By: Sharon Aron Baron
A South Florida activist and local blogger has brought down a candidate who was running to be the next city commissioner for Dania Beach. Chaz Stevens wrote that Daniel Sohn, 22, candidate for Dania Beach city commissioner, lied about his nonprofit as well as embellished his resume. As of today, his Facebook page for his candidacy has been removed and endorsements are dropping like flies.
Sohn, who just two weeks ago changed his drivers license and voters registration card to his mother’s Dania Beach address claims to be an author, life coach, public speaker and child prodigy who wrote an $8 million grant at the age of 12, as well as running an eight-location 501(c)3 nonprofit.
Local activist Chaz Stevens, who writes for MyActsofSedition.com, has exposed many corrupt politicians, even sending them to jail. He was recently in the news as the tipping point for former Dania Beach City Commissioner Pat Flury, who finally stepped down amid controversy that she lived outside her district. Flury was upset that Stevens posted photos of her on his website wearing fake glasses with a penis nose.
Stevens interviewed Sohn, who first refused on the request of his advisors, then mentioned he was too busy preparing for his first day of teaching school as a substitute, but then changed his mind.
Stevens first noticed that something was amiss with the candidate when he read his claim that he was appointed by the governor and wrote an $8 million dollar grant at the age of 12.
“Daniel Sohn‘s between-the-lines insinuation hopes the voters find him fiscally capable and ready, having governed an $8 million budget at 12 years old. Hand-picked by the Governor, who, having some free time on his hands, culled local middle schools, looking for the most capable to solve Tallahassee’s problems,” said Stevens. “What Sohn fails to mention, and with good reason, is Mom wrote this grant.”
What really caught the attention of Stevens was Sohn’s claim that his nonprofit, Tree of a Life Branch of a Nation, TLBN, which started in 2007 as a ministry, is a 501(c)3 charity.
A 501(c)3 is a type of incorporation used to set up a charitable corporation. By setting up a 501(c)3, it shows the public you have the intention of providing some kind of service to the community, rather than making a profit.
Sohn told Stevens that his nonprofit is a 501(c)3 charity. However, upon further research, Stevens found that this wasn’t true.
“….Guidestar.org has no listing for a 501 under the name Tree of Amityville Horror. I’m not sure what Sohn was thinking — did he believe he’d get away with lying to us? Or will he say, well, we’re awaiting our “501 paperwork,” wrote Stevens on his blog.
Sohn’s nonprofit TLBN, which has School Board member Katie Leach on its board, claims to have accepted over a million dollars in grants yet sits in an old insurance office with no discernible markings on its front door.
Meanwhile, TLBN was dissolved by the State of Florida in 2012 for failure to pay their filing fees, however, Sohn is continuing to raise money and just posted an event on his Facebook page yesterday where admission for adults to his event cost $25.
Yesterday, one of Sohn’s supporters posted on his Facebook page that the Mayor of Dania Beach had asked Sohn to run for Mayor. Lisa Duke, wife of Mayor Walter Duke, responded, “ The mayor did NOT ask him to run; he doesn’t even know him.”
Several politicians in Broward who had endorsed Sohn are changing their minds, including State Representative Katie Edwards. Stevens asked Edwards about her endorsement, and she wrote this:
“This issue obviously raises questions about one’s abilities to operate a not for profit within the letter of the law…. If my own investigation into this matter prove that the candidate doesn’t possess the character and integrity to serve, then I will have to withdraw my support.” – State Representative Katie Edwards
Margate City Commissioner Le Peerman also, another Sohn supporter, wrote this to Stevens:
Seeing as this just came out on the weekend and that I am in Orlando and have not yet talked to Daniel, I am taking the position that if all this is true Daniel will do the honorable thing.
I will look into it more when I get back if something has not occurred between now and then.
I know Daniel to be an energetic and good guy, however as with many young candidates he may not have had all his ducks in a row before he entered this race. My hope would be that (if true) he learns from this and grows so that he may one day be a good elected official. – Margate City Commissioner Le Peerman
Many agree Sohn is a nice guy. But Broward politics needs more than nice, and residents need to do their due diligence when electing leaders who manage million-dollar budgets. Sohn needs to finish college, hold down a job, and spend some time learning more about local government by being appointed through the city he lives in to various advisory boards or committees.
According to This Website, Sohn is a Life Coach, Author, and Public Speaker
Sohn’s charity is dissolved, and not a 501(c)3 as he says, but this isn’t stopping him from advertising.