THE MEDIA VOICE THAT WRITES WHAT EVERYONE IS THINKING BUT IS TOO SCARED TO SAY WAECHTER AND SHARFF ARE THE FACE OF A CORRUPTED SARASOTA/MANATEE POLITICAL SYSTEM JON SUSCE 8/10/14 A recent article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune stated that, weeks after former Sarasota Republican Party chairman Bob Waechter was sentenced for an illegal campaign donation scheme on state charges, the FBI started doing its own digging into his personal computers and newly obtained documents show the FBI digging into Sarasota campaign donation case. What the Sarasota Herald Tribune did not state was that according to Lourdes Ramirez, who was interviewed by the FBI in connection to local political operative Bob Waechter felony arrest, is that the FBI investigation was not only interested in political activity in Sarasota County, but also Manatee County. TAMPA BAY TIMES ARTICLES ON WELLS The apparent reason is that ever since Manatee County Sheriff Charlie Wells has been the major political power in Manatee County there has been numerous investigations of massive corruption in Manatee County. Various articles in the Tampa Bay Times have clearly illustrated the abuse of political power by a political machine headed by Wells. tampabay/news/politics/local/was-manatee-sheriff-a-target-of-prosecution-or-persecution/435471 tampabay/news/localgovernment/hiring-of-familiar-name-as-police-chief-raises-familiar-complaint/1112145 tampabay/news/politics/local/a-fortune-that-was-built-in-middle-of-nowhere/435469 However, whenever investigators began to make progress in their investigations of a corrupt Manatee County Government, Wells major political influence with public officials in Tallahassee, who had political influence in Washington D.C, the investigations came to an end. SHARFF POLITICALLY CONNECTED TO WELLS Who was closely politically connected to Wells was former Chairman of the Manatee County Republican Executive Committee and former member of the Sarasota/Manatee Airport authority, Paul SHARFF. Sharff Wells According to the Tampa Bay Times, After Sharff moved to Florida from West Virginia after filling bankruptcy in the early 90s, he and the wife of Sheriff Wells, Leslie Wells founded Gold Star Realty. He developed a flashy lifestyle and became a big player in Republican politics, helping boost Attorney Gen. Bill McCollum and Govs. Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist into office. After Crists 2006 victory, SHARFF treated paid campaign staffers to four days in the Bahamas. In 2008, Crist appointed him chairman of the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County, a government-funded organization that oversees school readiness programs. CRIST APPOINTS SHARFF DESPITE BANKRUPTCY Recently the coalition board approved SHARFFs new employment contract and gave him a 17 percent raise — to $90,000 — at a time he had just declared bankruptcy once again with $22.9 million in debt, much of it stemming from his real estate ventures. A judge dismissed SHARFFs bankruptcy filing in January of 2010 because SHARFF failed to insure his properties. He is the defendant in 28 foreclosure cases, and he and Leslie Wells are being sued by a group of Bradenton condo owners for allegedly misleading them about improvements to the units. bradenton/2011/03/01/2994922/SHARFFs-ex-partner-accuses-him.html Sharff Waechter When Sharff was the Executive Director of the Manatee Republican Executive Committee, Waechter was the Chairman of the Sarasota County Republican Executive Committee. Both Waechter and Sharff were political appointees of Crist to the Sarasota/Manatee Airport Authority. CRIST APPOINTEES TO SARASOTA/MANATEE AIRPORT AUTHORITY Rodriquez Kompethcras Beruff Sharff Robinson Wells Other political supporters of Crist who served with Sharff and Waechter on the Airport Authority were Henry Rodriquez, Gary Kompethcras, Carlos Beruff, Eric Robinson, Leslie Wells and few other well connected political figures in Manatee and Sarasota County. Just as Sharff was the political operative for Wells in Manatee County, Waechter became the political operative for multimillion developers in Manatee and Sarasota County, who have become the major political force in the area as Wells has faded into the background. HUNTER Although Wells is no longer Sheriff of Manatee County he has remained a