Hillary Clinton's Money Man

Chris Korge has raised millions for the Clintons. His past raises questions.

By Francisco Alvarado 

Published: January 24, 2008

• Photo by Steve Satterwhite

  

  Coral Gables attorney and businessman Chris Korge built a multimillion-dollar fortune as a lobbyist while raising millions for the Clintons and other Democrats.

  Subject(s): presidential elections, campaign fundraising, Hillary Clinton, Chris Korge

  Last March 31, Miami native Christopher Korge hosted more than 160 guests at his sprawling $2.6-million, seven-bedroom lakeside mansion in Pinecrest. They had paid $4,600 each to hear Korge's neighbor, music mogul Timbaland, MC the event. By the end of the evening, the lawyer-turned-real-estate-developer had raked in at least $736,000 for the presidential campaign of another of that night's guests: Hillary Clinton, the favorite in this Tuesday's primary election in Florida.

  Raising bundles of cash for pols is nothing new for Korge, who parlayed a local lobbying practice into lucrative business ventures at Miami International Airport during the late Nineties. He garnered enough for Bill Clinton's presidential campaigns to earn an overnight stay in the White House's Lincoln Bedroom. And in the last two presidential elections, he bundled more than $7 million for Al Gore and John Kerry, according to the New York Times. [More…]

MIAMI

'Bill of Rights' quietly added to Miami ballot

A little-publicized Miami charter change proposal on the Jan. 29 ballot includes a gay-rights component.

Posted on Tue, Jan. 22, 2008

BY STEVE ROTHAUS

[email protected]

Related Content

• Blog | Discuss at Steve Rothaus' Gay South Florida

Miami voters are being asked Jan. 29 to approve a 'Citizens' Bill of Rights'' that would, among other things, promote religious freedom, clean air and scenic beauty.

It would also ban discrimination on the basis of domestic relationship status, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression -- though relatively few people are aware of it.[More…]

This is the 50th anniversary of Ebony Fashion Fair, the world's largest traveling catwalk extravaganza featuring designer looks from the U.S., France, Italy, England, Japan, Canada, Germany, Lebanon, Argentina and the Virgin Islands.

This year's theme is "Glam Odyssey: A Fashion Journey into Bliss & Beyond." This year's odyssey opened Sept. 12 in Chicago and will travel to more than 180 cities in the United States, Canada, Bermuda and Jamaica by May 2008.

Along the way, the show also raises money for local civic organization and charities. Since 1958, the Ebony Fashion Fair show has donated over $55 million to charitable organizations.

Each ticket includes a choice of a one-year subscription to Ebony magazine or a 6-month subscription to Jet magazine. Three shows will be staged in South Florida.

WEST PALM BEACH

When: Saturday at 8 p.m.

Where: Redemption Pointe by the Lake,

2101 N. Australian Ave.

Tickets: $40.

Call: 561-844-1271 or 561-805-7900, ext. 1109

Hosted by: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority



MIAMI

When: Friday, Feb. 1 at 8 p.m.

Where: Bank United Center at the University of Miami,1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables

Tickets: $35.

Call: 305-827-1499

Hosted by: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority



FORT LAUDERDALE

When: Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m.

Where: War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE Eighth St.

Tickets: $30 for adults and $21 for children/students

Call: 954-581-6185

Hosted by: The Charmettes, Inc.

'Colored Beach' gets recognition

BY BREANNE GILPATRICK

[email protected]

EMILY MICHOT/MIAMI HERALD STAFF

James Bradley enjoys the serene view of a beach at John U. Lloyd State Park on Friday.

• Audio | James D. Bradley Jr. on a once-segregated Broward beach

As James D. Bradley Jr. scans the milelong strip of sand once known as ''Colored Beach,'' he recalls boarding a ferry at Port Everglades 50 years ago, or riding across the sand in his father's jeep, to join hundreds at the only place in Broward where they could swim in the ocean.

Visitors from across South Florida would come to the northern tip of Dania Beach at what is now John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, home to one of many segregated beaches once found around the state. [More...]

MIAMI-DADE POLICE

Cops: Motorist shot vagrant

A homeless man was shot dead, police believe, by a motorist who had argued with him on an expressway off-ramp.

BY DAVID OVALLE

[email protected] 

Michael K. Harrington, 35, lived under an expressway overpass and earned money by panhandling motorists, washing their windshields and making them laugh with funny cardboard signs.

Then he approached the wrong motorist.

Police believe that a motorist who had quarreled with Harrington on Tuesday returned seven hours later, unleashing a hail of gunfire on the homeless man at Northwest 27th Avenue and the Airport Expressway off-ramp.

Harrington staggered into the intersection, collapsed and died. [More...]

The Associated Press

Dominique Whatley scored 20 points for Bethune-Cookman, which outscored Coppin State 6-5 in overtime to take a 56-55 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory Saturday.

Bethune-Cookman scored its final field goal with 29 seconds left to play and held on to win, keeping Coppin State from scoring a field goal over the last 4:26.

Jimmy Hudson added 11 points and John Holmes had 10 for Bethune-Cookman (7-10, 2-2). Tywain McKee scored 14 points to lead Coppin State (4-14, 0-4).

Sgt. James Marshall of the City of Miami Police Department found a noose made of shoestrings in an employee restroom last week. Based on the comments to the Miami Herald's reporting of the incident, some folks still refuse to understand the symbolism of hatred the noose represents.

Of course the incident has already been labeled a hoax by some; let's just see what the investigation uncovers.

Today's Miami Herald coverage of the review of the MegaPlan for Miami and Miami-Dade County focuses on the Orange Bowl and plans for baseball to revitalize Little Havana. Mayor Manny Diaz's ambitious plan requires continuous financial support from either citizens and/or visitors to the area. With the downward spiral of the economy, it's doubtful that needed support is probable.

In the meantime, what happens to any meaningful, sustained, probable development of a cultural and economic foundation is planned for Liberty City, Perrine, Opa-Locka and other predominantly black communities?

If blacks continue to sit back and allow Miami to grow around them…oh, well. There's an old saying that 'every tub sits on its own bottom'. Do for yourself and don't expect others to do for you.

From the Miami Herald:

MIAMI-DADE SCHOOLS

Kindergarten teacher in middle of accidental death probe

A Miami-Dade teacher is under investigation in connection with the accidental death of one of her kindergarten students who left school alone. Her lawyer says she acted properly.