FL Gulf News endorses the DeSantis-appointed incumbent after Vera Bergermann’s social-media surrogate turned a sleepy judicial race into a dirty-tricks sideshow.
LUTHMANN NOTE: This story exists because Vera Bergermann’s social-media orbit chose personal destruction over substantive answers. Jacqueline Perez promoted Bergermann, urged voters to support her, then dumped opposition research on the journalist examining the candidate. Fine. Richard Luthmann’s history is public; he served his sentence and has sought a presidential pardon for what he maintains was politically motivated lawfare. But Luthmann is not on the ballot. Vera Bergermann is. Her questionnaire, limited criminal and probate experience, repeated unsuccessful JNC bids, and outcome-oriented philosophy remain unanswered. Southwest Florida needs a judge who applies the law as written. This piece is “Keep Judge James Stewart.” FL Gulf News endorses Judge James Stewart.
By Richard Luthmann
A Non-Race They Dragged Into The News
(FORT MYERS, FLORIDA) — This article was never supposed to exist. The 20th Judicial Circuit, Group 19 contest looked like a non-race: a sitting judge appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis against a perennial judicial applicant who repeatedly went through the appointment process without receiving a robe.
Judge James Stewart is seeking his first elected term on August 18. The nonpartisan race is open to every registered voter in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. DeSantis appointed Stewart in March 2025 after more than 17 years as an assistant state attorney, including service as deputy chief of the Collier County office. He now handles circuit cases from the bench.
Vera Bergermann is a longtime Fort Myers family-law attorney and mediator. She has more than 45 years in law, no public disciplinary history identified in the reviewed record, and a substantial résumé in family practice, corporate work, and taxation. Those facts deserve fair treatment.
Then Jacqueline Perez turned a sleepy race into a story. Perez publicly amplified Bergermann’s campaign statement, praised her, directed readers to VeraForJudge.com and urged, “Please vote for Vera.”
Days later, Perez posted a sprawling attack on this reporter, complete with a professionally produced graphic, as a substitute for answering scrutiny of Bergermann.
That is surrogate conduct in public, whether Perez possesses an official title or not. FL Gulf News sent Bergermann and her campaign 15 questions about Perez, judicial philosophy, experience, and the JNC record. The campaign was specifically invited to deny any formal or informal relationship. Here is what we asked:
From: Richard Luthmann <rl*******@********ws.com>
Date: On Friday, August 14th, 2026 at 12:50 PM
Subject: RIGHT OF REPLY: Is Jacqueline Perez Your Campaign Surrogate—and Will You Follow the Law as Written?
To: in**@**********ge.com <in**@**********ge.com>, Vb***********@***il.com <Vb***********@***il.com>
CC: Richard Luthmann <ri**************@********il.com>, Dick LaFontaine <ra**********@********il.com>, Rick LaRivière <ri***********@****on.me>, Modern Thomas Nast <mt*********@********il.com>, ms********@***il.com <ms********@***il.com>, Michael Volpe <mv*******@***il.com>
Ms. Bergermann and Campaign Team:
This is a formal, on-the-record request for comment from FL Gulf News concerning the August 18 election for the 20th Judicial Circuit Court, Group 19.
This inquiry—and your response—may be published in full.
The public record now shows Jacqueline Perez doing considerably more than expressing a private opinion. On August 9, Perez amplified Bergermann campaign material, praised Ms. Bergermann, attacked campaign manager Terry Miller’s criticism as “slanderous,” urged voters to “Please vote for Vera,” and directed readers to VeraForJudge.com.
Perez subsequently published an extensive personal attack against journalist Richard Luthmann for previously scrutinizing Bergermann’s 2025 candidacy. The attack included a professionally produced anti-Luthmann graphic and messaging calculated to discredit the journalist rather than answer questions about the candidate.
Whatever title Perez may or may not hold, she is publicly functioning as a Bergermann campaign surrogate: promoting the candidate, distributing campaign content, attacking critics, and attempting to shape the race’s narrative.
