‘I lied’: Elizabeth McCarthy, former candidate, admits lies about being doctor, treating Pulse victims

Elizabeth McCarthy
"It is a false statement, I just made it up," McCarthy is quoted as saying.

Former Democratic state House candidate Elizabeth McCarthy confessed to a state investigator that she lied about being a medical doctor and about treating victims of the 2016 Pulse massacre in Orlando.

That’s according to documents released by the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday.

The department is charging McCarthy with violating state law by lying about being a doctor, under the state’s unlicensed activity statutes.

It’s seeking to fine her $1,000, plus costs. The department also is serving her with a cease-and-desist order, prohibiting her from telling anyone else that she is a medical doctor, according to documents provided to Florida Politics following a public records request.

The formal investigation of McCarthy began after Florida Politics reported on  June 15 that it could not confirm any of her claims to be a doctor, or that she had been one of the medical heroes responding to the horrific June 12, 2016, mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, where 49 people were killed and 53 others were wounded.

McCarthy, 50, of Sanford, was running for the Florida House of Representatives in District 28, which covers much of northeastern Seminole County.

She had made the claims, of being a doctor who had saved lives following Pulse, during two events organized by Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto and on other occasions. When questioned by Florida Politics on June 15, she insisted they were true.

The Department of Health launched an investigation after being alerted to Florida Politics’ reporting.

DoH Medical Quality Assurance Investigator Rafael B. Aponte questioned McCarthy, whose full legal name is Catherine Elizabeth McCarthy, on July 9. He filed his report and the cease-and-desist order on Wednesday. McCarthy could not be reached Wednesday to comment.

With costs, she is being assessed a total penalty of $3,094.95. She has 30 days to dispute the investigation’s findings and seek a hearing, if she decides to do so.

The investigation documents include references to Florida Politics’ initial reporting, and what she had told a reporter.

“I lied,” the charging affidavit quotes McCarthy as explaining, when Aponte asked her why she could not provide evidence of being a doctor.

As to her claim, recited at Soto’s events and to Florida Politics, that she had removed 77 bullets from 32 Pulse victims while working in the Orlando Regional Medical Center on June 12, 2016, she told Aponte: “It is a false statement. I just made it up.”

He also asked McCarthy why she “lied to the same people she wanted to help.” McCarthy “apologized” and said she was “portraying a life that wasn’t true.”

“I wanted to be somebody in the community, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I gave any impersonation. I knew it was wrong and I should have stopped — by no means did I ever mean to put anybody in jeopardy,” the affidavit says.

In a June 17 Facebook post she wrote that the implications, that she was not all she claimed to be, were “campaign smearing.”

After considerable criticism on social media followed in late June, and then other media reports, she withdrew from the HD 28 election contest. In doing so, she did not acknowledge making any false statements.

The original Florida Politics reporting also noted several other things that McCarthy had claimed that could not be corroborated, but which did not fall under the purview of the Florida Department of Health.

Those included her statements to Florida Politics that she had received a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a medical degree from the University of Central Florida, and that she had played college basketball for both the FSU Seminoles and the University of Florida Gators.

Officials of those three universities told Florida Politics that they could not find any records of her.

The HD 28 contest now is down to a rematch of the 2018 election.

Republican state Rep. David Smith of Winter Springs is seeking reelection. Democrat Lee Mangold, a businessman from Casselberry, is challenging.

___

It’s the law

The Department of Health is charging McCarthy under Florida Statutes’ Section 456.065, and Administrative Rule 64B-6.003.

The statute says, “It is a felony of the third degree … to practice, attempt to practice, or offer to practice a health care profession without an active, valid Florida license to practice that profession … Holding oneself out, regardless of the means of communication, as able to practice a health care profession or as able to provide services that require a health care license shall be deemed to be an attempt or offer to practice such profession without a license.”

The rule says, “Violations that form the basis of a felony in the third degree shall result in a penalty of $1,000 for the first offense, $2,000 for the second offense, and $5,000 for a third offense or more.”

Scott Powers

Scott Powers is an Orlando-based political journalist with 30+ years’ experience, mostly at newspapers such as the Orlando Sentinel and the Columbus Dispatch. He covers local, state and federal politics and space news across much of Central Florida. His career earned numerous journalism awards for stories ranging from the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster to presidential elections to misplaced nuclear waste. He and his wife Connie have three grown children. Besides them, he’s into mystery and suspense books and movies, rock, blues, basketball, baseball, writing unpublished novels, and being amused. Email him at [email protected].


5 comments

  • Sue Anne

    July 19, 2019 at 6:22 pm

    Elizabeth McCarthy shame on you. You have delusions and need help. We have enough liars in politics.

  • Richard W Anderson

    July 20, 2019 at 7:48 am

    I only vote for the candidate with a background that includes public drunk, nudity, a shopping cart and a gator.

  • dwstick

    July 20, 2019 at 2:16 pm

    The story doesn’t really point out her political affiliation. And, for that reason, I’ll assume that she is a Democrat.

  • I'm Awake

    July 21, 2019 at 9:17 am

    Scott Powers thanks for posting this story. This is real journalism and it is only the tip of the spear, keep digging she was not the only actor in this.

  • Scott Knowles

    July 21, 2019 at 11:27 am

    An actual investigative piece of journalism. So rare these days. Even more so when it is about a Democrat. Our country was so much better when the media was at least honest when reporting, despite most being liberal. Thanks for doing your job.

Comments are closed.


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