With less than a month until Wilton Manors voters choose a new mayor and two commissioners, anonymous social media posts, disputed allegations and increasingly personal attacks are becoming part of the campaign conversation.

The Gazette examined several of those claims — including where some of the information originated and what, if anything, they establish.

Against that backdrop, The Gazette examined several of the anonymous posts and messages circulating during the campaign — including where some of the information originated, what the available records actually show, and what remains unknown.

Anonymous Posts

An anonymous Facebook account called Wilton Manors Update has published posts raising questions about candidates and people associated with them, sometimes without establishing the connections the posts appear to suggest.

One attempted to draw a connection between mayoral candidate Julie Carson and a resident who had previously been convicted in a white-collar criminal case. The post referenced disturbing conduct involving another party in that case, but The Gazette found no evidence connecting either the resident or Carson to that conduct.

Another post focused on Commissioner Don D’Arminio’s real estate holdings and associated fees. The anonymous account urged readers to examine a public-records request containing information about those properties.

So we did.

Nowhere did the post or the records explicitly establish that D’Arminio had unpaid fees, was in default or was otherwise out of compliance.

Tracing the Records Request

The public-records request involving D’Arminio was made by Richard “Butch” Rowley, a longtime supporter of Commissioner Paul Rolli, who is running for mayor against Carson.

The Gazette caught up with Rowley after a political event where he was wearing a Rolli for mayor T-shirt and asked why he sought the records and how the information reached the anonymous Facebook account.

“You can’t put yourself out there and say you’re better than everybody else when you haven’t paid your fees,” he said.

Rowley noted that some of the years were blank, but also acknowledged,  “I don’t even know what the fees are.”

When asked why he had not contacted D’Arminio about the records, Rowley said, “Honestly I haven’t had a chance yet.” When it was pointed out that he had plenty of time to reach out before the information was published and in the days since, Rowley said he hadn’t “published anything.” 

But when asked to whom he gave the records request information, he had no answer. When asked what made him so suspicious of what D’Arminio is doing, he said, “That’s a good question,” and walked behind a private access door.

Rolli has declined to answer questions about his personal or political relationships with Rowley. Rowley, who describes himself as retired, has made several contributions to the campaign including $212.74 in in-kind donations and $250 in cash.

Community Reaction

Many people who responded publicly to the posts criticized their anonymity and questioned whether the information presented supported the conclusions readers were being invited to draw.

During a campaign speech to the Dolphin Democrats, Carson didn’t address Rolli or his team directly, but did preview her leadership should she win.

“I will prioritize collaboration over confrontation. I will emphasize cohesion over hostility,” she said. “I will demonstrate experience without arrogance. I will lead with fairness, never with retribution or grudge.”

Longtime Alliances Shift

Mayor Scott Newton, who is now running for a commission seat, recently endorsed Carson.

“When I think about the future of Wilton Manors and hear feedback from residents, I think we need people with different ideas and backgrounds who share a love for this city and a commitment to serving our community,” Newton wrote on social media. “Even when we disagree, I know the decisions we make are rooted in that shared love for Wilton Manors.”

Newton ran against Carson in 2020, defeating her by 116 votes to become mayor. 

In July, Newton told The Gazette he told Rolli and commissioners Chris Caputo and Mike Bracchi to figure out which would run to replace him. “Three of the people on the commission [were talking about it]. One of you guys run and we’ll endorse. Paul came out that he’s gonna run.”

Newton says that he never formally endorsed Rolli. He also added that Rolli declined to endorse him once Angel Burgos and Manish Kalra entered the commissioner races. The top two finishers will win the two available seats.

“It was disheartening,” Newton said.

Asked about the tone of the campaign, Newton said, “It’s not good for Wilton Manors and it’s not good for our city.”

Rolli has not responded to text or emails for comment. 

The campaigns’ increasingly negative tone even prompted Vice Mayor Chris Caputo, who isn’t running for election this year, to release a campaign-style video urging candidates and their supporters to keep the election clean and above board.

“I ran for office because there's nowhere else in the world like Wilton Manors — life is just better here and I want us to keep making it better together. We agree on far more than we disagree. We want a lower cost of living, safe streets, thriving businesses, a community where everyone belongs and to fight against the state and federal forces that are working hard to take away our rights every single day,” he said in the video. “We can rise above the anonymous attacks, the rumors, the name-calling and the bullying. We can disagree and still respect each other. Wilton Manors has 99 real problems but we're one extraordinary community. Let's solve them together.”

Ballots are already arriving by mail. The election concludes Nov. 3.

Screenshot via Greater Wilton Manors, YouTube.