Judge Dismisses Corruption Charges Against Tamarac Mayor

A Broward County judge has dismissed all criminal corruption charges against the suspended mayor of Tamarac but prosecutors plan to appeal.
 
Circuit Judge Cynthia Imperato ruled Wednesday there was no evidence Mayor Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco received any personal benefit in her dealings with developers. Flansbaum-Talabisco had pleaded not guilty and insisted she did nothing wrong.
 
The judge found there was nothing illegal about the way a father-and-son developer team funded opinion polls and an independent campaign account to benefit the mayor's 2006 election victory. The ruling said there wasn't strong evidence that Flansbaum-Talabisco voted for the developers' homebuilding project because of their financial support.
 
Prosecutors told the South Florida Sun Sentinel they will appeal. It wasn't immediately clear if the mayor could be reinstated while the appeal is pending.