Days before the election, Lauderhill mayoral candidate Denise Grant is facing significant scrutiny after an independent city-funded investigation found she misused city resources for personal use. NBC6’s Hatzel Vela reports
Days before the election, Lauderhill mayoral candidate Denise Grant is facing significant scrutiny after an independent city-funded investigation found she misused city resources for personal use.
Grant called the report a “political plot and scheme” to derail her campaign.
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On Monday, the city commission voted to accept the findings after the independent investigator, Ria Chattergoon, briefed them on her months-long investigation.
“I was hired to conduct the investigation that the commission wanted regarding the use of city vehicles, various reimbursements, requests, and to determine whether any of the city's policies, ordinances, charter was violated,” said Chattergoon, who added, “this stemmed from the FDLE's criminal investigation that came about as a complaint from the Lauderhill Police Department.”
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In the 65-page report, the independent investigator found in January 2022, Grant used the city-owned Ford Explorer to attend an event called “Broward Days.”
The next month, the report found Grant submitted reimbursement of mileage for $507.36 and was paid by the city.
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In 2023, the independent investigation found Grant used the city-owned car on several occasions, including a personal trip to Tennessee for her son’s soccer tournament.
“This was an out-of-state trip using a city vehicle. The week later, she used the Explorer to attend an event in Tallahassee,” Chattergoon said. “For that event, she submitted for mileage. She also submitted for a hotel stay. The receipt that was submitted was altered in a way that showed that she paid it.”
On Oct. 24, 2023, following the notification of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement criminal investigation, Grant tried to reimburse the city more than $1600 for some of her expenses, the report said.
The investigation concluded Grant violated the city’s 2019 and 2023 travel policy as well as state law.
When NBC6 asked if Grant should pay the money back, her opponent and current Lauderhill Vice Mayor Lawrence “Jabbow” Martin said, “Oh, absolutely.”
Martin challenged his opponent to take responsibility for actions he argues could get you fired or arrested in the private sector.
“If the commissioner more or less came forward…and taken ownership early on and save the city all this headache and embarrassment that may have been enough back then,” Martin said.
After texting and calling Grant, NBC 6 caught up with the commissioner and mayoral candidate at a polling site.
“I’m out here working. So I’m so sorry I won’t be able to do this interview,” Grant initially told NBC 6.
But she finally agreed to an interview and told us, “I will not get caught up into negative politics and smear campaigns.”
Grant did not want to answer any questions about the investigation.
When asked what message she had for voters, she said: “I really believe that the voters in the city of Lauderhill know who I am. I’ve been in the city for six years. They know that I’m trustworthy. They know that I’m committed.”
Grant was never charged with a crime. Her case was forwarded to the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, who then forwarded it to the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office and decided not to pursue charges.
