Lisa Chittaro goes after former boss Ed Brodsky in run for state attorney seat
A former longtime prosecutor has filed as a Republican challenger to State Attorney Ed Brodsky, claiming that one recent case in particular carries the “appearance of favoritism.”
Lisa Chittaro, 52, said the way the State Attorney’s Office handled a plea agreement with Ryan Flanzer, a 27-year-old Sarasota man accused of firing rounds into an empty apartment unit in May 2018, left her no choice but to join the race.
“There should never be an appearance of favoritism or cash register justice,” Chittaro said in an interview with the Bradenton Herald on Friday. “It’s concerning when I see someone in a bulletproof vest, appearing as an authority, and receive no jail time — but there was a donation.”
Campaign finance records show that Stephen Romine, one of Flanzer’s attorneys in his criminal trial, donated $1,000 to Brodsky’s re-election campaign on Aug. 21. The donation came one day after the court approved an extended curfew for Flanzer.
In a Dec. 19 ruling, Flanzer received no jail time and earned credit for 18 months of mental health treatment that he served at a dual-diagnosis treatment program in Malibu, Calif. Brodsky said his office weighed the decision heavily before agreeing to the plea deal, citing Flanzer’s “positive movement” in mental health counseling and a nationwide effort to avoid sending mentally ill offenders to prison.
“We didn’t take that decision lightly. We understand safety is important, but we carefully vetted that case and tried to make the very best decision,” Brodsky explained. “This is someone who three different forensic experts said was progressing very well in treatment and was no longer a threat.”
Brodksy also defended Romine’s donation, and shot down Chittaro’s claims that the gift influenced his office’s discretion in the Flanzer case.
“That’s absolutely ridiculous. Stephen Romine is a college friend of mine. We went to law school together and have been friends for 30 years. He supported my last campaign, too,” said Brodsky.
It’s not the first time that Chittaro, who served with the Office of the State Attorney of the 12th Judicial Circuit for 15 years, clashed with Brodsky’s policies. Her departure came in 2017, about five years after Brodsky, also a Republican, was elected. According to Chittaro, that’s when she noticed a shift in the office’s approach to justice.
“I was concerned with the direction of the office. In leaving, I’ve noticed a drastic decline in white collar, elder abuse and animal abuse cases. Those are importance cases and there should be no tolerance for those indicators of violence,” Chittaro said.
Brodsky first filed for re-election in 2016. Since then, he has raised more than $100,000, posing a steep financial barrier for Chittaro, who has less than nine months before voters choose which Republican candidate will advance to face Democrat Betsy Young, who has raised $50,000, in the Nov. 3 general election.
But elections aren’t about money, Chittaro said, they’re about connecting with and informing voters.
“Elections are decided on getting the message out. Money is just not going to be a factor for me,” Chittaro explained. “My big concern is getting the message out and for people to make a well-informed decision.”
“The community has to have a sense that justice is being served, that there’s accountability and objectivity, that evidence will be followed no matter where it leads. It’s important to have decisiveness, transparency be hands-in about what’s going in that office,” she added.
The 12th Judicial Circuit is comprised of Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties. For more information, visit LisaChittaro.com.
This story was originally published January 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
