County's police unions locked in lawsuit over allegations from sheriff's election
The contentious Palm Beach County sheriff's election that pitted incumbent Ric Bradshaw against Michael Gauger, his former top deputy, has been over for more than five months. But the wounds it inflicted show no signs of healing anytime soon.
Bradshaw, who won the election, was endorsed by the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association; Gauger by the Fraternal Order of Police. The two police unions are now locked in a messy lawsuit filed by the PBA.
John Kazanjian, president of both the county and state chapter of the PBA, alleges in the suit that FOP leadership defamed him by making false statements that tarnished his reputation and cost the PBA membership. The lawsuit cited claims by FOP leaders that he committed 'fraud, obtained documents by criminal means, embezzled funds from the foundation of his late daughter — Kailin Kazanjian, and misappropriated deputies' cost-of-living adjustments for improper means.'
The PBA lawsuit takes issue with a letter written by the FOP accusing Kazanjian of 'enriching himself on the backs of men and women he represents.' The FOP says that Kazanjian was scared that Gauger might win because 'a victory would almost certainly end the Kazanjian gravy train and it should end because PBSO should not be his personal cash cow.'
Bradshaw, who is serving a record fifth term, defeated Gauger by 15 points. The alleged defamatory statements were made in the context of the sheriff's election, according to the FOP, and were not made with malice, a criterion that must be met for a defamation lawsuit to be successful.
'Plaintiffs (Kazanjian and the PBAs) are public figures subject to the actual malice standard,' according to the FOP's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. If the court rules that Kazanjian is a public figure, he would have to show that the comments were made 'with reckless disregard' for the truth or with malice. The FOP argues the comments made fall within the protections afforded by the First Amendment.
According to the PBA lawsuit, the FOP responded to Kazanjian's support of Bradshaw 'by manufacturing a malicious defamation campaign' against Kazanjian as well as the county and state PBAs. All three are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Named as defendants are FOP Lodge #50, Luis Blasco, Carlos Dorta and Wilhelm Prieschl, the FOP leadership.
The FOP and PBA compete against one another to represent police officers in South Florida. To increase its membership, the lawsuit alleges that the FOP launched a concentrated effort to destroy the reputation of the PBAs and Kazanjian "by any means necessary."
The FOP strategy was to make 'false and defamatory attacks to poach PBA members,' according to the PBA. And the strategy, to some extent, has worked, as police departments have left the PBA to join the FOP, the PBA acknowledged in its lawsuit.
RELATED STORY: Palm Beach County sheriff race already bringing accusations and animosity
'The false accusations of serious criminal misconduct and unethical behavior to Kazanjian's reputation is immeasurable and impossible to repair," the suit said. The reputation to the PBAs is equally devastating, according to the PBA.
The FOP sent a letter to its membership accusing Kazanjian of stealing from a charity he founded in honor of his late daughter, Kaitlin, who died in a car accident in 2003. The FOP bases its charge on the PBA's income-tax filing that reports that Kazanjian received $101,070 from a related organization. The filing, though, reports that no one from the charity received any compensation, but because the charity's board members are also members of the PBA, the compensation from the PBA was listed. The FOP wrongly reported that the salary came from the charity, according to the PBA.
RELATED STORY: Trump supporters tussle with Bradshaw backers at State Road 7 intersection
The FOP also alleged that deputies attended a fundraising golf event on overtime that raised more than $300,000 yet only $79,000 were awarded scholarships. Another accusation made by the FOP is that the PBA violated federal law by gaining access to Gauger's personnel file and falsely reporting that Gauger never served in Vietnam.
Jack Scarola, the attorney representing the FOP, told The Post that the PBA lawsuit 'is not going anywhere,' adding: 'There are very significant legal impediments for them to overcome. They are trying to restrict FOP leadership from communicating with its membership. And we will be contesting many of the factual assertions they have made.'
