Photos for Headline Surfer / TOP: Pat Rice is shown along with a generic 'vote' graphic included in his recent Facebook analysis piece on County Chair Jeff Brower and his influence on the upcoming elections.
Preamble: Segment 1 coming up
Sidebar 3 Preamble: Pat Rice's Facebook column/analysis
Sidebar 2 Preamble: Retired lawman Jim Gillum to provide analysis on crime & politics for investigative reporting project
Sidebar 1 Preamble: 'Appearances Can Be Deceptive' a classic line in Coen Bros movie that aptly applies to real-life political farce in Volusia County leadership
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Pat Rice, the former editor of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, took Volusa County Chair Jeff Brower to task in a lengthy Facebook group write-up for a series of political moves widely seen as shady to benefit his own slate of candidates in the 2022 election cycle with Tuesday's primary looming.
Rice retired as the editor of the News-Journal in the closing weeks of 2021 after 12 years at the helm of the news operation on 6th Street in Daytona Beach. He posted his extensive news-column in a private Facebook group, The VCC Page - Volusia County Concerns, (3,200 members) which was posted at 8:56 p.m. Aug. 15, 2022.
Rice's column was copied and reposted the next day on Volusia Issues UNCENSORED (869 members) another Facebook group, by Toni Wright, widow of Tony Ledbetter who passed away three years ago (Breaking News: Volusia County GOP Chair Tony Ledbetter succumbs to cancer).
Between the two Facebook groups, Rice's column drew 57 comments and was shared 21 times. It is being presented here on Headline Surfer as a public service because it really puts into proper context and enforces the ugliness of the politics perpetuated by Brower, whose first two years as the top elected county officer have proven abysmal. Please be advised there is some rough language by a source Rice quotes, but headline Surfer has decided not to censor it as it would take away from the intensity of the overall theme of Brower's corruptness. Headline Surfer added some pics to Rice's column to break up the copy a little bit and to illustrate visuals.
Here is Rice's Facebook column in its entirety followed by reactions from posters in the Facebook groups where his write-up originally appeared:
Someone, please, investigate whether county staff was used to create an event designed to influence county council elections.First, an apology. This opinion/analysis/report is long. It can’t be helped. Space is needed to explain what has turned this year’s Volusia County Council races into such a melee.
How nasty? Well, the leader of a group supporting council Chair Jeff Brower’s chosen slate of candidates sent out an email a week ago accusing – without proof – the Volusia County Republican Executive Committee of poisoning Brower’s granddaughter’s dog. Really.
A bigger issue, though, is whether county staff was used to create a county event that was intended to influence the outcome of the council elections. The county has released a trove of emails related to a now-postponed “wildlife corridor workshop” that was to be held just 10 days before the August 23 primary.
The conference was postponed at the end of a fiery council meeting on Aug. 2, at which council members suggested the workshop was part of an effort by Brower to elect the slate of candidates he is supporting. The emails released raise concerns that someone — perhaps the Florida Commission on Ethics — should investigate.
In one, Brower insisted the conference be held before the August 23 primary to put candidates on the spot regarding their support of the wildlife corridor. That email was in response to another email from one of the key people involved in the workshop who suggested it might be better to wait until after the November general election. Also interesting is an email from an environmental activist with a criminal record named Elizabeth Lavette stating that the conference’s main speaker – a philanthropist named Arnie Bellini – would give $20,000 to support the event.
Instead, records show Bellini contributed $20,000 to a PAC run by an anti-tax advocate who is using it to attack candidates who are running against the slate Brower is supporting. Bellini’s contribution to the PAC that goes by the acronym FAIREST was made on July 15.
That’s the same day the county distributed a press release announcing the wildlife corridor workshop Brower insisted should be held before the August 23 primary.
Photo for Headline Surfer / Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower holds a press conference earlier this month to announce he's against the proposed Pioneer Trail I-95 interchange that has been in the planning stages for two decades and approved by the Florida DOT.
Less than two weeks later, Brower held a press conference to announce he was calling for an inquiry into the construction of the Pioneer Trail interchange with Interstate 95. The interchange, he asserted, will interfere with the wildlife corridor and damage Spruce Creek. The interchange has become a focal point of the slate of candidates Brower is supporting.
