Broward Health’s David Di Pietro Called “Ingrate” For Suing Gov. Rick Scott
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Don’t shed tears for David Di Pietro because he was suspended from his role as chair of Broward Health’s governing board.
Because Di Pietro accommodated and participated some of what was wrong at Broward Health, according to a stinging Internet post by political consultant Dan Lewis.
Di Pietro resigned from his position at Broward Health Thursday after winning a Circuit Court lawsuit against his previous political benefactor Gov. Rick Scott. The announcement of his resignation authored by Di Pietro’s attorney Brian Silber is at the bottom of this post.
David Di Pietro
A persistent voice for changing the governance at the public health care system, Lewis wrote before Di Pietro resigned:
*Di Pietro “has been a willing participant in many secret meetings at Broward Health. These secret meetings include among others, the highly controversial meetings on the Zimmerman Advertising proposals wherein David had no objection and was reportedly a strong proponent.”
True.
*DiPietro as chair of the Broward Health board has overseen “some of the most incompetent Board decisions has made.”
True.
*Di Pietro controlled a majority of the votes on the Broward Health commission when several key executives were “ousted” — CEO Frank Nask, the esteemed corporate counsel Sam Goren and the talented VP of marketing Sara Howley. It was marketing that Di Pietro supported handing over to Zimmerman.
True.
*“A quarter of ( Di Pietro’s wife, Judge Nina Di Pietro’s) campaign donations through January came from health care-related source.” Broward Health vendors and physicians ponied up thousands.
True.
*Once he was suspended, Di Pietro “called the Governor out, embarrassed his office and went to court with an action that now serves to undermine the Governor’s office, authority and reputation. As a lifelong Democrat, politically – I am delighted,” Lewis wrote. “However, right, wrong or indifferent – it was the wrong political move. Loyalty is an important part of politics and I would have advised David to stand by his Governor, his benefactor.
“If I were in David’s position, that is what I would have done, even as a Democrat.
Lewis is right.
Di Pietro’s political prowess stemmed from his association with Scott. Not only did Scott appointment him to the Broward Health Commission, but the governor put his wife, Nina, on the bench.
“The Governor must be thinking a lot about the word ‘ingrate,’” Lewis wrote.
Dan Lewis
Di Pietro won his suit against his suspension in Circuit Court. The governor appealed.
The former political powerhouse didn’t wait for the Court of Appeals. He resigned on Thursday.
*****
The link to Dan Lewis’ post is here.
An earlier Browardbeat.com post on Di Pietro’s break with the governor is here.
*****
APRIL 14, 2016
David Di Pietro Resigns After Winning Court Battle
By Brian Silber
My Thoughts on the Case
When I first heard Gov. Scott suspended David Di Pietro from Broward Health, I knew immediately that stinky politics were at play. Sure enough, a review of the supposed Executive Order issued by Gov. Scott revealed absolutely no legitimate basis to sustain the suspension against David or Lieutenant Colonel Darryl L. Wright.
But I did not need to read some bogus order issued in Tallahassee to know the truth. David has been my friend and colleague for over 12 years, ever since we served as prosecutors at the Broward State Attorney’s Office.
Knowing David well, I knew, without reading a single paper, that he had done nothing wrong. David is an honest man, he is passionate about leadership, and I know he would never do anything unethical or unlawful.
Some people just know you like that.
However, as his political influence seemed to be in jeopardy, those who called themselves friends and colleagues were nowhere to be found – but for Bruce Green, Jay Spechler, myself and some others.
In times of crisis, some people run and some people stay – we stayed.
I commend my co-counsel greatly. On a mission to prove a man’s innocence and restore his reputation, we set out to fight the most powerful office in the land, second to the President of the United States.
We did so without regard for what people would say, without concern for winning or losing, and with the needs of our friend at the core of our every action. This case was about making a statement that not even the Governor of Florida has the power to smite an innocent person – just because he did not like his politics.
Don’t kid yourself – politics is everything in this case. It had nothing to do with actual wrongdoing.
After mounting a comprehensive legal battle, that frankly was one of the most intense, demanding, and complex I have ever participated in, we were glad to see David prevail.
Having defeated the Governor, David has no further use for litigation. He won.
Rick Scott can appeal all he wants, but the bottom line is that he was wrong and he knows it. The law and facts are not on his side. Were David to continue the litigation, he would surely prevail on the appellate level too.
That said, every case has a litigation objective. In this case, the litigation objective was about pushing back and restoring David’s reputation. No innocent person should ever sit idly by while another impugns his character, especially for something as shallow as political gain.
Having challenged the Governor’s false claims and prevailed, David is satisfied with restoring his reputation.
Mark my words – David Di Pietro is a community leader and will be serving this county long after nobody even remembers the name “Rick Scott”. In fact, the greatest blunder of all was Rick Scott’s waste of such a talented, driven, and amazing person – especially in a county where he has little to no support.
I am not the Governor’s advisor, but I fail to see the wisdom in character assassinating his own guy in a place and time where he needs him most. But hey, thats politics!
At the end of the day my message is clear: I am proud to call David Di Pietro my friend and it has been my honor to fight for him along with my very capable co-counsel, Bruce Green (who is a brilliant lawyer) and Jay Spechler (who is a brilliant tactician and strategist).