If the campaign denies that characterization, say so unequivocally.
Please answer each question with “yes” or “no” where possible, followed by any explanation:
1. Does the Bergermann campaign deny that Jacqueline Perez is acting as a formal or informal campaign surrogate?
2. Has Perez served as a campaign employee, volunteer, consultant, donor, fundraiser, organizer, messenger, social-media promoter, or point of contact?
3. Has Ms. Bergermann, anyone in her campaign, or any campaign consultant communicated with Perez about Richard Luthmann, Terry Miller, Judge James Stewart, or negative coverage of Bergermann?
4. Did anyone associated with the campaign request, encourage, approve, coordinate, edit, distribute, or know in advance about Perez’s anti-Luthmann post or graphic?
5. Did Perez receive campaign talking points, opposition research, photographs, graphics, documents, or suggested language concerning Luthmann, Miller, or Stewart?
6. Does Ms. Bergermann endorse Perez’s attack? If not, will she publicly repudiate it and ask Perez to stop attacking journalists on her behalf?
7. Perez accused Terry Miller of “slanderous hits.” What specific statement does the campaign contend was false, who made it, and what evidence establishes falsity?
8. Does the campaign contend that Luthmann is employed by, paid by, coordinating with, or acting at the direction of Miller, Stewart, or any organization supporting Stewart? If so, provide the evidence.
The campaign must also address the substantive questions Perez’s attack ignored.
9. In your May 31 candidate questionnaire, you wrote that a judge may use “discernment and wisdom” and “carefully chosen case law” to “craft a fair decision” when a statute appears to require a harsh outcome. Do you believe a trial judge may depart from the plain meaning of an unambiguous statute because the judge considers the result unfair?
10. Florida appellate precedent holds that judges may not extend, modify, or limit an unambiguous statute because doing so intrudes upon legislative power. How do you reconcile that rule with your promise to “craft” a different result?
11. You identified family law as your strongest field and acknowledged that you would need to study criminal and probate law if assigned those dockets. Why should voters remove an incumbent with extensive criminal, civil, juvenile, and jury-trial experience while you are still preparing in two major areas of circuit-court jurisdiction?
12. Public records show that you pursued judicial appointment through multiple JNC proceedings in 2024 and 2025 but were not selected for appointment and did not reach the November 2025 certified shortlist. Why should voters now remove the judge who successfully completed that vetting process and was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis?
13. FL Gulf News previously reported that you used part of your November 2025 JNC interview to criticize unnamed sitting judges without presenting publicly verifiable support. Which judges were involved, what precisely did you allege, and what evidence supported those allegations?
14. Did you report that alleged misconduct to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, the Florida Bar, or another appropriate authority? If so, identify the complaint date, agency, and disposition. If not, explain why the accusations were raised during a judicial job interview.
15. You say that accepting endorsements may cast doubt upon a judge’s impartiality. Are you asserting that Judge Stewart’s endorsements from State Attorney Amira Fox, Public Defender Kathleen Smith, and all five county sheriffs compromise his impartiality? If not, why is his acceptance of those endorsements relevant?
These are not trick questions. They go directly to campaign transparency, judicial philosophy, professional preparation, and courtroom temperament.
Perez’s attack does not erase Ms. Bergermann’s questionnaire. It does not explain her repeated failure to emerge from the JNC process. It does not answer why voters should replace an already-serving judge. And it does not establish that a candidate who proposes “crafting” a preferred outcome will faithfully apply an unambiguous statute.
Please respond point by point no later than 4 p.m. Friday, August 14, 2026. Supporting documents, campaign records, and an additional written statement are welcome. An on-the-record telephone interview can also be arranged before the deadline.
If the campaign does not respond, FL Gulf News will accurately report that Ms. Bergermann and her campaign were presented with these questions and declined or failed to answer by publication time.