More on the emails and Brower’s press conference in a few paragraphs. But first, let’s unpack some other history related to the council races.
Republican infighting an ugly schism that has grown between county Republicans in advance of the Aug. 23 primary elections
The dust-up is focused mostly on the council races. At the center of the fight is Brower, who has been on the losing side of the vote on most things he has proposed during his first two years in office.
Brower isn’t running. But due to statewide redistricting, every other seat on the council is up for reelection in 2022. To increase the odds that he’ll get his way on the council, Brower is pushing a slate of council candidates who are all basically running on the same platform. They promise to fight tax increases, stop overdevelopment, and protect our water. Laudable goals, but some of the slate’s claims are questionable.
For example, Brower and his slate are suggesting that so-called “toilet-to-tap” water could be around the corner for county residents if overdevelopment isn’t halted. But there isn’t any plan for anyone in the county to be drinking water recycled out of sewage.
Their suggestion is apparently based on an experimental program in Daytona Beach. The entire slate of Brower’s candidates – Doug Pettit, Ken Smith, Ted Noftall and Julio “David” Sosa – are Republicans. But the county’s official Republican Party leadership isn’t supporting any of them.
In late June, the members of the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Volusia County – the officially recognized Republican Party in the county – met to decide who to endorse in the upcoming primary as well as the general election in November.
Vic Baker, a Republican state committeeman for Volusia County, explained to me that 155 members of the executive committee – well over 50% of the body – voted on who to endorse for council and other races. The ballots were secret. Under Rule 8 of the Republican Party of Florida rules, candidates who received 60% or more of the executive committee votes were endorsed.
The Council candidates the executive committee endorsed include Jake Johansson for the at-large seat, incumbent Danny Robins in District 3, and David Santiago in District 5. No one was endorsed in District 4, where Smith and two Republican Ormond Beach city commissioners – Rob Littleton and Troy Kent – and a guy named Mike McLean are running.
None of the candidates running on Brower’s slate were endorsed, which did not please Brower. Brower called for Republican Party of Volusia County Chair Paul Deering to resign. (Not going to happen.)
The Volusia County Republican Party isn’t backing any of Brower’s slate, but some Republican “clubs” in the county are supporting Brower’s picks. They include the Republican Conservatives Ormond Beach Assembly and the West Volusia Republican Assembly. The disagreement between the clubs and Volusia County Republican Party has led to hard feelings.
Chuck Collins is president of the Republican Conservative Ormond Beach Assembly. He’s the one who accused the Republican executive committee of poisoning Brower’s granddaughter’s dog. Brower confirmed the dog died, but hasn’t filed any complaint about it with the sheriff’s department and declined to tell The News-Journal how he knows the dog was poisoned. The county chair also said his family has been threatened. Here’s The News-Journal’s story about the dog: https://www.news-journalonline.com/.../volus.../10269119002/
Bad blood already existed between Collins and Mike Scudiero, a consultant to several Republican candidates.
“Chuck, you tired old fuck. I can’t say this loudly enough: YOU ARE THE RINO, you scumbag prick!” an earlier missive from Scudiero to Collins began.
“You endorse all the wacky candidates, and then you call other people RINOs. I cannot tell you how much I detest you and everything your scumbag fake Republican cartoon club stands for. You are a fucking disgrace!
“You are also a tree-hugging pansy ass liberal, a true RINO in every form,” added Scudiero to Collins. “Do the whole GOP a favor and drop dead already.”
Collins and I intended to meet three weeks ago, but I had to cancel after I tested positive for COVID. (A mild case, and I’ve tested negative.) We did speak briefly via the phone. Collins told me he is originally from Malta. He also asserted he didn’t do anything to provoke the missive he received from Scudiero.
“I didn’t start anything,” Collins said. Scudiero disagreed. “In a reply-all to the entire (Volusia County Republican Executive Committee) he called me a RINO, a swamp creature, and mocked me for doing paid consulting,” Scudiero told me via email. “My response to him was much harder, and the apex of years of frustration with him and his silly club.”
Baker is aware of how the clubs’ leadership feels. “They hate Paul Deering, and they hate me,” Baker told me. He pointed out that the clubs don’t represent the official views of the Republican Party in the county. Rather, he said the clubs are given a license to use the word “Republican” in their names.
