Quinn, B

same as joe b?

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Why is this Brooks Brothers riot alumnus attending Broward’s recount?

“I have many years of experience with recounts so they asked me to come,” Joseph Brendan Quinn said about his latest contract with the RNC.

Miami Herald

Published Nov. 16, 2018|Updated Nov. 16, 2018

LAUDERHILL — A Republican party operative from New York who made his name influencing the 2000 presidential recount process is back in South Florida this week on the payroll of the Republican National Committee.

Joseph Brendan Quinn arrived quietly in Fort Lauderdale from New York last Friday and made his way to the Broward Department of Elections in Lauderhill, as three key races went to recounts triggered by razor-thin margins. High-profile Republicans cried foul.

"I have many years of experience with recounts so they asked me to come," Quinn said about his latest contract with the RNC. He expects his contract to continue through the end of a manual recount.

Quinn was executive director of the New York state Republican committee in 2000 when the party flew him to Florida on a hearts-and-minds campaign intended to help Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush win the recount and not Democrat Al Gore. Quinn is most famous for allegedly leading the raucous upheaval outside the office of the Miami-Dade supervisor of elections— later dubbed the "Brooks Brothers Riot" — that some ultimately credited for the abrupt termination of recount efforts in the county. (Brad Blakeman, a Bush campaign operative, publicly took credit for starting the raucous protest, the Washington Post reported.)

Republican Party observer Tom Pyle, from California, center, demonstrates outside the Miami-Dade County’s elections office Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2000, at the Stephen P. Clark Goverment Center in Miami. Observers demanded to be allowed to be present at the counting of the 10,700 ballots. (AP Photo/Miami Herald, Carl Juste)

Now a private political consultant, Quinn's back in South Florida this week — this time in Broward County — on a contract with the RNC to observe the recount process, Quinn said Thursday. Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes has come under fire from Republican leaders including President Donald Trump who, without evidence, accused Snipes of trying to "steal" the election. Gov. Rick Scott also accused the Snipes administration of fraud, but provided no evidence, either. Scott's race against incumbent Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson is one of the recounts underway.

Still, numerous irregularities over the years have put Broward in the political hot seat. On Thursday, the machine recount numbers were rejected by the state after the elections department filed its results two minutes past the 3 p.m. deadline. Observers on both sides expect protests outside of the Lauderhill location on Friday, the day the department is supposed to begin its manual recount of the Scott-Nelson votes and another statewide race. A group of avid Republican supporters has been camped outside of the office all week.

Blakeman told the Post watching the recount on TV has been like reliving the 2000 presidential recount.

"I'm watching people play my role on TV," Blakeman told the Post. "There's a guy with a bullhorn from Scott's campaign, signs outside recount center. Even the verbiage of Scott, calling Nelson a sore loser, is the same."

Quinn's daily routine also seems to come straight out of an RNC playbook written during the 2000 recount.

Quinn spends much of his days in the observation room at the Broward Elections office in discussions with the group of half a dozen Republican political consultants, lawyers and staff from the Scott and Ron DeSantis campaigns. He then makes rounds, rubbing shoulders and trying to win friends with other observers and members of the media. Quinn even bought a cake for a Miami Herald reporter on her birthday, though she did not accept the gift.

Outside Broward Elections, Quinn befriended the police officers on duty, passing hours telling jokes and laughing. He spoke frequently with conservative protesters camped outside the police tape. "He wouldn't say much, just thanks for representing the party," Linda Schainberg told the Herald.

"It worked then, and they are thinking it might work well again," Blakeman told the Post.

Both Quinn and Blakeman were part of a group of about a dozen heavy hitters deployed to Florida by the RNC in 2000 when it became clear that the presidential race between Bush and Gore would come down to a few votes cast in Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach counties. The strategy, reportedly devised by Roger Stone, was to keep Bush in the lead with a three-pronged approach: legal efforts, the official recount, and winning the PR battle with continuous campaigning.

The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that Quinn was sent first to Tampa, then Fort Lauderdale, then Miami, then West Palm Beach, at one point becoming so frustrated with the many moves that he attacked Bush lawyer Kevin Martin.

"I threw a garbage can at him and threw him out of the room," Quinn told the Times.

Quinn ended up in Miami on Nov. 22, 2000 when, according to the New York Times and several subsequent reports, he led a sit-in outside the elections office after officials moved ballot reviews to a private room saying the many public interruptions were causing the recount process to take too long.