Respectfully,
Richard Luthmann
Writer, Commentator, and Investigative Reporter
FL Gulf News
Tips or Story Ideas:
(239) 766-5800
rl*******@********ws.com
https://linktr.ee/rluthmann
Muck Rack Profile
No response was received as of press time. If any response is received, it will be reported in a follow-up.
Keep Judge James Stewart: He Already Has The Job – And The Trust
Judge Stewart’s résumé is built inside courtrooms, not campaign studios. He has handled thousands of criminal, civil, and juvenile matters and has tried or presided over more than 100 jury cases. As deputy chief assistant state attorney, he supervised more than 40 employees and prosecuted serious felonies, including homicides.
His professional service extends beyond individual cases. Judge Stewart previously chaired a 20th Circuit grievance committee, served as vice chair of The Florida Bar’s Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, and sits as vice chair of its Constitutional Judiciary Committee. In 2023, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz appointed him to the Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases.
Most importantly, Judge Stewart is married with two children and a family dog. His wife, Ashli, was born and raised in Collier County, and also practices law in Naples.
The institutional verdict is nearly unanimous. Stewart’s campaign lists endorsements from State Attorney Amira Fox and Public Defender Kathleen Smith — officials who lead opposing sides of the criminal-justice system. Every sheriff in the circuit supports him: Kevin Rambosk in Collier, Carmine Marceno in Lee, Bill Prummell in Charlotte, Steve Whidden in Hendry and David Hardin in Glades. Naples Police Chief Ciro Dominguez and court clerks Kevin Karnes and Roger Eaton are also listed.
Bergermann says she rejects endorsements because they could create questions about impartiality. Voters may consider that position. But support from the prosecutor, public defender, and five sheriffs is not evidence that Judge Stewart surrendered his independence. It is evidence that people who know the justice system trust him.
And let’s not forget, Governor DeSantis appointed Judge Stewart last year. The verified facts are powerful enough: the JNC vetted Judge Stewart, the governor selected him, and the justice-system officials who see the work want him retained.
Keep Judge James Stewart: Bergermann’s Own Words Raise The Alarm
Bergermann’s best argument is experience. Family law is consequential work, and three decades of it should not be dismissed. She has also worked in corporate, contract, and tax matters and served as a mediator. Her longevity is real.
Her weaknesses are equally real — and largely self-disclosed. In a May 31 questionnaire, Bergermann identified family law as her strongest area and acknowledged that she would need to study criminal and probate law if assigned those dockets. She proposed using the months between the election and January 2027 for courses, statutory study, and courtroom observation.
Judge Stewart is already performing circuit-judge duties; Bergermann proposes preparing for portions of the job after winning it.
Bergermann’s answer about judicial philosophy is more troubling.
Asked what she would do when “the law as written” produces a harsh result, Bergermann invoked “discernment and wisdom.” She wrote that memoranda, evidence, and “carefully chosen case law” could allow a judge to “craft a fair decision” even when the statute initially appears to require a harsh outcome.
That reads as an outcome-oriented, constitutionally liberal theory of judging. Florida courts have repeatedly held that an unambiguous statute must be applied according to its plain meaning. Judges cannot extend, modify, or limit clear legislative language simply because they dislike the result.
Public records show Bergermann pursuing appointment through multiple JNC proceedings in 2024 and 2025. Stewart survived that process and received DeSantis’s appointment. Bergermann did not. FL Gulf News reported that her November 2025 interview veered into unverified criticism of unnamed sitting judges; official records confirm she did not reach the certified shortlist.
Repeated applications are lawful, but relevant when she asks voters to remove the candidate who passed the test.
Vera Wanted A Fight, Now Take The Hit: Keep Judge James Stewart
Now the gloves come off.
Vera Bergermann and her liberal social-media orbit took a judicial non-race and turned it into a dirty-tricks story. Jacqueline Perez promoted Bergermann, begged for votes, pushed the campaign website, and then tried to assassinate the messenger when scrutiny arrived. Call her a volunteer, a supporter, a surrogate, or a treehouse press secretary. The function is obvious.
