Spurred by reports in the Tampa Bay Times, House Speaker Richard Corcoran ordered a House probe of CareerSource Pinellas and CareerSource Tampa Bay, taxpayer-funded programs accused of paying excessive salaries to their top executive and inflating job placement figures in reports filed with Gov. Rick Scott’s administration.
Scott’s office on Wednesday called the allegations against the programs “troubling and any behavior like this is unacceptable.”
Corcoran sent a letter Wednesday to the agency’s chief executive, Edward Peachey, requesting all of CareerSource’s employment contracts, changes in Peachey’s salary, records of the actual number of people trained for jobs, annual audits, supporting documentation for state funding requests and email messages.
Corcoran specified that he wants “unredacted” documents, which means CareerSource can’t buy time to remove confidential information such as employees’ Social Security numbers. The House will redact confidential information, Corcoran said.
The investigation will be conducted by the House Public Integrity and Ethics Committee, chaired by Rep., Larry Metz, R-Yalaha.
Four Tampa Bay lawmakers, all Republicans, are on the committee: Reps. Larry Ahern of Seminole, Lawrence McClure of Plant City, Kathleen Peters of Treasure Island and Jake Raburn of Lithia.
The same committee is currently investigating a Tallahassee-based TV production firm, MAT Media, and broadcast executive Pat Roberts, which had contracts with the state’s tourism marketing arm, Visit Florida, to make television programs that featured celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse.
After Roberts declined to give the panel business and tax records, Corcoran subpoenaed the records and threatened to fine Roberts $1,000 a day, citing authority in the Florida Constitution. Roberts failed to get a court injunction blocking the subpoenas.
Corcoran, a Land O’Lakes Republican, has previously demanded extensive documents from Visit Florida, county-run tourism and economic development programs and state university foundations.
A potential candidate for governor, Corcoran successfully sued the Florida Lottery last year, accusing the agency of exceeding its spending authority.
A top Corcoran lieutenant, Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, earlier asked Corcoran to initiate the CareerSource probe to find out whether malfeasance or fraud has occurred.
Sprowls told Tampa TV station WFTS-Channel 28 he was disturbed by Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri’s decision to break a contract with CareerSource after the agency claimed credit for placing employees in jobs when it did not. “This looks to be a scam,” the sheriff said.
Sprowls said Peachey should consider resigning. “If I were him, I would be considering that option,” Sprowls told the TV station.
Scott’s Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), which contracts with CareerSource programs across the state to operate programs, has opened an investigation of the two Tampa Bay programs.
Here’s the full statement issued by the governor’s office:
“The allegations made against CareerSource Tampa Bay and CareerSource Pinellas are troubling and any behavior like this is unacceptable. Upon learning of these allegations last week, our office immediately contacted CareerSource and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and directed DEO to begin an investigation. Gov. Scott looks to forward to reviewing the findings of the DEO Inspector General investigation. When Gov. Scott first took office, he took significant steps to ensure CareerSource was solely focused on placing people in jobs. Anyone responsible for wrongdoing of any kind needs to be held fully accountable.”
