Mitra Malek, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
A legal defense fund Mayor Bob Margolis opened related to Wellington’s March 2012 elections had only $70 left late last week, he said.
That is the only information Margolis has offered regarding the fund, whose contributions might violate ethics laws.
He declined to comment further and directed all questions to his lawyer.
It’s unclear when Margolis spent the money, or on what.
Mark Herron, a Tallahassee-based lawyer, drafted the documents for Margolis’ legal expense fund trust and represented him during the elections recount.
Herron said he had no idea how much money was left in the fund, which took its first contribution in May and had a $7,600 balance on Aug. 31, according to gift disclosure forms Margolis filed with the Florida Commission on Ethics.
“I have no knowledge of the amounts in the fund,” Herron said. “I don’t administer the fund.”
Herron declined to say who the beneficiary of the trust is or whether he advised Margolis on state or county rules governing gifts to elected officials.
“That’s attorney-client privilege,” Herron said.
He also declined to share any information regarding legal fees related to the election recount.
Margolis deposited a $2,500 check from Player’s Club owner Neil Hirsch in May and a $4,000 check from equestrienne Victoria McCullough in August.
State and county law prohibit public officials from accepting gifts of more than $100 from lobbyists and companies or people employing lobbyists. Those restrictions appear to have applied to Hirsch and McCullough when Margolis accepted their gifts.
Margolis wasn’t the only Wellington elected official to open a legal defense fund during the elections, when a machine glitch assigned the wrong vote totals to six candidates in three races.
Councilman John Greene two weeks ago filed gift disclosure forms noting a legal defense fund contribution of $5,000.
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