“These guys are counterfeits,” Baker said. The at-large race between Johansson and Pettit Let’s move on, with a focus on the at-large race between Johansson and Pettit. (I will point out that two other viable candidates for the at-large seat — Sherrise Boyd and Andy Kelly — are also running.) ...
Photo image from Patrick Rice's Facebook account / Patrick Rice is shown with his wife, Joni Hunt in this undated pic. Rice made clear in his Facebook column that his wife is supporting former Port Orange City Manager Jake Johansson's candidacy for the at-large seat on the County Council and that she contributed $300 to his campaign. Rice and Hunt reside in Volusia County. He also pointed out she's a registered Republican while he's an NPA voter.
Patrick Rice photo First, a disclosure: My wife, Joni Hunt, is supporting Johansson. She and her friend Mary Margaret Kelley even organized a meeting in Ormond Beach earlier this year at which Johansson – the former city manager of Port Orange – could get to know people from that city. Joni has also written a $300 check to Johansson’s campaign, using an account that she alone controls.
Joni is a registered Republican; I’m an NPA. Somehow, we co-exist. Johansson’s contributors include prominent members of the Volusia County business community – a point Pettit and Brower point out often.
The Browns, the Hosseinis, the Ritcheys, the Lydeckers, George Anderson, Theresa Doan – they’ve all written checks to support Johansson. State Rep. Tom Leek also wrote a $1,000 check to Johansson through his PAC, “Living Life with Purpose.” But Johansson’s contributors also include dozens and dozens of businesses and other people who made smaller contributions to his campaign. Johansson’s list of contributors contains more than two times as many people as Pettit.
There’s also this: When Johansson decided earlier this year to run for the at-large seat, he didn’t consult any of the above-named prominent people in advance. He simply decided to run, and then they decided to support him. I know this because I spoke to some of those prominent people in the first weeks after Johansson filed and they weren’t even aware that he was running.
I’ve spoken with Johansson since he announced his candidacy, albeit briefly. He told me he’s “humbled” by the broad base of support he’s received. I also spoke with Pettit, an assistant football coach, a couple months back for about 15 minutes on the phone. Mostly, I was interested in Pettit’s views about septic tank pollution because he and the other Brower-backed candidates claim they are concerned about water quality.
Tens of thousands of homes in Volusia County have septic systems, many of them aging. A recent Florida Atlantic University study found that septic tanks are one of the main polluters of the Indian River Lagoon system. It’s an issue that will cost untold millions of dollars to fix.
Pettit, as I recall, told me septic tank pollution is a minor issue compared to out-of-control development. This didn’t surprise me because it mirrors Brower’s view. In 2019, when he was running for county chair, Brower said he conducted tests on soil in Ormond-by-the-Sea, where thousands of homes are on septic systems, and found there was no pollution.
The News-Journal then reported that the company Brower said analyzed his tests doesn’t even conduct such analysis.
Anyway, Pettit and I had a friendly discussion. I told him my wife supports Johansson. He seemed OK with that at the time. But when I asked him again about septic tank pollution after he posted on Facebook more recently, he called my question “disingenuous,” and said I hadn’t pointed out to him that my wife was supporting Johansson early enough in our previous conversation.
The anti-tax PAC man Pettit has some significant financial backers of his own. Records show Brower’s slate is also supported by an anti-tax political activist named Russ Moulton who moved here in 2019. Moulton is a defense contractor who has a long history of Republican Party activism in Virginia.
According to the Washington Post, he is a twice-failed state senate candidate in that state who became an anti-tax activist in Virginia. Some members of the Republican Party in Virginia have suggested Moulton was a main reason why no Republicans there were elected to state office for a decade or so.
Here’s the Post’s story about Moulton: https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../ba522e40-de3d-11e4... Moulton bought a three-story house in Volusia County in 2019, property records show. His home in north Ormond-by-the-Sea, with a view of the Atlantic Ocean on the other side of State Road A1A and a private neighborhood beach approach, has a just market value of more than $759,000. His ad valorem tax bill this year is an estimated $10,881.