For Dade by Carl Juste/mhs, Office of Elections, County Hall, Stephen P. Clark Center, Downtown Miami, 11/22/00 — Republican party observers Brendan Quinn(left) and Bruce Tague (right) both from New York state joined the impromptu side-in outside the Miami – Dade County’s elections office. Republic observers demanded to be allowed to observe the counting of the 10,700 ballots. The Canvassing Board suspended the manual counting of Miami – Dade County’s ballots and will only count the undercounted ballots.

Soon the several dozen protesters were banging on the glass door of the elections office demanding to be let in. Many were paid Republican operatives, flown in by the party, later identified in a photo by the Washington Post. Quinn is not in the picture.

"They were banging on the glass with clip boards. We were afraid the whole thing could collapse," said South Florida attorney Joe Geller, who had walked in from the elevator in the middle of the chaos. "They were chanting, 'Let us in, let us in.' "

Geller, a Democrat and now a state representative, asked for a sample ballot he planned to use to demonstrate a flaw in the machine tabulation system only to be almost immediately swarmed by protesters accusing him of stealing a ballot.

"Then I was surrounded by all of these pushing, shouting, shoving, kicking, elbowing people," Geller remembers. He eventually got away with the help of a police officer who intervened. The protest had a lasting effect.

"People were nervous and frightened and upset," said Geller, who saw the canvassing board huddled after the protesters left the building.

Later that night, Miami-Dade elections officials called off the rest of the recount process.

"Violence, fear and physical intimidation literally shut down the counting of votes," Geller said.

About Quinn's presence in Broward County, Geller said, "I don't know him. I don't know what his role was. In general, if anybody who was responsible for that attempt to stop the counting of votes is back, that's a warning sign to beware."

— Sarah Blaskey

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GOP consultant and former state GOP Executive Director Brendan Quinn, who was involved in the state Republican Party’s efforts to keep U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Az, off New York’s presidential primary ballot in 2000, confirmed he is now working for McCain and setting up his Empire State campaign for the ’08 election.

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Everybody knows about the staffers and lobbyists who flooded Florida to block the vote. The Brooks Brothers Riot is just one example of their work.

But do you know about the group that Sean Hannity calls Delta Force of the GOP?

That would be Irish-American Republicans, a group who brags about their involvement in the Florida recount, the 2004 vote in Ohio and is preparing a new round of dirty tricks for 2008. Here is a sample of their "achievements":

For Election night 2000, several of the "Irish for Bush/Cheney" leadership: Grant Lally, Jeffrey Cleary and Judith Hard, were invited to join then-Governor George Bush, at his Election Night victory rally in Austin Texas. It turned into a long, rainy night in Austin.

Following the election, the Bush Campaign summoned the Irish American Republicans to take the lead in protecting President-Elect Bush's victory in Florida, against the Gore campaign operatives' relentless efforts to steal the election.

The IAR Leaders Grant Lally, Justin Driscoll, Brian McCarthy, Jeffrey Cleary, Brendan Quinn, Kenneth Curley, Judy Hard, Josh Toas, Robert Farley, Rick Nelson, Bruce Tague, Duane Gibson, and Congressman John Sweeney (R-NY), and many others, all flew to Florida at the request of the Bush/Cheney Campaign, to take the lead in the Recount efforts.

Dubbed the "Wild Geese of Miami," the Irish Republicans successfully fought-off the attempted theft of the Presidency. Grant Lally served as the GOP Floor Manager of the Miami Recount, battling to protect the integrity of the ballots.

Congessman John Sweeney served as overall Bush political director for the south Florida recounts, a role for which President Bush awarded him the knickname "Congessman Kick-Ass."

The Irish American Republicans played a vital role in the peaceful protest that the media dubbed the "Brooks Brothers' Riot," successfully demanding that the media have access to the secret "overcount" ballot recount that the Miami-Dade Canvassing Board proposed to hold behind closed doors. IAR Chairman Brian McCarthy was particularly featured on the cover of Newsweek, defending our right to open government. [snip]

The Irish American Republicans "Ohio Wild Geese" Win Key Battleground in 2004 for President Bush.