Perez recites my past as if I concealed it. I did not. I was a victim of WOKE New York Democrat Party lawfare, prosecuted after exposing Staten Island Democrats. I pleaded guilty under the weight of the federal machine, served my sentence, and rebuilt my life as a journalist. As a “Tough Guy Journalist,” one who gives no quarter to Liars, Losers, or Libtards.
I’ll say from the outset, I’m 100% innocent. The Feds basically “made shit up.” Even the Crooked James Comey FBI‘s lurid claims that I was a “mafia boss” collapsed under courtroom scrutiny. At a 2018 hearing, Judge Jack Weinstein rejected prosecutors’ efforts to connect me to an undefined “mafia.” When Weinstein demanded to know which of New York’s five families they meant, prosecutors could not name one. The courtroom laughed. Their “criminal mastermind” mythology fell apart because Woke Brooklyn prosecutors couldn’t prove I was connected to the mob, let alone a fork. But because I wasn’t independently wealthy, I couldn’t stay in the fight.
I have supported Donald Trump since the Golden Escalator. I am MAGA to my bones. Professionally, I report favorably on Trump, conservatism, originalism, Christianity, and traditional values in a profession where only 7.1% of journalists identify as conservative. I believe Divine Providence sent Donald John Trump to save America, and when the assassin’s bullet drew blood at Butler and Trump rose beneath the American flag, I saw God’s protection and the sign of a modern anointing in line with the biblical stories of the Old Testament Kings.
Crooked Democrat Party prosecutors and liberal New York courts judged me for my political effectiveness against them. I completed their sentence. I stayed strong, kept my mouth shut, and never was a RAT—even when the dirty Feds wanted information. And I had information in droves, as I was formerly the Law Chair of the New York State Reform Party. I gave out ballot lines, making winning politicians and judges inside the Empire State machine from Buffalo to Montauk.
Once they clipped me on a pure railroad job, the New York Feds wanted information badly on several people I dealt with, including Roger Stone. They told me I could walk if I gave him up. I told them to eat shit. I have spent the last decade in hell, but I’ve taken it like a man. I have character.
One man remains to judge my plea for constitutional mercy: Donald J. Trump. I submitted a pardon application asking President Trump to right the wrongs of that lawfare. One of the most compelling reasons I proffer to the President is to stop Bush League personal attacks from Wokesters and Libtards such as this one. For an independent journalist already bucking the mainstream media, a pardon is the political equivalent of “Shut Up,” without having to say a word.
But the point is this: I am not running for office. Vera Bergermann is.
My history cannot manufacture her missing qualifications, rewrite her constitutionally liberal questionnaire, or erase Judge Stewart’s overwhelming support. Jacqueline Perez attacked the messenger because Bergermann’s record cannot withstand the message. I don’t know Perez’s motivations. Maybe this case study in moronocity is a dress rehearsal for AOC 2028.
Southwest Florida voters deserve the truth about the candidate seeking power over their lives—and no recycled WOKE smear against me will stop them from getting it.
The central dishonesty is the bait-and-switch: nothing in my or anyone else’s history rewrites her questionnaire, transforms failed JNC bids into appointments, or gives her Judge Stewart’s jury experience. It does not erase his support from every sheriff, the state attorney, and the public defender.
And importantly, it does not explain why a would-be judge thinks “carefully chosen case law” can help her craft around a statute she finds “harsh.” That is not conservative judging. It is judicial activism wearing sensible shoes and hugging a tree.
The law is not Bergermann’s bonsai. She does not get to trim it, wire it, and bend it toward a preferred liberal outcome. Nor do her WOKE friends get to bury legitimate questions beneath an opposition-research dump on the reporter asking them.
They wanted to know whether FL Gulf News or Richard Luthmann would be intimidated. Here is the answer: absolutely not.
FL Gulf News endorses Judge James Stewart — just like nearly every justice-system official who matters in Southwest Florida. Keep the judge. Send the tree hugger back to the woods.
VOTE TUESDAY, AUGUST 18TH.
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