Courtney Caprio, the lawyer representing Kazanjian and the PBAs, said 'defamation isn't protected by the First Amendment. There is no constitutional value in false statements of facts, and we look forward to our day in court.' She said it was necessary 'to file the lawsuit to vindicate our clients' reputations, which were unjustly attacked and smeared by the false and defamatory statements published by the FOP and its board members.'
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and issues impacting homeowner associations. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: PBA police union sues rival FOP over election allegations

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USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's what unfolded
LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's what unfolded What started as a small protest against immigrant arrests escalated over a few days, after President Trump called in the National Guard. Show Caption Hide Caption National Guard and protesters clashed over ICE protests Hundreds of demonstrators fought back with the National Guard as ICE protests escalated. The tensions in Los Angeles started small and intensified over the course of the weekend, with both protesters and federal officials blaming each other for the escalation. Though details are still emerging, here's what we know now about how the situation unfolded. Immigration raids in Los Angeles on the afternoon of June 6 sparked a small protest. The next day, larger protests began in the town of Paramount, south of Los Angeles, linked to rumors of a possible immigration raid. Towards evening on June 7, President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard members to the area. 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By 4 p.m., social media posts showed Los Angeles police and sheriffs declaring the gathering an unlawful assembly and using loudspeakers to tell protesters that anyone who remained would be arrested. Over the next few hours, the clash continued with protesters throwing things at officers, setting off fireworks, and burning at least one garbage can. By midnight, the demonstrators began to leave the area. Multiple people had been arrested. Another protest also broke out in the nearby city of Compton, where a car was set on fire. Compton Mayor Emma Sharif called for calm, posting online that "we urge everyone to remain peaceful. Violence and the destruction of property are not the solution." The Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement commending "all those who exercised their First Amendment rights responsibly." 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Senior White House aide Stephen Miller on Saturday condemned protests, posting on X: "This is a violent insurrection." U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X: "Federal law enforcement operations are proceeding as planned this weekend in Los Angeles County. I urge the public to refrain from interfering with these lawful actions. Anyone who obstructs federal agents will face arrest and prosecution." At 5:15 p.m. local time, California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X that deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles "is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions." He said there was "currently no unmet need" in the city. "This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust." Sunday, June 8 Early in the morning of June 8, several dozen National Guard troops arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center three blocks from Los Angeles City Hall. By 10:30 a.m., as many as 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed in three separate parts of the city. 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LAPD said on X that it had placed officers across the city on "tactical alert." The police department later declared an 'unlawful assembly' for the Civic Center area and the historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, an area covering a small portion of the sprawling city of 500 square miles. It authorized the 'use of less lethal munitions." The department issued a dispersal order and said arrests were being made. In an emailed letter released on Sunday afternoon, Governor Newsom formally asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to rescind Trump's order to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles. National Guard troops and armored cars were stationed in a business park that contains a Department of Homeland Security office in the city of Paramount, the Los Angeles Times reported. By 6:30, Los Angeles police said a 'number of people have been arrested' at the Civic Center area. 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USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's a what unfolded
LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's a what unfolded What started as a small protest against immigrant arrests escalated over a few days, after President Trump called in the National Guard. Show Caption Hide Caption National Guard and protesters clashed over ICE protests Hundreds of demonstrators fought back with the National Guard as ICE protests escalated. The tensions in Los Angeles started small and intensified over the course of the weekend, with both protesters and federal officials blaming each other for the escalation. Though details are still emerging, here's what we know now about how the situation unfolded. Immigration raids in Los Angeles on the afternoon of June 6 sparked a small protest. The next day, larger protests began in the town of Paramount, south of Los Angeles, linked to rumors of a possible immigration raid. Towards evening on June 7, President Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard members to the area. That night protesters threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers. Later that same night,local police declared a small part of downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly area and large numbers of protesters were cleared from the site. Here's a timeline of the events. Friday, June 6 Homeland Security agents detained several people outside a Home Depot just west of downtown Los Angeles on Friday morning. A little later in the morning another raid took place at an Ambiance clothing store in LA's Fashion District in downtown. During that operation, people gathered around to photograph and video the officers. A few protesters also arrived. All told, four different search warrants were executed in Los Angeles on Friday by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, a spokesperson for Homeland Security told the Los Angeles Times. At least 44 people were arrested. At one of the sites, the president of the Service Employees International Union, David Huerta, was arrested for allegedly interfering with federal officers. The union said Huerta was exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity. By around 6:30 p.m. local time on Friday night, more than 100 people gathered at the immigration services building and detention center in downtown Los Angeles to protest the raids, according to Reuters. At around 7 p.m. the Los Angeles Police Department declared it an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse. About half an hour later, multiple police vehicles and at least 50 police officers in riot gear arrived. Some protesters threw pieces of broken concrete at the officers, who responded by firing tear gas and pepper spray. They also used flash-bang concussion rounds to disperse the crowd. Saturday, June 7 Around 9 a.m., Border Patrol agents gathered in a gated industrial office part in Paramount, a Latino suburb south of downtown Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times. Word spread on social media that raids were planned at a nearby Home Depot and protesters began to gather, though it does not appear that officials actually engaged with immigrants at the store. Police and Los Angeles Sheriff's officers arrived and a very localized protest began, centered in the area around the Home Depot. About 350 to 400 protesters gathered. Some threw objects at the agents. According to Los Angeles Times reporters who were on the scene, each time protesters threw anything at the agents or the police, tear gas and flash-bang rounds were fired back by federal agents. One video on X showed protesters blocking a bus, which the Los Angeles Times identified as a U.S. Marshall bus. Another showed a car that had been vandalized. 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But it went on to say, "while today's events concluded without incident, the Los Angeles Police Department remains fully prepared to respond swiftly and appropriately to any potential acts of civil unrest. Our commitment to safeguarding the rights, safety, and well-being of all Angelenos continues – day and night." According to Homeland Security, on Saturday night, rioters surrounded the immigration services building and detention center, "assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer funded property. " In response, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum deploying "at least" 2,000 National Guardsman to Los Angeles. In a statement, the White House said "violent mobs have attacked ICE Officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California," making the deployment necessary. Senior White House aide Stephen Miller on Saturday condemned protests, posting on X "This is a violent insurrection." U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X "Federal law enforcement operations are proceeding as planned this weekend in Los Angeles County. I urge the public to refrain from interfering with these lawful actions. Anyone who obstructs federal agents will face arrest and prosecution." At 5:15 p.m. local time, California governor Gavin Newsom posted on X that deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles "is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions." He said there was "currently no unmet need" in the city. "This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust." Sunday, June 8 Early in the morning of June 8, several dozen National Guard troops arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center three blocks from Los Angeles City Hall. By 10:30 am as many as 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed in three separate parts of the city. Crowds of protesters began arriving in the area around the federal complex – which is mostly made up of city, state and federal building – around noon. The protests were not widespread and most of the city was quiet. The situation began to escalate as the afternoon wore on. Many protesters waved Mexican flags or hybrid Mexican-American flags and chanted anti-ICE slogans. Some were also seen throwing water bottles and other objects at officers and law enforcement vehicles. Videos shared on social media and footage from local television stations showed officers in riot gear, with the sound of flash-bangs in the background. At least five Waymo self-driving taxis were vandalized by protesters who spray painted them with anti-Trump and anti-ICE slogans. At least two were set on fire. At one point, a crowd of protesters walked onto the 101 Freeway, blocking traffic in both directions. They were confronted by officers in riot gear and by 5 p.m. local time the Freeway was cleared. 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At 8 p.m. authorities moved in aggressively with flash-bangs and tear gas grenades, sending hundreds of people running, their eyes streaming with tears. Helicopters clattered overhead as protesters fled the area to the honking of car horns and periodic cheers. Contributed: Trevor Hughes
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
On the Record: Federal funding cuts threaten 1/3 of WTVP budget
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