With the 2004 Presidential election too close to call, the RNC and Bush/Cheney 2004 summoned the Irish American Republicans save the day in the key battleground state of Ohio. IAR Board member Brendan Quinn was given overall command of the critical Cleveland area; and Irish Republicans from across the country flew to Ohio, to take critical leadership roles. [snip]

The IAR trained over 2000 GOP poll watchers, the front line of Republican anti-fraud efforts in Ohio.

The Irish American Republicans are proud of our members who played a critical role in helping to win Ohio in 2004, and ensuring that President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were returned for a second term.

And there is more. The Chairman of the Irish American Republicans, Brian McCarthy, wrote about his Florida recount activities for the National Review:

Thirty or so of the observers took the elevator to the 19th floor, followed by several members of the media, to ask for an explanation for why we were being locked out of the ballot counting. Of our group, almost half were women, several were attorneys, one a vascular surgeon and some were congressional staff members. Single shouts turned into unified chants: "Let us see the ballots!" "Let the media in!" "Let us in!" "Stop the fraud!" "No justice, no peace!" (Where's Al Sharpton when you need him?) Some sat on the floor, others stood as we all protested, oblivious to the rolling cameras. Municipal employees watched us through the glass partition, many smiling, as we demanded to see the ballots.

Our group and the media crowded into the T-shaped lobby of the 19th floor with little space to move about. Yet, as Democrat attorneys and election officials walked in and out of the two doors at opposite ends, they were allowed unimpeded access to the elevators. There was no rioting, punching, kicking, or thuggery, as alleged by the New York Times, Joseph Lieberman, David Bonior, and Paul Begala. According to Jerold Nadler's keen olfactory senses, a "whiff of fascism" was in the air. Al Gore has since called it "organized intimidation." Speaking of fascism, six Democrat House Representatives have written a letter to Janet Reno's Justice Department requesting an investigation into our expression of free speech under the Racketeering, Influence and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO).

There were no complaints to the police, arrests made, or injuries reported. Vocal? Yes. Violent? No. For about 45 minutes we yelled, laughed, clapped and reveled in our defense of due process and liberty. With hoarse voices, we met outside the building to continue our protest and were joined by many local Bush-Cheney supporters with homemade signs in hand. Then came the news that the board had reversed itself and decided to discontinue the hand counts in Miami-Dade. Our protest turned into a celebration of justice prevailing in one of the battles in this weeks-long political war started by Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman.

This is the new Republican party.

And it is a Republican Party shaped by, among others, John Mica of Florida. Take a look at the "Honorary" members on the Board of the Irish American Republicans:

Gov. George E. Pataki

Honorary Chairman

Sen. John McCain

Honorary Chairman

Rep James Walsh

Honorary Co-Chair

Rep. John Sweeney

Honorary Co-Chair

Lt Gov Kerry Healey

Honorary Co-Chair

Rep. Peter King

Honorary Co-Chair

Rep. Tom Feeney

Honorary Co-Chair

Rep. John Mica

Honorary Co-Chair

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New York’s Bush Boys

Pataki, Sweeney, Powers, Fossella to Prosper in Dubya Reign

Comments (0)By Wayne Barrett Tuesday, Jan 23 2001

A new president who lost New York by 1.5 million votes and the national popular vote by a comparatively minuscule 500,000 isn't likely to be looking our way when it's time to pass out the big federal checks. Nonetheless, a handful of [U.S.+Republican+Party]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">GOP stalwarts are salivating over their own prospects in a Bush administration, expecting both access and appointments.

Click|keyword[George+Pataki]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(252, 252, 252); text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">Governor George Pataki, the last Republican statewide official and up for reelection midway through the Dubya term, was not awarded a cabinet post, but he is already prospering under the new regime. Pataki will play a decisive role in naming U.S. district and circuit court judges, the U.S. attorney, and regional directors of the Click|keyword[U.S.+Marshals+Service]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(252, 252, 252); text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 24px;">U.S. Marshals Service, adding the federal judiciary to his already considerable influence over the state bench.

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While a state's U.S. senators are ordinarily pivotal in recommending candidates for these presidential appointments (requiring senate confirmation), the Bush administration is said to have made it clear that Click|keyword[Hillary+Clinton]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Hillary Clinton and Click|keyword[Charles+Schumer]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Chuck Schumer will have little to say about selections. Jockeying for appointments to the city's two federal prosecutorial posts—U.S. Attorney for the Southern and Eastern Districts—has begun, with candidates close to Pataki in the drivers' seats.