political force. For example, whenever a state or national politician seeks support in Southwest Florida a visit to Wells is a necessity. CRIST AGREES TO APPOINT WELLS CHOICE FOR MANATEE SHERIFF Wells influence on Florida political leaders was demonstrated when according to the Publisher of TEMPO NEWS Johnny Hunter Sr., Wells got a commitments from then candidate for Governor of Florida Charlie Crist to be able to choose his replacement for Sheriff of Manatee County. BUSH STEUBE CRIST According to Hunter, after Wells endorsed Crist and Crist got elected, Wells resigned in midterm and Crist appointed a Wells choose to replace him, Brad Steube. Hunter also stated that Wells made a similar offer to former Governor Jeb Bush to appoint his successor, but Bush refused Wells request. NO LOCAL POLITICIAN GETS ELECTED WITHOUT NEAL/BENDERSON/BERUFF/JENSEN APPROVAL Since Wells has faded into the background and Sharff is in deep financial trouble the control of economic and political power has centered around four Manatee and Sarasota major multi $million$ developers, who handpicked and finance all politicians in Manatee and Sarasota County: Pat Neal, Carlos Beruff, Randy Benderson and Rex Jensen. Nobody gets elected in Manatee or Sarasota County without the support of these four individuals. NEAL BENDERSON BERUFF JENSEN SLAPP AND GULF COAST EXCHANGE APPROVAL Once candidates for political office in Manatee and Sarasota County are approved by Neal, Benderson, Beruff and Jensen, Mary Slapp, who is the Executive of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, gets the various members the GBX to endorse and contribute major campaigns contributions to the handpicked candidates of the Neal Gang. Mary Dougherty-Slapp SLAPP AND GBX MEMBERS WAECHTER/ROBINSON/D0WD/STEVENSON MANAGE CAMPAIGNS What then follows is that political operatives Waechter, Robinson, Dowd and Stevenson then managed the campaigns of the various handpicked candidates of the Neal Gang. Not Pictured WAECHTER ROBINSON DOWD STEVENSON What then results is the elections of the hand-picked candidates of the Neal, Benderson, Beruff, Jensen Gang, which includes among other elected politicians in Manatee and Sarasota Counties: Manatee and Sarasota County Commissioners. MANATEE COUNTY COMMISSION What has become quite apparent with the disclosure that the FBI has started their own investigation of Waechter by asking and receiving Waechters four computer towers, a laptop, a tablet, nine jump drives, three routers and an external hard drive that any investigation will center on Waechter and Sharff and their political connections to various political rainmakers in the area? MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO NEAL/BENDERSON/BERUFF/JENSEN WHO IS ELECTED GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA What has also become apparent that the Neal, Benderson, Beruff, Jensen political machine will continue to have political influence in Tallahassee if Governor Rick Scott is re-elected or even Crist defeats Scott? For example it doesnt take a Karl Rove to understand that Eric Robinson, Gary Kompethecras, Charlie Wells and a host of other past Crist supporters will have the ear of Crist. Likewise if Scott is re-elected the Neal/Benderson/Beruff/Jensen Gang will have the ear of Scott. BUSINESS AS USUAL IF CARAGUILO AND MAIO ARE ELECTED CARAGUILO MAIO Thus if either Crist or Scott is Governor of Florida the same individuals who have been corrupting the political process for years in Manatee and Sarasota will conducting business as usual. In addition if Paul Caraguilo and Al Maio are elected to the Sarasota County Commission it will be likewise business as usual for the Neal, Benderson, Beruff, and Jensen Gang at Sarasota County Government. LEY ENDORSES MAIO If anyone had any doubt what Maio thinks about a corrupt political Sarasota County Government that operated under the former Sarasota County Administrator, Jim Ley was Ley walking out of a recent Republican candidate forum with Candidate Al Maio for Sarasota County Commissioner political sign. GET A FREE EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE SARASOTA PHOENIX: The Sarasota Phoenix News Paper 941-202-2270 sqrsarasotaphoenix@gmail Jon Susce
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 02:37:37 +0000
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