Former West Palm Beach director of communications, Elliot Cohen is lobbying his former boss on behalf of Banyan Cay Dev, LLC.
He registered as a lobbyist with the City on March 3, barely 6 months after resigning his post.
Banyan Cay Dev, LLC is developing a golf community and hotel at the site of the former President Country Club near Congress Avenue and I-95.
Unlike Palm Beach County which places restrictions on lobbying by former high ranking employees, the City does not bar lobbying by former employees who’ve recently left their post.
A visitors’ log shows that on April 13 Cohen visited the mayor to discuss economic development.
Prior to his resignation Cohen was removed from his spokesperson duties following the release of confidential information on a City website in response to a records request by Contact 5 investigators.
The disclosure angered members of the law enforcement community as it revealed the location of ongoing investigations and identified criminal informants.
Shortly after leaving the City a report by Palm Beach County’s Inspector General’s Office came out which was highly critical of Cohen, the City and a City Contractor for which Cohen had been doing work on the side.
In November we reported that Cohen runs a website dedicated to news about West Palm Beach, promoted on the city’s official website and has done subcontracting work for Aqua communications which has a multi-year contract with the City.
Cohen recently made the news as a spokesperson for the father of Danielle Bregoli better known as the "Cash me Ousside" girl.