The husband of former Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is being accused of trying to rip off an elderly commercial property owner and threatening him in the process, according to a lawsuit recently filed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Banker Steve Schultz, husband of the scandal-prone U.S. Congresswoman for 26 years, allegedly tried to have 70-year-old investor Frank DiMaria hand over the deed of his troubled $4 million-commercial property in Pompano Beach, Florida, to Schultz personally, according to the complaint obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.
Because DiMaria was having troubles paying on credit lines and mortgages, Schultz’s now-defunct Community Bank of Broward would eventually launch the foreclosure of DiMaria’s property on the heavily-traveled Atlantic Boulevard beachfront area.
DiMaria says Schultz tried to intimidate him into surrendering his property to him without the proper foreclosure proceedings in a court of law.
The husband of former Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is being accused of trying to rip off an elderly homeowner, according to a lawsuit recently filed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
‘Mr Schultz called Mr. DiMaria and proposed that he sign the Pompano Beach property over to Mr. Schultz personally,’ the lawsuit reads. ‘Mr. DiMaria replied by stating ‘are you out of your mind?’
‘Mr. Schultz replied by stating ‘no’ and further stating something to the effect of ‘no matter how big a lawyer you get or how many, I will destroy you and them and you know I have the power to do it.’
In an exclusive interview, Schultz told DailyMail.com that DiMaria knows he is married to Wasserman Schultz and is using that fact for effect.
Frank DiMaria, 70, apparently has had trouble reimbursing credit lines and mortgages to Schultz’s now-defunct Community Bank of Broward
‘Mr DiMaria knows I’m married to Debbie so he might believe in some big conspiracy theory involving me and Debbie,’ Schultz said. ‘But that’s not the case. I couldn’t personally seize his property even if I wanted to.
‘He is a crazy old guy who cost the bank a lot of money. Eventually, we had to sell his mortgage to another party at a $200,000 loss.’
Schultz blamed DiMaria’s heavy Italian accent and lack of proficiency in English for the misunderstanding.
And he questioned DiMaria’s lack of business sense, saying that DiMaria overpaid for the 17,000-square-foot strip mall.
And soon after DiMaria’s purchase, Schultz said, road work in front of the property caused several tenants to lose business and stop payment on their leases.
‘What is definitely possible is that someone at the bank asked Mr. DiMaria to sign over the property without a costly court fight. A full-fledged foreclosure battle costs money not only to the bank but to the landowner as well.
Schultz criticized DiMaria’s business decisions saying he overpaid for the 17,000-square-foot strip mall in Florida
‘But I never asked that he deed the property to me. Besides, I’m not interested in commercial properties.’
DiMaria’s lawyer said the case was in its infancy and declined comment. He confirmed he had Schultz served with the complaint at the house Schultz shares with the congresswoman and their three children.
Schultz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz have been married since 1991. They live in a $700,000-home in the far Fort Lauderdale suburban sprawl of Weston.
Through his wife, Schultz’s family is no stranger to controversy.
A U.S. Congresswoman since 2005, Wasserman Schultz resigned her position as head of the DNC during the latest presidential campaign after leaked party emails showed she favored the candidacy of Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders’. Party activists booed her off the stage of the Democratic convention.
Former DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has had her own fair share of scandal after she was forced to resign during the 2016 Presidential Election after it was revealed she favored Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders
In her recently released book, Hacks, former Democratic party operative Donna Brazile cited Wasserman Schultz for her lack of leadership in handing control of the party to Clinton’s campaign.
Earlier this year, Wasserman Schultz refused to fire Imran Awan, an IT staffer under a federal investigation for an alleged equipment and data scam in the U.S. House.
She finally fired him on July 25, one day after authorities arrested him on a seemingly unrelated mortgage fraud charge. He was at the airport leaving for Pakistan after wiring $283,000 there.