NO ONE OVER THE YEARS KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE SARASOTA/MANATEE POLITICAL SCENE THAN THE SARASOTA PHOENIX/NO LOCAL MEDIA "VETS" AREA POLITICANS LIKE THE SARASOTA PHOENIX
Brandt
BRILL/McFARLAND/GRUTERS-ENDORSED SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE BRANDT EXPOSED BY NEW YORK ATTORNEY
AS
FLORIDA REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT TAKES A HIT ON BRANT ENDORSEMENT
AND AS
POLITICAL OPERATIVES GOODMAN AND BAINTER PACKAGE BRANDT
Zelin
The dueling defamation lawsuits taking place in New York City would make an ideal prime-time episode of The Jerry Springer Show if Springer were still alive. The bombastic episode would feature prominent New York City attorney Randy Zelin and Sarasota County School Board candidate Heidi Brandt.
This New York City-based soap opera involves Brandt, the recently married wife of wealthy, prominent Lido Beach resident Jerry Wells, and Zelin, the husband of Wells’ ex-wife.
In a recent letter to New York State Supreme Court Justice Richard Tsai, Zelin requested an emergency court appearance concerning his judicial encounters with Brandt.
In the publicly available letter, Zelin states that he is “requesting an emergency appearance to address my discovery that Brandt’s actions have now become political theatre in Sarasota, Florida, where the Defendant (Heidi Brandt) resides and is running for a School Board seat.”
Zelin writes, “Deposition transcripts have been posted online, mentioning me by name. The internet’s reach [extends] far beyond Sarasota’s borders.” He also states that Brandt “allegedly made serious accusations about Zelin’s professional conduct.”
In requesting an emergency court appearance, Zelin, a Cornell Law School professor, writes, “I’ve learned that things are getting out of control in Sarasota and I am now in harm’s way to suffer real reputational damage.”
Zelin also mentions in his public letter to Judge Tsai that Brandt “allegedly made serious accusations about Zelin’s professional conduct. My name and my reputation are being tossed around in Sarasota like a beach ball.”
Unfortunately for Brandt, Zelin has now made matters uncomfortable, to say the least, for Brandt’s Sarasota County School Board campaign and for the prominent Sarasota, Florida, and national Republican politicians who have endorsed Brandt.
For example, in his request for an emergency court hearing, Zelin also seeks a “so-ordered” subpoena duces tecum—i.e., a legal order requiring a person or organization to produce documents, records, or other tangible evidence for a court proceeding—to be served on Adam Hyer, whom Zelin identifies as a social media, web development, and marketing expert who performs media work for Brandt’s PLEASURE TEXTING LLC and “built out the app” for the company.
In requesting that Hyer produce documents, records, or other tangible evidence, Zelin included annexed Exhibits F through I with his letter to Judge Tsai. The exhibits contain examples of Hyer’s media work for Brandt at PLEASURE TEXTING LLC.
(Zelin words to Judge Tsai concerning Brandt;s company PLEASURE TEXTING LLC. "Yesterday, I indicated that I would be asking for a “so ordered” subpoena duces tecum to be served on Adam Hyer, whom I understand is a social media/web developer/marketing expert. Annexed as Exhibits F through I are an example of Hyer’s media work (he “built out the app”) for the Defendant’s (Brandt) company, Pleasure Texting LLC.).
According to Zelin’s Exhibit H, filed on July 24, 2026, with the New York County Clerk’s Office, Brandt is the "managing member" of PLEASURE TEXTING LLC.
Zelin’s Exhibit H, along with other exhibits depicting Hyer’s work for Brandt and PLEASURE TEXTING LLC, could create a major problem for Brandt’s School Board campaign—as well as for the local, state, and national Republican politicians who endorsed her.
The information concerning Brandt’s involvement with PLEASURE TEXTING LLC comes from publicly available material contained in Zelin’s letter to Judge Tsai and its accompanying exhibits.
Acording to public documents, PLEASURE TEXTING LLC was established on September 26, 2012, as a domestic limited liability company registered at 137 Fifth Avenue in New York City. The company’s current status is active.
According to the documents "PLEASURE TEXTING LLC has been operating for 13 years, nine months, and 29 days."
PLEASURE TEXTING LLC advertises the following:
“Stimulate your conversations with over 70 sensual images.”
“Use any combination of image & text to spice up your messages.”
“By using image snapshots, our app allows you to send your pleasure texts to any device! If your partner wants to chat back, simply get the app & reply!”
“With the click of a button, our software will prepare your message for delivery via text, email, and Facebook.”
“Our app is tailored to stimulate exciting conversations through the use of our unique images. From the most experienced DOM/sub to the curious erotic novel reader, everyone will find what they’re looking for.”
“We are continually adding new images which come to you in our free monthly updates! Feel like we left something out?”
“Text privately with your partner or share with all of your friends.”
Images on PLEASURE TEXTING LLC include the following::
EXHIBITS FROM ZELIN CONCERNING PLEASURE TEXTING LLC
MORE EXHIBITS FROM ZELIN CONCERNING PLEASURE TEXTING LLC
Gruters/Brill/McFarland
THE LACK OF VETTING OF BRANDT WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM
It is indeed troublesome that Sarasota Republican Party Chairman Jack Brill, Florida State Senator and Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Joe Gruters, and Florida State Representative Fiona McFarland failed to vet Brandt involvement with PLEASURE TEXTING LLC before endorsing her for the School Board.
Brill’s endorsement of the Brandt campaign reinforces what is already common knowledge among political observers, who have observed Brill's tenure as Chairman of the SREC: Brill is a total political disaster.
