Charges of financial improprieties against Florida’s governor Rick Scott may call to mind charges of Medicare fraud when he was CEO of Columbia/HCA in 1997. He resigned in disgrace when the company paid a historic $1.7 billion fine as the result of an FBI probe into fraudulent billing practices. Scott, now a candidate for U.S. Senate, assigned responsibility for fraud charges to subordinates then and dismisses the accusations of campaign violations now.
Proof of Scott’s refusal to accept responsibility appeared when he “invoked his Fifth Amendment right” in court for a civil matter that related to the Columbia/HCA fraud case. The New York Times cited a business associate, Joshua Nemzoff, who had participated in the sale of several Florida hospitals to Scott’s company and who gave him faint praise. “He’s a deal guy,” Nemzoff said. He didn’t focus on the “accuracy of Medicare cost reports.” Now concluding his second term as Florida’s governor, Democratic-leaning End Citizens United watches his practices that offer financial benefits to his campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Understanding End Citizen’s United’s Goal to Limit Campaign Contributions
The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010 established corporations as “people” who can spend unlimited and untraceable amounts of money to support candidates in American elections. Without requiring any transparency as to the source of donor funds, the decision allows special interest groups and wealthy people to exercise undue influence on the election process. The concerns of people who oppose the apparent favoritism to the wealthy led to the formation of the End Citizens United (ECU) political action committee in 2015. The organization that favors Democratic principles and policies dedicates its efforts to preventing attempts to “tip the balance of political power” toward Big Money.
The desire to overturn Citizens United and prevent the donation of “unlimited and undisclosed” funds in politics provides a basis for the complaint by End Citizens United. The group formally accused Scott of “illegally relying” on the New Republican Super PAC for help in preparing for his senatorial campaign. The basis for the complaint rests on Scott’s use of the New Republican PAC to accept campaign donations to “evade contribution limits” and its violation of Federal Election Commission rules.
End Citizens United’s goal of ending the influence of Big Money in politics motivates the organization to elect pro-reform candidates and to raise the issue of money in politics to a national level. ECU works with “ballot measure campaigns” to help pass pro-reform legislation in the states and to empower its grassroots membership to demonstrate the political power that the issue of money has on elections.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., End Citizens United counts on a strong leadership team for guidance. Tiffany Muller serves as its President and Executive Director with assistance from Executive Vice President Matt Burgess and Communications Director Adam Bozzi. The organization benefits from the direction by members of its board of directors who bring a wealth of experience in politics, campaigns and vitally important issues.
Learn More: End Citizens United Warns Big Donors Could Ruin Democracy
Examining the New Republican PAC
American Bridge reported in mid-April of 2018 that the PAC that Rick Scott chaired had received donations from “private equity executives” after their firms benefited from his decisions on “state pension fund investments.” Even though a 2010 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule expressly prohibits financial firms from funding the campaigns of public officials who influence state pension investments, donations rolled into the New Republican PAC. Scott assumed a role as chair of the group in May of 2017. The firms benefited from “more than $3 million in fees” from the Florida investments. The purpose of the SEC ruling, to protect decisions on investments from political influence, gives End Citizens United a basis for its charges against Scott.
Soon after he announced his plan to run for Bill Nelson’s Democratic seat in Congress, he faced a complaint by the Federal Election Commission for breaking election laws. Communications Director of End Citizens United, Adam Bozzi, predicted failure for Scott’s attempts to “manipulate the law to serve himself.” He does not expect Florida’s voters to “trust him” and his “shady political tricks” when they do not expect him “to look out for them.”
Looking at New Evidence
Bozzi expressed his deepening concern for violations of federal law that he believes need immediate investigation by the Federal Elections Commission. He said that existing evidence proves that the “shady political tricks” that Scott uses to advance his political agenda amount to a significant degree. Some of the new findings that raised Bozzi’s concern include the use of the same fundraiser, Jenny Drucker, by the New Republican PAC and the Scott campaign. Also, Scott’s political organization and the PAC use the same address, according to the February FEC filing. The PAC funded a March poll that featured inquiries about Scott’s campaign.
Considering the Consequences
The race between Senator Nelson and Scott represents a “microcosm” of the Republicans’ hopes for retaining control of Congress under Trump who has motivated Democratic voters to turn out at the polls. Both political parties need Florida to gain or maintain a majority in 2018. The editor of Inside Elections, Nathan Gonzales, cited the need of Democrats to “flip two seats” to win a majority, and the party needs Senator Nelson to retain his office.
Senator Nelson commented on the outlook for the election, saying that he expects Scott to “say or do anything to get elected.” However, he holds to his belief in his philosophy that doing the right thing lets politics “take care of itself.” Estimates for spending reach as much as $200 million for both candidates with Scott, a multimillionaire, likely to spend “tens of millions” of his personal funds.
In 2014, Politifact in partnership with the Tampa Bay Times reminded voters that Scott as CEO “oversaw the largest Medicare fraud” in the nation’s history.
