Democratic Candidate for Sheriff Scott Israel today blasted last-minute surprise changes in the Broward County Police Benevolent Association candidate endorsement process.
Israel was told numerous times by various PBA representatives that immediately upon conclusion of the screening process, surveys would be mailed out to all PBA members. Instead, the process is now controlled by a vote of just a few BSO bargaining unit representatives.
“The process is no longer democratic,” said Israel. “It is being rigged so Republican Sheriff Al Lamberti can buy the PBA endorsement at the bargaining table with our tax dollars.”
Israel was also shocked to learn that an overwhelming majority of the PBA representatives who voted to give him the endorsement in the Democratic Primary just eight short weeks ago were barred from participating in the endorsement process.
“I have no doubt that the vast majority of the rank-and-file membership of the PBA would vote to endorse me,” said Israel. “I’ve been told that Republican Sheriff Al Lamberti demanded the surveys that were due to be mailed be scrapped because he knew he would handily lose a vote open to all members. Instead, Lamberti made clear that if the PBA wants a new contract, they needed to kill the vote of the entire membership.
This is how elections were run in the Soviet Union.” – Scott Israel
“The endorsement decision — never before used by the Broward PBA — is now entirely in the undemocratic hands of just a few BSO reps closely aligned with Lamberti,” said Israel. “This is how elections were run in the Soviet Union. What are the PBA reps afraid of? They need to represent their members, not themselves. This undemocratic hijacking of the process needs to stop.”
“The hard working BSO officers who I admire greatly, are well aware of the political favoritism, mismanagement and inefficiency of the Sheriff’s office under Republican Al Lamberti,” said Israel.
“While I would welcome the endorsement of the PBA in the General Election, as I received it in the Democratic Primary — because I respect the rank-and-file men and women of the PBA, even if their leadership is betraying them — I can only win that endorsement with a full, complete and universal vote of all members,” said Israel.
“Any endorsement that is short of that will merely be the result of a rigged process and the purchase of the PBA endorsement at the bargaining table by Republican Sheriff Lamberti.”