That’s much more in taxes than Brower pays. This year Brower paid an estimated $171.01 in ad valorem taxes on his property near DeLeon Springs, Volusia County Property Appraiser records show. In 2020, Moulton was one of Brower’s biggest individual campaign contributors.
In 2021 he showed up at a couple Volusia County Council meetings and railed against property taxes. This year, Moulton has written $1,000 checks to Pettit, Sosa, and Smith.
More importantly, he also has created the FAIREST PAC that’s sending out attack texts against Johansson and other candidates facing Brower’s slate. The FAIREST PAC has accumulated $53,000. That includes $20,000 from Arnie Bellini. More on that contribution later.
I reached out to Brower via Facebook Messenger to get a phone number for Moulton, and to set up a time to interview Brower. He sent me a thumbs up sign, but no phone number for Moulton. I also drove to Moulton’s home and rang the doorbell twice. Nobody appeared to be home.
How a planned state wildlife corridor workshop and politics intersected
For years, environmentalists have been working to secure land that can create a sustainable “wildlife corridor” throughout Florida. Bellini, who made big money in software technology, is a significant supporter of that effort. The emails the county released last week indicate that Brower and Bellini were at a Wildlife Corridor Summit in Orlando event together in April.
On April 19, Brower sent Bellini an email indicating he enjoyed meeting him and thought the Orlando event was “classy.” On April 24, Brower sent another email to Bellini, and injected campaign politics.
“I am excited to keep the Corridor in front of the council and the public,” Brower wrote. “It’s a campaign year, the best time to make progress on things the public loves! Best regards, Jeff Brower Volusia County Chair.”
On May 20, Brower wrote to Bellini and asked if he would speak at a Volusia County wildlife corridor workshop. Eventually, Bellini was tagged as the keynote speaker for the workshop.
County staff was tasked with putting together the wildlife corridor workshop. But emails indicate a number of environmental advocates not employed by the county were also heavily involved in planning.
Photos for Headline Surfer / Volusia County jail mugshots of Elizabeth Ann Lavette, also known by an alias as Libby Ann Higbee, who is an unofficial advisor on environmental issues to County Chair Jeff Brower, as pointed out by Patrick Rice in his Facebook column. Headline Surfer first reported on Lavette back in 2018 when she was using Facebook to bash politicians in Edgewater she didn't like.
Among them is a woman named Elizabeth Lavette. Volusia County court and jail records indicate Lavette has been arrested several times, including two times for driving under the influence in 2013 and 2021. I have reached out to Lavette via Facebook Messenger, but she hasn’t responded.
Lavette’s emails to county staff – there are several of them – are mostly upbeat and involve setting up the wildlife corridor workshop. But they’re not all friendly. She wrote a sharp-edged email to Volusia County Resource Stewardship Director Brad Burbaugh on June 20 after Lavette apparently felt he wasn’t responding proactively enough about the workshop.
“Dear Bad,” Lavette wrote. (Her spelling.) “We need to talk immediately. This isn’t Russia we don’t have 20 years to make this happen. Why have you not contacted one person that I have put you in touch with that has committed to this event? Not ONE. And you gave me your word that you would make it a priority. Unacceptable. Intolerable. Inexcusable. Shall I go on? I had hoped that this could be a career building opportunity for you. It looks like you’re about to blow it.”
That same day, Brower followed Lavette’s email with his own email to Burbaugh and others suggesting the county was not adequately supporting the wildlife corridor workshop.
“We have the conference set for August 13 but I am concerned it feels like staff is moving away from this and I really want Volusia residents to see that the Corridor and this conference has the full support of County staff,” Brower wrote. “That is needed in order to encourage adequate land acquisition in my opinion.” Brower also brought up that Bellini, besides speaking, had promised to support the wildlife corridor workshop financially. One day before that – on June 19 – Lavette sent an email in which she said Bellini “promised $20,000 toward the event.” Bellini hasn’t given the county $20,000 for the wildlife corridor workshop, a county official told me. But his “Bellini Better World Foundation” did give $20,000 to the FAIREST PAC controlled by Brower supporter Moulton that is now being used to purchase negative advertising attacking the candidates running against Brower’s slate.
