor the consumption of any home appliance, electric circuit, or piece of equipment individually, with 60 days of on-device historical data."
The Shelly Blu Button1 is the first offering in Shelly's upcoming line of Bluetooth-operated devices. It can communicate with other Shelly devices and control them without the need for Wi-Fi.
The company is also releasing three versions of the Shelly Plus Plugs (S, UK and IT). The Wi-Fi smart plugs have "Bluetooth connectivity and adjustable multicolor LED indication." While designed for consumers overseas in Europe, the UK and Italy, the plugs "are enhanced with scripting functionalities, allowing customers to add customized features and extend device capabilities."
Shelly also demonstrated their Android Wall Panel and Bluetooth Door/Window Sensor. Those products will be available later in the year.
"My whole world is about creating things," writes Erica Domesek. And she was looking forward to sharing that with her child, too: "Diving into the worlds of arts and crafts with my child was something I had fantasized about since day one. Watercolor, painting, baking — you name it, I was ready to do it all with him."
But that's not how it played out: "Instead, his energy and activity level continued to increase, as did my frustration. When I wanted to make or build something together, he only wanted to tear it down." Ultimately, though, she changed her perspective. Read it and find out how.
Did you make any resolutions this year? That's the theme of today's roundup from the Scary Mommy Confessional. Maybe you've got one about family, like this reader: "Reestablish boundaries: my sister and co can f*ck off." Or maybe it's more about what you're not doing, like this reader: "It will NOT be anything to do with diet culture, that's for sure!!" Amen to that. If you want to anonymously share your resolutions or anything else with your fellow moms, the link here. If you want to browse past Confessions, head here.
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