Renzo Downey
From the continuing fallout over revelations the state’s leading domestic violence coordinating group misused state and federal dollars, Gov. Ron DeSantis called Thursday for contract reviews across the executive branch.
Thursday evening’s Executive Order 20-44 outlines several reviews for all agencies to undertake and report within the next 45 days. And going forward, each agency must give annual reporters of partnered non-profits’ executive team compensations.
Those reports would go to the Governor’s office or the office of Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel.
DeSantis and the Legislature have taken swift action against the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV), which finally turned over documents last week to House ethics lawmakers and staff after more than a year of stonewalling. Lawmakers had teased that they would look into the state’s oversight of contracted independent groups, but the order marks the first substantive step taken beyond FCADV.
Speaking to the press Thursday morning, the Governor thanked the House for taking the lead on the FCADV contract repeal. But the he noted his budgets proposed putting domestic violence coordination directly under DCF not because the job is easy but because he wanted a check on an entity that has the power to choose its own board of directors and pay schemes.
“When I first came in, I told the folks in our office, ‘Let’s look at all these practices contracting everything, figure out what we can do better and figure out where there are inefficiencies,’ because these things build up,” he said.
The Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald first reported the non-profit’s outright refusal turn over documents in the investigation of former CEO Tiffany Carr‘s pay.
Carr reportedly earned $761,000 annually, but the new documents showed she also earned more than $7 million in compensation over three years. Sections of those papers were also redacted despite the House Public Integrity and Ethics Committee’s request.
“We were asking for information. They just gave us the back of their hand. They didn’t want to participate at all, so obviously, that’s very troubling,” DeSantis said.
The Governor’s order asks all agencies report all non-profit contracts codified in state law and all non-profits that receive 50% or more of their funding from state and federal dollars. Additionally, non-profits must provide IRS Form 990 reports for executives’ compensation, including salary, bonuses, cashed-in leave, cash equivalents, severance pay, retirement benefits, deferred compensation and real-property gifts.
A third provision asks the agencies verify partnered non-profits meet state audit requirements and submit a corrective plan to the Chief Inspector General. Those plans would carry timelines to rectify non-compliance or other issues discovered.
Moments after the executive order went public, the House adjourned and Speaker José Oliva fielded questions from the press. He agreed with the executive order, called for greater oversight and called FCADV’s alleged abuse extraordinary.
“Anytime an abuse of this nature happens, and it happens somewhat right under our noses, we’re all tremendously concerned,” he said. “The extraordinary actions we took last week is because we realized what this all became — not only the audacity of the wasteful spending that went on, but then the reluctance to share information about it. These are public dollars.”
His chamber earlier in the day passed legislation (HB 1087), spearheaded by Miami-Dade Republican Rep. Juan Fernandez-Barquin, to free the Department of Children and Families from its legal handcuffs to FCADV. The Senate is expected to pass the bill on Wednesday.
“I want everyone here to know that if I get reelected, this is going to be the first of many battles against nonprofits to ensure that taxpayer money is being used efficiently,” Fernandez-Barquin said.
4 comments
Bridget
February 22, 2020 at 9:11 pm
They should definitely look in to PanCare of Florida, a 501(c)3 receiving numerous government grants from federal, state and local government. Reporting to IRS and other agencies required reporting are difficult to locate and the ones located are vague at best. It seems the County Health Departments in the Panhandle of Florida are by all accounts on their websites providing traditionally established services and receiving usual government funding. However it appears to me PanCare has become the equivalent of a privatized county health department. Mind boggling the government funding and grants received as well as private donations and awards. Contracted with Bay District Schools for a fee in excess of $514,000 to provide school based health care K-12 with parental consent form signed at the beginning of the year. Billing private insurance companies for those services and when there is no private insurance policy they bill Medicaid for all encounters and now have found a loophole it appears to bill wraparound charges to Medicaid which in the end the Medicaid payments alone for each encounter reimburses somewhere around 93%+ of the actual stated encounter charge. Telehealth was included in the Bay District School contract for the said total of 514k this school year. Pancare just received a USDA grant to establish Telehealth for the district schools in the amount of $495k. The contract also references the county health department as party to the contract. I might be totally off but it doesn’t seem to mesh.
And to top it off they ask the parents to sign multiple consent forms allowing PanCare access to the child’s medical records and insurance policy information. Even though Bay District school policy clearly states a student will receive basic first aid for minor injuries and it does not state it is provided only if a signed consent form is in place with contracted health providers. My child has been refused basic first aid by the school, no attempt to notify the parent care of injury or refused medical care and sent back to the coach with dirty bloody scrapes and the coach slapped on some Band-Aids and filed no incident report
My child isn’t allowed to participate in school field trips unless I sign a separate consent form for said trip and as you may already have guessed…the field trip form required you to provide your insurance policy information to Pancare and authorizes Pancare access to necessary health care records for said child. I have refused to sign PanCare forms last year an this year and PanCare has STILL screened him for all healthcare screenings and retained health records. The mental health intuitive provided to public schools appears in the Panhandle area to also have PanCare involved.
I’m not one to typically follow these type issues but a intended simple search turned in to an all night long research session. Completely down in the rabbit hole.
What gives? Double dipping? Triple dipping?
Maybe something. Maybe nothing. I just don’t know.
Thanks for reporting on Florida government.
ana bas
February 24, 2020 at 10:09 am
PLEASE PLS PLS have someone , Fair, investigate Deerfield Beach books’ Too much Hanky Panky behind closed doors
Cathy Butler
March 3, 2020 at 6:54 pm
Best place to file a whistleblowers complaint in florida…https://www.myflfamilies.com/admin/ig/cigform.shtml
Bridget
March 3, 2020 at 7:31 pm
Great info, thanks. In middle of a local move. Will continue to pursue as soon as feasible.
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