The $20,000 was deposited into the FAIREST PAC on July 15 – the same day the county put out a press release announcing the wildlife corridor conference. I reached out to Bellini and Elizabeth Shipley, CEO of the Live Wildly Foundation that Bellini supports, for comment regarding the contribution to the PAC. Last week, a spokesman for Bellini sent me the following response: “Bellini Family Office LLC contributed $20,000 to Floridians for Affordability in Real Estate and Sales Taxes. This was incorrectly classified as a contribution from the Bellini Better World Foundation and is being corrected.
“Mr. Bellini also committed up to $20,000 to cover direct expenses for the Corridor Workshop. This contribution was not going to the county. That contribution has been postponed until the new workshop date is set.”
Shipley in fact suggested on June 23 that the wildlife corridor workshop be postponed until after the general election, when a new county council would be elected.
“Al -- I have been giving this event a lot of thought as we are committed to helping ensure a successful, well implemented event,” Shipley wrote. “I have a lot of experience (over 30 years) with structuring events that build collaboration, create foundations of knowledge and inspire action. Given that the November elections could create a shift in the targeted constituents within the county, in my mind the best use of time, energy, and resources would be to postpone this event until after the elections.”
That brought an immediate – and political – response from Brower. “This is really disappointing to me,” Brower wrote. “I understand it gives you more time for planning. However, the August 23 primary could end all political interest in the Corridor. We need this before the elections so the public is better aware of what is being proposed and how it will work. Then the public can let their representatives and candidates know if they support the Corridor or not. They do! November is too late. We need public support to be heard by all the candidates running locally.”
I reached out to both Bellini and Brower to ask who was involved in any communications or discussions that led to Bellini contributing to the FAIREST PAC. Neither of them has responded.
Less than two weeks after Bellini provided $20,000 to Moulton’s PAC, Brower held a press conference to announce he’s asking for an inquiry into the state’s support of the Pioneer Trail interchange with Interstate 95.
Brower claims the Florida Department of Transportation has sidestepped federal oversight for the interchange, located in an area where thousands of homes have been built in the past 15 years, with more on the way. Brower sent a lengthy letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis challenging the interchange.
Brower’s letter has the support of U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who may be the Democrat running against DeSantis in the general election.
Two members of Brower’s slate – Pettit and Noftall – stood behind Brower as he announced his request of an inquiry.
What will happen next
As mentioned earlier, Brower’s fellow councilmembers voted to postpone the wildlife corridor workshop until after the November general election. They also voted to send a letter to DeSantis repudiating Brower’s earlier letter about the Pioneer Trail interchange with I-95. But there are important unanswered questions, and someone with authority from outside the county should investigate.
The Florida Commission on Ethics might be the appropriate body to get to the bottom of this question: Were county employees used to help organize an event Brower championed that was designed to influence the August 23 primary? And, what led the person who was to be the main speaker at the now-postposed wildlife corridor workshop to donate $20,000 to a PAC being used to attack the candidates opposing Brower’s slate?
I have no idea who will win county council seats this election. But this election cycle makes me long for the leadership of former councilmember Pat Northey, who accomplished big environmental things like support for large land purchases and creation of a great trail system. She did it the old-fashioned way. She built consensus.
I support the creation of a wildlife corridor, and if anyone cares to fairly compare Volusia County to its peers, they’ll find the county already has one of the best records in the state for green space preservation. But there has to be balance. We desperately need leadership that will bring everyone to the table to protect the environment while also accepting that Volusia County, like Florida, is going to continue growing.
As Vic Baker told me, “You can’t keep people from coming to Florida. He (Brower) wants to build a wall around Volusia County.” Shutting off all growth could lead to an economic tailspin no one in Volusia County can afford. The August 23 primary is (less than) a week away. Please vote.
Positive Reax to Pat Rice's column:
Headline Surfer was among the first to post a comment - Henry Frederick: "Major props to you, Patrick Rice. We haven't always seen eye to eye in our respective journalism circles, but I respect what you've said here. As much praise as you've given to Pat Northey , and indeed it is justified, I do go back further in time than you. I think Ms. Northey would readily agree with me that consensus was strong on the council prior to 2013, with Frank Bruno, Joie Alexander, and Joyce Cusack. They, along with Patricia Northey, were the cornerstone for building consensus on the need for land preservation and proper use of federal, state & county monies to build the elaborate hiking trails that became Pat Northey's baby... BTW Patrick Rice, I would love to do a podcast with you at some point, perhaps in the Fall. It would be an honor..."
