On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that the Florida Supreme Court publicly reprimanded Broward County Judge Mardi Levey Cohen following an investigation into her conduct during a 2022 re-election campaign. In addition to the reprimand, Levey Cohen received a 10-day suspension.
During a hearing before the justices, the Supreme Court approved a stipulation reached between Levey Cohen and the state Judicial Qualifications Commission, which oversees judicial conduct. The investigation revealed that Levey Cohen had forwarded an email containing allegations against her election opponent to a representative of the Wynmoor Condominium Democratic Club without verifying the accuracy of the claims.
One of the allegations suggested that her opponent improperly received funds from the federal Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite not qualifying for the assistance. Furthermore, a Supreme Court order issued on May 8 indicated that Levey Cohen had filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service questioning the tax-exempt status of a church that supported her opponent’s campaign. The order noted that Levey Cohen had sent a copy of this complaint to the church using a false return address, making it appear as though the correspondence originated from the IRS.
Chief Justice Carlos Muniz emphasized the importance of maintaining public confidence in the judiciary during the reprimand, stating, “Any unethical behavior by a judge — including in a campaign setting — puts that trust at risk.”
Source: South Florida Sun Sentinel
