Denys' fear realized with Kennedy challenge; Hathaway left alone proving county's Waverly investigation a scam

Deb Denys / Headline Surfer®Justin Kennedy / Headline Surfer®Jim Hathaway / Headline Surfer®Headline Surfer® photos / County Councilwoman Deb Denys had two opponents in the 2012 elections: Justin Kennedy and James Hathaway, shown here left to right, respectively. Hathaway won the August primary, forcing a November showdown won by Denys. Kennedy and Hathaway both received in-kind services from Waverly Media in the form of bus bench ads. Yet Jonathan Kaney, Jr., the private attorney hired by the County Council to investigate campaign funding has only tried to subpoena Kennedy and not Hathaway. Kennedy is now running against Denys in the 2014 elections, on the mantra that the Waverly investigation is nothing more than a scheme to keep him at bay by a frightened Denys, who knows she's vulnerable to defeat. She has not responded to numerous attempts by the 24/7 internet newspaper to answer Kennedy's charges.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The Jonathan Kaney, Jr.-led Waverly investigation is yet another example of the corruptness of Volusia County governance, especially when you consider the motivating factors behind this: A large, quick sum of cash for Councilman Doug Daniels' friend, Kaney, and the cutthroat politics of Councilwomen Denys and Pat Northey who will go to any length to keep their seats on the dais.

This Waverly investigation is just plain wrong on so many levels. It's illegal, unethical, immoral and downright corrupt. It's a blatant thievery of taxpayer dollars in a county where people struggle to put food on the table and keep the light bills on.

Kaney-led investigation waste of taxpayer dollars in county suffering economically

Volusia County, third highest of Florida's 67 counties in taxes generated and yet third from the bottom in revenue generated, already has the distinction of being the lone county with three tourism advertising authorities and three indigent care hospital districts, all of them nothing more than slush funds for political insiders.

The Kaney investigation is an absolute disgrace and example of the arrogance of Volusia County governance. Even County Attorney Dan Eckert has gone on record as saying he opposes it as illegal and not supported by county charter.

Jonathan Kaney, Jr. / Headline Surfer®County Councilman Doug Daniels of Ormond Beach / Headline Surfer®County Dan Eckert says Waverly investigation illegal / KaneyJonathan Kaney, Jr., far left and County Councilman Doug Daniels, shown in the middle, are former law partners. At right is County Attorney Daniel Eckert. Kaney was hired by the council in December to investigate in-kind contributions for County Council candidates in the 2010 and 2012 elections. Eckert says the investigation is illegal.

This Waverly investigation is just plain wrong on so many levels. It's illegal, unethical, immoral and downright corrupt. It's blatant thievery of taxpayer dollars in a county where people struggle to put food on the table and keep the lights on. Volusia County, third highest of Florida's 67 counties in taxes generated and yet third from the bottom in revenue generated, already has the distinction of being the lone county with three tourism advertising authorities and three indigent care hospital districts, all of them nothing more than slush funds for political insiders. The Kaney investigation is an absolute disgrace and example of the arrogance of Volusia County governance. Even County Attorney Dan Eckert has gone on record as saying he opposes it as illegal and not supported by county charter.

And here is why this house of cards will implode: Because this was a scam from the onset designed to accomplish three goals:

1.) Put some badly needed cash in Kaney's pocket; 

2.) Cause embarrassment for Cusack she'd look corrupt in the eyes of the voters and Northey could wrest her seat from her in the upcoming elections;

3.) Denys could keep 2012 election campaign foe Justin Kennedy from running again with the black cloud of Waverly attached to his name. 

Deb Denys, Jim Hathaway & Justin Kennedy in the 2012 Headline Surfer debates / Headline Surfer®Headline Surfer® photo / Deb Denys, Jim Hathaway and Justin Kennedy are shown here in the 2012 public candidate debate for the District 3 County Council seat sponsored and moderated by the 24/7 internet newspaper at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach in advance of the August primary won by Hathaway, who would come up short against Denys in the November run-off election. Kennedy, then an Edgewater city councilman who won the lion's shrte of endorsements, filed paperwork Monday to run against Denys in the 2014 elections. Also announced as candidates are David Machuga and John Calache. Denys has supported the Jonathan Kaney, Jr.-led investigation of Waverly Media, and whether in-kind campaign contributions to certain candidates running for the council in the last two election cycles were proper.

Denys had two opponents in the 2012 elections: then-Edgewater Councilman Justin Kennedy and then-New Smyrna Beach City Commissioner James Hathaway. Kennedy fished third in the primary, which was won by Hathaway.

This led to the November showdown won by Denys, thanks to a strong Republican push for newcomers Jason Davis, who crushed Carl Persis for the county chairmanship, and the candidacy of Webster Barnaby, who won a seat on the Deltona City Commission.

But in the Waverly investigation, Kaney has never bothered with Hathaway.

Why?

Easy: Hathaway was no threat to Denys as he made it clear on election night that he was finished with politics after an 18-year run on the New Smyrna Beach City Commission. Hathaway's good friend, Adam Barringer -- the lame-duck mayor and another corrupt figure -- held a private retirement party for Hathaway at his restaurant.

And besides, Barringer, a Republican in name only, has thrown his support behind Denys this time, even hosting a fundraiser for her at his SoNapa Grille wine-bar joint.

Kennedy livid with Obamacare label placed on him & Hathaway by Denys in 2012 campaign

Denys Obamacare letter / Headline Surfer®Headline Surfer® photo /
This mailer in advance of the 2012 primary by Deb Denys against fellow district 3 County Council candidates candidates Jim Hathaway and Justin Kennedy, whom she portrayed as Obama clones with the anti-Obamacare sentiment in the heat of the campaign, was met with negative reaction by Hathaway and Kennedy, both Democrats.
 

Kennedy was livid after the August 2012 primary. Not because he lost, but because Denys, a Republican, brought partisanship into the non-partisan race with a nasty mailer that capitalized on the anti-Obamacare sentiment, presenting Democrats Kennedy and Hathaway as Obama clones. Kennedy vowed to run again in 2014.

When Daniels presented the idea of his good friend and former law partner, Kaney, leading an investigation into political contributions for candidates seeking County Council seats, Denys and Northey were falling over themselves in support.

After all, most Democrats welcomed in-kind advertising from Waverly on its bus benches. Among them, Persis, then-term-limited County Chair Frank Bruno, who was running against Republican term-limited State Rep. Dorothy Hukill for a State Senate seat; then-Councilman Andy Kelly, who was running against Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall; power attorney Ted Doran also received in-kind Waverly funding in his run for the county chair's race against Persis and Davis; Daniels himself in his race with Shannon McLeish; Cusack in the 2008 race against Republican Margie Patchett; and Kennedy and Hathaway in 2012 against Denys.

With $700,000-plus in taxpayer-funded advertising going to the Daytona Beach News-Journal through the office of County Manager Jim Dinneen's henchman, Dave Byron, and another $180,000 to Southern Stone, the former bankrupt Black Crow Radio, and its WNDB AM Radio (Marc Bernier gladhander show), and Kaney being the former general counsel to the News-Journal before it was bought in a federal court-supervised fire sale four years ago to Halifax Media Group, the news portrayed Waverly and its principals as evil.

Just this week, for example, Bernier had State Attorney RJ Larizza on his show and the then proceeded to rip into Waverly Media principal Ramara Garrett, who was found not guilty of multiple counts of committing mortgage fraud in a federal trial. Her live-in boyfriend, James Sotolongo and an an associate, Stephanie Musselwhite, were found guilty by the jury and are awaiting sentencing in July.

To his credit, Larizza didn't bite on Bernier's poison. 

Daytona Beach News-Journal and WNDB Radio, provided with oodles of taxpayer-funded advertising revenue by the county, ignoring Kennedy candidacy

Daytona Beach News-Journal personnel on Waverly / Headline Surfer®WNDB's Marc Bernier / Headline Surfer®Headline Surfer® graphics /
The Daytona Beach News-Journal and WNDB Radio, have gone out of their way to push the campaigns of incumbent County Councilwomen Deb Denys and Pat Northey while ignoring Justin Kennedy's filing Monday to run against Denys.
 

And the News-Journal has incessantly presented factually incorrect allegations against Sotolongo, Garrett and Musselwhite, continually claiming the government alleged the mortgage fraud scene involved 70 homes and $50 million worth $50 million when in reality, the allegation was a mere seven homes and under $13 million.

And here's another irony: Kennedy filed to run against Denys on Monday morning. That was five days ago. Yet, the News-Journal has yet to write anything about Kennedy's candidacy.

Why? It's rather obvious: To protect Denys as long as possible.

The News-Journal has kept Denys in the news with stories such as follow-ups on the council's rejection of a Publix shopping center for a rival developer of Mori Hosseini, who wants to include a Publix of his own in his Woodhaven luxury mixed-use development a mile away in Samsula.

And even Bernier had Denys on his radio program going on and on about the development while making no mention of Kennedy's candidacy. Headline Surfer® inquired of the News-Journal and WNDB as to why no mention has been made of Kennedy's candidacy or why Kaney has left Hathaway alone, but got no response from either media outlet.

The 24/7 internet newspaper also reached out to Kaney as well as County Manager Jim Dinneen, County Attorney Dan Eckert and members of the county council, including Denys and Cusack about Kennedy and Hathaway, but go no responses.

Kaney investigation tab surpasses $61,000 and expected to exceed six figures

Meanwhile, the tab for Kaney has climbed above $61,000 and could easily surpass six figures with a court battle yet looming in circuit court where Kaney is trying to get a judge to force Kennedy, Doran, Garrett, Sotolongo and Waverly Media administrator Kim Was to submit to depositions.

Kennedy and Doran refused to answer Kaney's subpoena on the basis that the investigation is unnecessary, a duplication of an investigation already being done by the State Attorney's Office and a waste of taxpayer money.