Pat Northey: "What a breath of fresh air. Thank you, Pat, for doing the investigative reporting this mess of an election season needed."
Vicki Ehmen: "This is an example of why we need good investigative reporters in our community - thank you for the information."
Tom Lavere: "Our Leaders ?????"
George Bulling: "Good read."
MaryLee Almekinder: "Wow. Seems like there is a lack of integrity with all the mud-slinging. Good piece. Researched as it should be before speaking. Had others done their research and not run with partial information that they could spin to their own liking, you wouldn't have had to work so hard! How can anyone expect voters to do their homework and make informed, independent decisions when some of those running or in charge can't? Thank you for investigating so thoroughly."
Colleen McDevitt: "I didn’t think a post this long could be done on Facebook. Apparently, some birds' feathers are ruffled."
Toni Wright: "Kudos! Hope the truth is seen before votes are cast! Russ Moulton moved to Volusia to continue his disruptive activism he is known for in Virginia. He has succeeded in much disruption in our county from "behind the scenes" like a snake hiding under a bush. He wants power over the Volusia County Council so it started with Brower. He has been trying to stage a coup of the Republican Executive Committee since the day he arrived and has caused division like never seen before. Power-hungry Brower has been his tool. Pettit, Noftall, Sosa, and Smith are just his newest tools to give him the influence over the people in Volusia County he so desires. His reputation precedes him...he can hide no longer. Violations of the law are in question and certainly violations of ethics have taken place with this activist's influence over Jeff Brower and his followers. Make your vote count and don't fall for their schemes!"
This from an administrator of The VCC Page - Volusia County Concerns: Kim Hart: "Politics here is like a blood sport. And do we really want our VCC members to all think the same? I prefer independent thinkers, not just “yes” men."
Eli Tobias: "Thanks for putting in the work!"
Negative Reax to Pat Rice's column:
Love Cohen: "This doesn’t come across as impartial or as “first-rate journalism.” You’d have to be awfully tone deaf to not hear how off key this piece is."
The bulk of the negative reaction was from Richard Feller, a Brower political insider appointed to the PLDRC Board last year.
Richard Feller: "More DBNJ megaphoning."
Richard Feller included a GIF from the 1989 comedy film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," (starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Randy Quaid) to illustrate what he thinks of Pat Rice's former newspaper and of him.
Richard Feller: "Henry Frederick, quick question. How is the DBNJ doing subscription-wise?"
Headline Surfer responded: Henry Frederick: "Richard Feller, I don't understand the context of this question."
Richard Feller: "Henry Frederick, it was supposed to be a reply to Pat Rice but it doesn’t matter. The DBNJ is about as trustworthy as the Enquirer or the Globe. Only people who want to be told what to think read it. People who actually research and question things don’t pay it any mind!"
Here is even more blistering criticism of Rice from Feller:
Richard Feller: "Isn’t it funny how the few people lauding this piece of crap article are the same people who all want things back to the days of Ed and Deb and the other terrible politicians who sold out Volusia. Two years ago When the voters stood up and said enough, they were shocked. Now these people's puppeteers have started freaking out again and are putting out hit piece after hit piece with the usuals coming to its defense."
Feller's indictment of Pat Rice drew this response: Denny McCombs: "Richard Feller, Your comment couldn't be further from the truth. I was not a fan of Ed Kelley or Deb Denys. Unfortunately, Jeff Brower has fallen into Russ Moulton's trap, and he obviously believes that he is a friend of Moulton and Bellini while he (is) just a tool in their bag of tricks."
Previous Related Coverage:
Headline Surfer Aug. 23 primary endorsement: Jake Johansson of Port Orange, candidate with 'ethics & integrity' for at-large Volusia County Council
Headline Surfer Endorsement: Barbara Girtman of DeLand for Volusia County Council Dis 1 seat in November elections
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008 along the I-4 tourism corridor in greater Daytona Beach to Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed 115 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases such as the George Zimmerman murder trial, Frederick has appeared on national crime shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. AWJ: