Nov. 20–FORT LAUDERDALE — Commissioner Dean Trantalis sat quietly by as his fellow commissioners rejected a proposed 13-story beach hotel early Wednesday, sidelined by charges he had committed “egregious ethical violations” regarding the project.

Attorney Bill Scherer told commissioners just hours before the meeting that he filed a complaint with the state Commission on Ethics, indicating that Trantalis “has attempted to use his position of public trust to steer business to his own law firm and to his former domestic partner and current business associate, Richard Smith.”

Trantalis, a critic of the Vintro Hotel project, said he did nothing wrong and called the move a “shameless” maneuver by the developers, showing “a level of desperation that they’ll stoop to in order to achieve their goals.”

Scherer documented more than 30 contacts between real estate agent Smith and hotel representatives seeking to have the property sold to a client of Smith’s. Smith told developers that Trantalis had asked him to contact them, and Trantalis was listed on several documents as the proposed closing agent for the deal, with money to be placed in one of his trust accounts.

Scherer sprung the charges on Trantalis and commissioners right before they started considering the proposed 61-room, boutique hotel planned for a quarter-acre lot on Alhambra Street next to the Casablanca Cafe. Trantalis had not mentioned any conflicts of interest during the routine disclosures commissioners made minutes earlier about who had contacted them on the case.

Mayor Jack Seiler called a recess, giving Trantalis time to confer with City Attorney Cynthia Everett. Trantalis then denied he had any conflict, but said he would not debate or vote on the item.

“This is ambush politics,” said Trantalis, 60. “[In case] there’s an appearance of impropriety, that’s why I recused myself.”

Trantalis said when Smith came to him regarding a client interested in the Vintro property, he told Smith to contact the developer’s attorney, Scott Backman, the same advice he said he gave to others interested in the property.

But Scherer said within hours of an April meeting in which Trantalis told Backman he could not support the project, Backman received a call from Smith, 49, saying Trantalis had told him to call.

A couple of days later, according to the complaint, Smith provided Backman with a letter of intent for a client to buy the property for $2 million, with deposit money to be placed in a Trantalis trust account and the closing to take place at Trantalis’ law office.

The complaint alleges Trantalis was trying to intimidate the developer into selling the property by using his personal law firm as the closing agent.

Smith said Wednesday that Trantalis had nothing to do with the deal. Trantalis’ name appeared on the letter of intent because Smith said he uses Trantalis for all his closings. He said he did not realize his error until he contacted Trantalis about the matter.

“He told me he could not be involved,” Smith said.

County records show Trantalis and Smith terminated their 10-year domestic partnership April 24 — two weeks after the meeting with Backman. Trantalis also handled Smith’s bankruptcy this year and several recent real estate transactions, according to the complaint.

While Scherer said the two were living together as recently as January, Trantalis said the relationship ended three years ago. Trantalis said it was an oversight that paperwork terminating the domestic partnership had not been filed earlier.

Supervisor of Elections records show that Smith was still registered at Trantalis’ home as recently as January and voted in that month’s primary election in the race Trantalis eventually won.

Smith said he still had a guest room at the house after the relationship ended and he frequently stayed there because he had no permanent address.

Trantalis was not needed to defeat the Vintro project, as Seiler, Vice Mayor Bruce Roberts and Commissioner Romney Rogers voted to reject the proposal, saying it was not compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. Commissioner Bobby DuBose, whose wife is ill, did not attend the meeting.

Trantalis said it’s not the first time he and Scherer had clashed.

Scherer is also good friends with former Mayor John Rodstrom, who is married to the person Trantalis defeated to win his seat — former Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom.

lbarszewski@tribune.com or 954-356-4556