Edwards and Barker
In 2024, the Brill-led SREC was completely outclassed politically by a national LGBTQ organization that led to the election of of a openly Gay Democrat Tom Edwards and progressive Democrat Liz Barker to the School Board in deep "Red" Sarasota County. Now, in 2026, the politically inept Brill is leading an SREC that will most likely see an Edwards-led LGBTQ 3–2 majority on the School Board—if not a 4–1 majority or even 5–0 sweep of the board.
The Zieglers
With the Brandt's exposure by Zelin, RNC Chairman Gruters did not need another salacious sexual episode damaging the credibility of the supposedly Christian-led Florida and national Republican Party, particularly after the salacious Bridget and Christian Ziegler narrative—a narrative driven by a progressive Democratic political operative hit man Michael Barfield that Brill assisted in taking down Christian Ziegler, as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) and led to his replacement of Brill ally, Evan Power.
Gruters himself has been targeted by national political operatives who have produced documented examples of Gruters and other leading Florida Republicans engaging in salacious conduct that damages the credibility of the family values of Florida’s conservative Republican Party.
It is incredible that the salacious information now being revealed about Brandt based on information provided by a New York attorney is surfacing in Southwest Florida, a supposed bastion of Republican conservatism and the DeSantis-led "Free State of Florida" conservatism..
Bainter and Goodman
DID BAINTER AND GOODMAN VET BRANDT? WOULD NAY REPUABLE AND RESPECTED POLITCAL OPERATIVE ALLOWED BRANDT TO RUN FOR THE SARATA COUNTY SCHOLL BOARD IF THEY VETTED BRANDT
Equally incredible is that local political operative Max Goodman and longtime statewide Florida political operative Pat Bainter, who are managing Brandt’s School Board campaign, apparently did not uncover Brandt’s background PLEASURE TEXTING LLC—or, if they did, did not discourage Brandt from campaigning for the School Board.
Apparently, Brandt is similar to other Goodman and Bainter candidates they hide in the closet, while stuffing mailboxes with flyers paid by multimillion dollar "Pay to Play" developers like Neal and others turning Florida into Paradise Lost.
Pedicini and DePriest
The Goodman/Bainter duo managing Brandt’s campaign has become the public face of Florida’s Republican establishment in the local area, replacing the duo of Ybor City political operative Anthony Pedicini and his mouthpiece and waterboy, Jennings DePriest, without abandoning their tactics—tactics that cannot be called Republican Consevatism or Republican Pro-Family values.
Hoffman and Steube
DeWitt
The endorsement of Brandt by Brill, Gruters, and McFarland has deeply divided the local Republican Party. Sarasota County’s conservative and pro-family Republican Sheriff Kurt Hoffman and equally conservative, pro-family Republican U.S. Congressman Greg Steube have endorsed Terese DeWitt, Brandt’s opponent in the Sarasota County School Board District 2 race.
The Florida Republican Conservative and Pro Family Speir's wife and family members
The split between conservative, pro-family Republicans and the Brill/Gruters/McFarland faction supporting Brandt could have repercussions in Florida’s 16th Congressional District race between Joe Gruters’ wife, Sydney Gruters, and conservative, pro-family Republican Eddie Speir.
The Max Goodman packaged make-over of Sydney Gruters
Goodman is not only involved with Brandt—who is about as conservative or pro-family as Tom Edwards—but is also managing the campaigns of Sydney Gruters and Manatee County Commissioners Mike Rahn and Amanda Ballard, two of “Pedicini’s Seven,” who turned Manatee County into a shit show.
Brandt’s political operative is also managing the campaign of Jim DiNero for Sarasota County Commissioner. DiNero is closely aligned with the Pat Neal/Carlos Beruff gang of “Pay-to-Play” developers and has knowingly made false statements about his residency.
The biggest loser with whom Brandt’s political operative, Goodman, is involved is Florida State Representative James Buchanan. Will someone please ask Goodman how Buchanan is affording a home worth $2.1 million and supporting a wife and three children on his $29,000 salary as a Florida state representative?
Please do not allow Goodman to claim that Buchanan—who is running in the Republican primary for the Florida State Senate against Vic Rohe—is a successful real estate agent. His real estate office in downtown Sarasota was shut down years ago.
BARANCIK FINANCED SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT IS FAILIING MISERABLY IN VETTING CANDIDATES FINANCED BY NEAL AND HIS GANG OF "PAY TO PLAY" DEVEELOPERS
What is troublesome about Zelin’s exposure of Brandt’s involvement with PLEASURE TEXTING LLC is that the highly publicized Suncoat Searchlight financed by the Barancik Foundation has become obvious that it is just another establishment mouthpiece, as their vetting process glossed over the Sarasota County School Board candidates and the Pat Neal handpicked candidates, who have turned Florida into Paradise Lost.
The Suncoat Searchlight media mission that is to produce an investigative and explanatory journalism that serves and empowers the residents of Florida’s Suncoast region (Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties) is in reality a media outlet to promote local foundations like the Barancik Foundation in support for the Arts and Culture Coalition, which Brandt is part of in Sarasota.
They join other local go-along-to-get-along media outlets who are failing miserably at vetting local candidates appropriately, especially candidates managed by the political operatives such as Max Goodman and Pat Bainter.
Goodman and Bainter tactics of hiding their candidates in the closet, while stuffing mailboxes with flyers paid by multimillion dollar "Pay to Play" developers like Neal turning Florida into Paradise Lost is beong ignorned by the Suncoast Searchlight media.
Jon Susce