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If there is one big-time GOP loser during the Bush reign, it is the 71-year-old Molinari.

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Also participating in these key appointments—as well as filling top patronage jobs in the regional offices of federal agencies like Click|keyword[U.S.+Department+of+Housing+and+Urban+Development]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Housing and Urban Development, Health & Human Services, Labor, Environmental Protection, General Services, Transportation, and Interior—will be the leaders of the state's GOP congressional delegation. While Orange County Congressman Ben Gilman is the senior member of that delegation and will wield significant clout, the congressman with the best connections to the Click|keyword[The+White+House]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">White House is Click|keyword[John+Sweeney]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">John Sweeney, whose sliver of a district extends from Click|keyword[Hyde+Park]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Hyde Parkalmost to the Canadian border.

The former executive director of the state party, the 45-year-old Sweeney endeared himself to the Bushes by coordinating much of the recount fight in Florida, orchestrating the demonstrations, for example, at the Miami-Dade canvassing board. Denounced on national television as a "thug" by Click|keyword[Alan+Dershowitz]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Alan Dershowitz, the prominent Democratic attorney who represented the victims of the Click|keyword[Palm+Beach]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Palm Beachbutterfly ballot, Sweeney told the Voice: "Pataki, [state GOP chairman] Click|keyword[Bill+Powers]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Bill Powers, and myself have pretty good ties with the Bush people and will serve as voices for the state."

Pataki also visited Florida twice at crucial moments, doing national television appearances as a campaign spokesman. While Powers sent others and did not go himself, he is well-regarded by the Bush White House. Insiders say he may take a part-time Washington post, either as a consultant-lobbyist or within the administration, maintaining his state post and remaining at home in upstate Columbia County.

One immediate effect of the Bush win is that talk of dumping Powers—who was blamed in news accounts for the defeat of Click|keyword[U.S.+Senate]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. Senate candidate Click|keyword[Rick+Lazio]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Rick Lazio—has ended. Had Bush lost, some prominent state Republicans believe Pataki might have attempted to depose Powers—who was installed a decade ago by then Click|keyword[Alfonse+D'Amato]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Senator Al D'Amato—and replace him with his own party chief. Instead, the governor has reportedly "reached out to Powers to get him to stay,"according to one well-placed source. While Pataki and Powers were frequently not on the same page during the Senate campaign last year, the rift between them appears over, and they are likely to approach the 2002 elections united, a peace that will no doubt be aided by White House operatives.

Powers is a close ally of Sweeney, who was one of only 16 members of the Bush campaign's national steering committee, and both were early visitors to Click|keyword[Austin+(Texas)]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Austin, setting up shop with Bush before Pataki orchestrated his statewide GOP endorsement last May. Another sign of Sweeney's impressive Bush ties is that his aide, Click|keyword[Brad+Card]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Brad Card, is the brother of Bush chief of staff Click|keyword[Andrew+Card]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Andy Card. Indeed, Jeff Buley, who is Powers's attorney, also runs an Albany lobbying firm and represents Click|keyword[General+Motors+Corporation]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">General Motors, where Andy Card directed intergovernmental relations prior to taking a White House position.

Sweeney is reportedly focused on Click|keyword[U.S.+Environmental+Protection+Agency]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">EPA, HUD, and Labor appointments, having served as Labor commissioner under Pataki before winning his congressional seat in 1998. Though a junior member of the House, Sweeney was recently given his choice of plum committees, choosing Appropriations over Ways & Means. Another Powers ally, Click|keyword[Tom+Reynolds]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Buffalo Congressman Tom Reynolds, is also highly respected by the Bush team.

The New York City Republican with the best Bush ties is Click|keyword[Vito+Fossella]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Staten Island Congressman Vito Fossella, who was the only major state officeholder to endorse Bush in early 1999, while Pataki was still flirting with a possible candidacy. Later, when Fossella's longtime mentor, Click|keyword[Guy+Molinari]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Borough President Guy Molinari, broke with Bush to run Click|keyword[John+McCain]" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(37, 60, 135); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">John McCain's New York campaign, Fossella stuck with Bush, earning Molinari's public ire and helping to carry the island in the primary for the new president. Once one of the city's most powerful Republicans, Molinari, who is term-limited out of office at the end of the year, did not attend the inaugural this weekend. If there is one big-time GOP loser during the Bush reign, it is the 71-year-old Molinari.