The Broward County Office of Inspector General found North Lauderdale Commissioner Regina Martin committed multiple campaign finance violations during an election watch party in November 2020.
The Inspector General referred a criminal investigation to the Broward State Attorney and the Florida Election Commission in a lengthy OIG report.
Investigators wrote Martin and her campaign treasurer Guylaine Similien withdrew cash from surplus campaign donations, accepted donations without properly reporting them, and used Cash App to improperly transfer funds. They also allege she accepted multiple donations in the name of someone else, and accepted a $1,000 donation within five days of an election, all while the campaign omitted donor names and amounts on bank slips while putting incorrect or incomplete information on 13 finance reports.
The range of allegations ranges from first-degree misdemeanors to third-degree felonies. NBC 6 contacted the commissioner and her campaign treasurer for a comment and has not yet heard back.
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The election party was held on Nov. 3, 2020, at the Grand Palace Ballroom in North Lauderdale, according to a flyer advertising the party. A tipster notified the OIG in April 2021 alleging several cash donations, including a cash payment for the party kept off official campaign records. Investigators found Martin and Similien also often withdrew cash from the campaign account without reporting it per Florida campaign finance law, including loaning herself $20,000 without a proper report.
Florida election law is written in a way to limit the use of cash in election campaigns.
The OIG report was also sent to the city of North Lauderdale and the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.
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Martin declined the OIG’s request for an interview during the investigation. Similien also declined the OIG request for an interview and was subpoenaed by the OIG but did not answer the subpoena.
“Although the commissioner and her treasurer could have provided statements and statutorily mandated records to justify or explain some of the transactions reported above, they did not. When both individuals chose not to interview with the OIG or to provide the statutorily mandated campaign records, we concluded that the records and statements they did not provide were unfavorable to them,” Broward County investigators wrote in the IG report.
