3 July 23-29, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ BROWARD ALTERNATIVE FACTS THE BROWARD BLACK CAUCUS CALLS OUT WASSERMAN SCHULTZ FOR LYING ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. BY B. SCOTT MCLENDON S ome members of the Broward Black Caucus are accusing U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of lying about having endorse- ments from local Black, LGBTQ, and veteran groups. And while the Broward Black Caucus president says Wasserman Schultz came to the group Saturday, July 11, to apologize in person, other caucus mem- bers think it was a deliberate effort to trick voters at the polls in November. Currently the U.S. Representative for Flori- da’s 25th District (a white-majority district covering southern Broward County), Wasser- man Schultz is running to replace embattled U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned in April from District 20 (a predomi- nantly Black district covering northern Bro- ward). Wasserman Schultz had already caused controversy in the race when she entered the running for a district seat historically held by a Black person, Broward Black Caucus member and fellow District 20 candidate Elijah Manley told New Times on Tuesday, July 14. Manley accused Wasserman Schultz of lying about having additional endorsements from SAVE LGBTQ and the Sierra Club Florida (an environmental organization). Neither organization responded to New Times’ request for comment. She removed all her endorsements from her campaign website, Manley says. Wasserman Schultz didn’t respond to calls or emails requesting comment. “It’s not just bad judgment but highly dis- respectful of the members of the Black Cau- cus and people here,” Manley says, referring to Wasserman Schultz’s endorsement page. “I think it was her calculation to trick the voters with inac- curate information. I don’t think it was an honest mistake. It’s a very cynical attempt to trick the voters.” Manley explained he was the first to no- tice the erroneous endorsement claim and notified Broward Black Caucus President Corey Shearer. Man- ley tweeted a screenshot of a statement from the caucus, which reads, “Contrary to informa- tion currently appearing on Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s campaign web- site, the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus has not endorsed Rep. Debbie Wasser- man Schultz for any office. “The BCDBC’s endorsement process for the 2026 election cycle is only now beginning. No endorsement has been made in this race, and any public statement suggesting other- wise is inaccurate and does not reflect the of- ficial position of our organization. “As an organization committed to fair repre- sentation and civic engagement, the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus continues to advocate for the voices of the residents and vot- ers of Congressional District 20. We have con- sistently expressed concerns regarding efforts that we believe diminish the ability of the com- munities within CD 20 to determine their own congressional representation. This false adver- tisement points to dishonest intentions, and the voters of CD 20 deserve better. “We assert that this type of behavior is un- becoming of someone who is seeking the trust of the people.” While Wasserman Schultz hasn’t re- sponded to New Times’ request for comment, she also hasn’t made any apparent statement on the issue via her public social media accounts. And while Manley says that some in the group found the claim insulting and the prod- uct of a bad-faith attempt to win over voters, Shearer told New Times he thinks the claim wasn’t made with ill intentions. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t insulting, he says. Shearer spoke to Wasserman Shultz about the issue on July 11, after the group sent out its state- ment calling her out for the apparent lie. “She had been rolling over endorsements from us and others,” Shearer says, adding that the group had endorsed her for other campaigns in different districts years ago. “Seeing the claim that we endorsed her right away sent up red flags because we haven’t held the vote yet. “That got us pretty upset. You feel like someone is taking something from you with- out the courtesy of asking. When something like this happens, you feel disappointed and like someone is taking advantage of you.” During multiple in-person conversations, Wasserman Schultz apologized for the mis- take and said this wasn’t the way she oper- ates, Shearer says. [email protected] | RIPTIDE | Wasserman Schultz apologized to the group in person earlier this month. PoolSafety / Wikimedia Commons “SEEING THE CLAIM THAT WE ENDORSED HER RIGHT AWAY SENT UP RED FLAGS BECAUSE WE HAVEN’T HELD THE VOTE YET.”
