South Florida Local News

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has retained David Oscar Markus to represent
her on charges of conspiring to steal roughly $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster funds.

Markus is arguably the best federal criminal defense attorney in South Florida — and bills his clients accordingly.

Simply put, the congresswoman from Broward County cannot afford him on her $174,000 salary.

Cherfilus-McCormick’s income jumped from $86,000 to more than $6 million from 2020 to 2021 based on alleged overpayments to her home health care company, Trinity Health Care Services.

She cannot use that loot to pay attorney Markus. Federal law prohibits the use of “ill-gotten gains” to pay bond or legal fees. Known as “Nebbia” rules, pursuant to United States v. Nebbia, the law allows a court to require a defendant to prove that bail money and attorney fees have come from a legitimate source.

Gerard S. (Jerry) Williams, Southwest Ranches

The writer has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1992.

Don’t abolish HOAs A Miami lawmaker has filed a bill to establish an community association court system and make it easier for homeowners to abolish their HOAs. (File art)

I laughed out loud when I read about the legislative proposal from Republican state Rep. Juan Carlos Porras of Miami to make it easier to terminate homeowners’ associations (House Bill 657).

I hope the proponents of such lunacy relish the idea of living next to a homeowner who refuses to mow his yard, has a couple of cars sitting on blocks in his front yard or better yet, turns his house into a daily rental for parties.

Having no rules is great — until you consider what an HOA protects you from.

As a former HOA board member in East Delray, I suggest that people who don’t like the “law and order” that an HOA brings simply move to somewhere else, where they can contend with all the issues their current HOA shields them from.

Harvey Starin, Boca Raton

‘Price of admission’ to U.S.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, has said that mass immigration is a great lie because it imports entire societies that instead of assimilating into America re-create the conditions and terrors of the countries they left behind.

He said it in reference to a fraud controversy involving Somali immigrants in Minnesota, but it applies to all immigrant groups. The U.S. government has forgotten to require assimilation as a condition of living here.

In America, no one is required to learn English, American history or civics unless they apply for naturalization. An immigrant can live here for life without ever assimilating into our language or culture.

That’s why it was not surprising to hear Rep. Ilhan Omar say on CNN that the Somali community should not be blamed for money sent from a billionaire fraud scheme to fund terrorism abroad. She framed the issue as a failure of the FBI and the courts, shifting responsibility away from community accountability.

America must be strict about who we allow to enter and settle here. We must have higher expectations.

English should be required, along with basic knowledge of American culture and laws. Expecting nothing from immigrants is dangerous. We can’t allow foreign communities to embed in America without assimilating. That’s the price of admission to American life.

Eduardo Montalvo, Coral Gables

On sticking with Trump

The real tragedy of the current occupant of the White House is that millions of Americans are sufficiently gullible, ignorant or bigoted to have voted for him and still support him.

Jack Lippman, Boynton Beach

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