A.G. Gancarski
Trial lawyer John Morgan tweeted late Tuesday that he wanted to help claw back the $77 million the state spent on its unemployment website.
Morgan, calling it an “offer that cannot be refused,” offered to put his “business trial team” to work recovering the money.
“Our unemployment system is broken because we had a computer system broken starting day one,” Morgan said.
“We were sold a lemon,” Morgan said, a more polite phrasing than many have used, offering pro bono legal work.
Morgan does not lay the blame with Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom he says is doing “a hell of a job.”
While it is uncertain if the Governor will seek legal action beyond the Inspector General investigation he urged earlier this week, he has been making a case to media that he was led to believe CONNECT worked well when it didn’t.
“We were in a situation where this thing was totally shot,” the Governor said to Sarasota reporters Tuesday about the $77 million CONNECT website.
The Governor said Monday there would be an Inspector General probe of the spending and the lack of apparent safeguards in site development.
DeSantis noted the site was contracted in 2011, with “multiple amendments.”
“The engineers I talked to said for that type of money, [the site] doesn’t fit the bill,” the Governor noted.
DeSantis previously called the site a “jalopy … designed to fail.”
In most media appearances, the Governor has laid the blame on those who came before him, including Ken Lawson, the appointed head of the Department of Economic Opportunity, whose stewardship of the unemployment system did not prepare it for what has hit since March.
The Governor described difficulties in replacing the site, which could have taken a year, as well as a way to “go around the system by hand” that was also a non-starter.
If Morgan launched a recovery action, it would pit the state against the politically-connected Deloitte, which won the bid and developed the site early last decade.
Right now our unemployment system in Florida is broken!!
Here’s an offer to the state of Florida and @GovRonDeSantis that cannot be refused! pic.twitter.com/uUPvLqX2zk
— John Morgan (@JohnMorganESQ) May 6, 2020
9 comments
Frankie M.
May 6, 2020 at 9:39 am
YASSSSSSSSSSSS!!! This is an offer Ronnie cannot refuse especially since Morgan said nice things about him. That’s rule #1.
Let’s get ready to rumble!!!! #WCW #ECW #AEW #cigarsfromJose #helluvajob
DisplacedCTYankee
May 6, 2020 at 9:39 am
And exactly *who* would the $77 million be recovered from? Rick Scott’s petty cash drawer? The sale of Rep Vern Buchanan’s yacht?
L. Brown
May 6, 2020 at 9:47 am
John–AFAB again, I see. Why not do this as your pro bono? It would cover all of the pro bono requirements for everyone in the main Orlando office and the satellite locations, too.
Ocean Joe
May 6, 2020 at 10:13 am
Why shouldn’t the vendor be liable…unless they delivered exactly what was asked for: a system deliberately packed with roadblocks to limit payouts. Besides the statute of limitations, isn’t that their only real defense, and wouldn’t they have to reveal which government officials designed it, in order to assert it?
Glenn Reihing
May 6, 2020 at 10:54 am
After that, you could take a look at where we are at in recovering the $110 million in tolls that were not collected by Conduent?
That sort of went quietly away…
M. Prida
May 6, 2020 at 11:30 am
Rick Scott conspired with Deloitte to defraud the people of florida at a most vulnerable time and needs to be held accountable in any legal action.
The amusing thing is that your friends and neighbors had no concern for the plight of the unemployed until it personally affected them. This is why these systems to scam citizens proliferated and profited for so long. Hopefully we dont return to short sighted self interest- it is the primary ingredient in government mendacity.
All Seeing
May 7, 2020 at 8:04 am
Excellent comment.
Teresa
May 7, 2020 at 8:24 pm
The root cause into why 77m was spent on this failed system should absolutely be addressed, but unless it solves the current problem now, then all resources should be focused on making sure every Floridian has been paid the state unemployment they applied for and the funds dedicated under the Cares Act so they can take care of their families while waiting to get back to work. Too many people have now been waiting 6 to 8 weeks without income!! Fixing this and taking care of our people first is a far more critical issue.
gary
May 8, 2020 at 7:58 pm
Guy is a pathetic sleaze ball
Comments are closed.