Brenda D. Forman, Broward County Clerk of the Circuit and County Court. Photo: J. Albert Diaz. Brenda D. Forman, Broward County Clerk of the Circuit and County Court. Photo: J. Albert Diaz.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office is investigating complaints against Broward County Clerk of Courts Brenda Forman, including an allegation she made false statements under oath, after South Florida attorney and courthouse blogger William Gelin showed prosecutors sworn statements Forman made against him in 2018, alleging he stalked her in the courthouse.

State Attorney Michael J. Satz recused himself from any investigation, as Forman used to work for his office. Instead, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis requested Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle take the baton and she obliged, according to an executive order Friday.

DeSantis' order said Forman is accused of giving three different organizations false descriptions of encounters between her and Oakland Park criminal defense attorney Gelin. The order also referenced two other complaints involving falsifying documents, but did not elaborate.

Forman's office did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

Gelin writes for courthouse blog J.A.A.B. Blog and first clashed with Forman in October 2018, according to court documents, when he sought help with a client issue and was allegedly instructed to refer to her as “Ms. Forman”or “Madam Clerk” instead of Brenda.

When Gelin then tried to snap a picture of Forman for his blog, she objected and filed a domestic violence complaint in Broward Circuit Court. The complaint claimed Gelin had violated her rights by repeatedly harassing and stalking her through the courthouse, and asked the court to keep Gelin at a 500 feet distance.

In December 2018, Forman filed a Florida Bar complaint against Gelin, claiming he was “giving the bar a bad name”  with harassment that she alleged posed a significant threat to her.

Gelin would not comment on the case, but has consistently labeled both complaints baseless and untrue, arguing the First Amendment protects his actions, which weren't malicious.

Gelin moved for sanctions against Forman in the stalking case, which she dropped without explanation in January. However, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Bill Altfield mysteriously kept a Jan 31. hearing in place until Forman moved to cancel it.

Soon after, Gelin released video footage of the encounters that he claims contradicts her version of events. One video shows Forman asking her staff to get Gelin away from her as she's “going to file a domestic violence charge on him,” while others show surveillance footage of Forman and Gelin's courthouse movements.

Gelin has used his blog for at least 14 negative posts about Forman since December 2018, provoking a slew of scathing and gossipy comments from readers. He also published embossed invitations to the Jan. 31 hearing before it was canceled, and has told the Sun Sentinel that he intended “to draw as much attention and as many people as possible to the hearing so the people of Broward County could watch one of their elected officials testify under oath in open court to events directly contradicted by video evidence.”

Forman's bar complaint against Gelin is pending.

Gelin published a blog post Friday that Forman was “in over her head.” He also implied Forman was trying to stave off attempts to change an amendment approved by voters, which puts her at the helm of county funds.

Forman was elected to her post in 2016, when her then-husband and Broward County Clerk of Courts Howard Forman retired and endorsed her as his replacement.

By March 2017, the pair was embroiled in a bitter divorce and Forman moved for control of his estate, claiming he'd shown signs of early onset dementia and wasn't mentally capable of overseeing it. But Broward Circuit Judge Mark Speiser blocked Brenda Forman's claim to the estate, ruling she'd acted in bad faith.

In March, Howard Forman launched a surprise bid to run against his ex-wife for the Broward clerkship in 2020.

 

Related stories: 

Dissecting the Vilification of Broward Clerk Brenda D. Forman

Contenders to Replace Retiring Broward Clerk Howard Forman Include His Wife

Court Chides Broward Clerk's Office for Backdating Foreclosure Judgments

Bar Won't File Ethics Charges Against Blogger Bill Gelin