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Radio host’s program ends amid bribery investigation |
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Written by ELGIN JONES
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 FORT
LAUDERDALE – Days after the South Florida
Times reported that prosecutors are investigating former Broward County
Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion’s brother in an ongoing bribery probe, the
radio talk show host’s program went off the air.
Andre
Eggelletion was host of The Andre
Eggelletion Show, which aired Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on News-Talk
850, WFTL in Fort Lauderdale
for just over two years.
Yet during
the program on Sunday, Dec. 20, Andre Eggelletion told listeners that this show
would be his last. He gave no explanation. When one
caller asked him about the bribery investigation, he told the person, “Sorry. I
can’t talk about any of that,” and moved on to another caller.
WFTL
general manager Steve Lapa could not be reached for comment, and no one from
the company has provided an official reason for the show’s cancellation.
The cancellation
came two days after the newspaper’s website, SFLTimes.com, published a report
stating that the bribery investigation which centered on Josephus Eggelletion now also
includes his brother.
The Broward
State Attorney’s Office is investigating to determine if the radio show host
may have accepted money on behalf of his brother from companies that had
business before the county commission, according to sources.
Prosecutors
are seeking to determine what work Andre Eggelletion’s National Jingle Company performed for Prestige Homes of South
Florida, Inc., and whether any of the money from the developer went to Josephus
Eggelletion, possibly as a concealed bribe, sources said.
Josephus
Eggelletion is charged with taking bribes from developers – including Prestige
Homes – in exchange for supporting their projects on the county commission. He
has also pleaded guilty to federal money-laundering charges in an unrelated
case.
Josephus
Eggelletion was arrested Nov. 5 in the public corruption case, and has since
bonded out of jail.
“I have
nothing to say to you,” Andre Eggelletion said when contacted about the
investigation on Friday, Dec. 18.
“I have
nothing to say,” he repeated, before abruptly hanging up the phone.
The Broward
State Attorney’s Office on Monday, Dec. 14 confirmed that the investigation
into Andre Eggelletion’s business dealings is ongoing, but would not comment
further on the case. Citing the continuing status of the case, prosecutors are
not releasing any documents about the probe, Broward State Attorney’s Office
spokesman Ron Ishoy said in an email sent to the newspaper.
Sources say
this part of the investigation centers on payments that Prestige Homes
allegedly made to companies owned by Andre Eggelletion, in particular The National Jingle Company, of which Andre
Eggelletion is the CEO. The company specializes in political ads and
radio commercials.
The money that Prestige Homes allegedly paid to National Jingle Company,
estimated to be at least $20,000, reportedly went toward public relations work
and radio commercials for the developer’s projects.
The development company’s relationships with several other politicians,
including Broward County School Board Member Stephanie Kraft, are also being
investigated.
Josephus
Eggelletion is charged with taking a $25,000 bribe and an $8,400 country club
membership from Prestige Homes.
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Pictured above is Andre Eggelletion.
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