Special mention also goes to Rudy Mayor, our associate attorney who put countless hours into this case and who has provided insight that most lawyers do not achieve even after decades into practice (he is a first year associate).
April 14th, 2016 at 12:26 pm
I hate loathe vomit am repulsed by the fact MR DAN LEWIS IS 100% ACCURATE IN HIS DEPRESSIBG BUT 100% ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF MR DI PETROs RECORD.
What I dont want obscured is a wise NON PARTISAN but po litically important practical stateEditment Mr Lewis makes that it is a negative for government: the moronic selfish egotistical idea appointees have ” a right ” to occupy a PATRONAGE APPOINTMENT.
April 14th, 2016 at 12:40 pm
The last narrative from Goodfellas sums up the end of DiPietro as we knew him…
[last lines]
Henry Hill: [narrating] Anything I wanted was a phone call away. Free cars. The keys to a dozen hideout flats all over the city. I bet twenty, thirty grand over a weekend and then I’d either blow the winnings in a week or go to the sharks to pay back the bookies.
[Henry leaves the witness stand and speaks directly to the camera]…
Henry Hill: And that’s the hardest part. Today everything is different; there’s no action… have to wait around like everyone else. Can’t even get decent food – right after I got here, I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce, and I got egg noodles and ketchup. I’m an average nobody… get to live the rest of my life like a schnook.
April 14th, 2016 at 1:35 pm
David knows he had to get out of the spotlight to save his wife who is facing a pending JQC complaint.
April 14th, 2016 at 3:45 pm
Looks like David was afraid of what would happen in the appeal and decided to bail.
April 14th, 2016 at 4:15 pm
Everyone associated with that board makes me wanna puke. I would never trust any of them to a position of authority. All the public sees is a bunch of pretentious greedy and money driven cretins looking to take advantage of the publicity. They are not as intelligent as they think they are and they will be no match for the federal government. The reality is by now the feds have all the information they need.
April 14th, 2016 at 7:38 pm
Dan Lewis is the pot call the kettle black. Had Dan Lewis and his poorly trained physician friends been awarded the Intensivists Contract at Broward General, Dan would not be a critic of Broward Health.
Dan thinks Frank Nask, Sam Goren and Sara Howely were great because they led him along and let him think his big pay day was coming….Hey Dan, look up the word hypocrite!
FROM BUDDY:
Whatever Lewis’ motivation or past dealings, it doesn’t make his post any less accurate.
April 14th, 2016 at 8:24 pm
While I concur DDP and spouse Nina played “wash each other’s hands” with the sleazy gov, I’m not sure Dan Lewus has been completely honest and open about his own ties to Nask and BH. I heard out went some sweet deal for Dan with BH when out went Nask…So if Dan wouldn’t mind clearing this up I think he is biased, which makes taking what he says needing a shaker of salt.
April 15th, 2016 at 12:01 am
Almost believable until last paragraph mentioning an attorney putting in “countless hours.” Anyone who has ever hired an attorney knows that every second is counted – and billed, typically to the hundredth of an hour!
April 15th, 2016 at 7:23 am
Davey is an amateur and so is his wife. Lewis is right, Davey will not be rewarded for his behavior. I’ve never met him, but the guy looks like he is 12 years old. He doesn’t realize that any republican in broward is going to be rewarded for trying to screw over the county given its heavily leaning democrat politics. He apparently took that as a sign that he and his wife are actually “successful” and “accomplished” and that is why the god’s were smiling upon them. WRONG. It is called being a political tool, double entendre totally intended. What happens with tools that don’t work anymore, they get thrown away with the trash. Good luck, Davey. This is what happens when you support sociopaths like Donald Trump and Rick Scott. The minute you lose your value to them, if you are lucky, you get cast aside. The minute you threaten them, you are destroyed. You better get your ass out there and start volunteering for the Kasich campaign.
April 15th, 2016 at 7:39 am
Hail Caesar.
I mean David
April 15th, 2016 at 7:42 am
Buddy I see you did not post my response about why Dan is anti-Broward health. Clearly you’re not a real journalist.
FROM BUDDY:
“Clearly” I did post your comment.
And again, whatever Dan’s past dealings has no bearing on whether his post is accurate.
For instance, almost every tipster and person who leaks stories to journalists have some motivation. It doesn’t make their information any less correct.
April 15th, 2016 at 9:28 am
At David’s bequest, the county commission is giving addition financial concession to the failing Young at Art. They will soon, on the taxpayer dime, forgive more of YAA’s debt and allow YAA to own the taxpayer funded building. You see, David is the chair of that board too.
Meanwhile Mindy will continue to give herself a raise for a job well done. Is this in exchange for her husband representing David against the governor?
April 15th, 2016 at 9:34 am
I agree that almost every tipster and person who leaks stories to journalists have motivation. I firmly believe that without factual information it is still just that persons opinion.
And because they say it it doesn’t make their information any more correct just because they said it first.
Because the motivation is the key factor.
April 15th, 2016 at 1:33 pm
I’d love to see a comparison between ratios of public funding to private donations in miami-dade, palm beach and broward county for arts culture n education. Not dollars but the ratio because I have the hunch the county n taxpayers fund much more than miami-dade n palm beach counties because our elected officials buy voters by using tax payer money to fund worthless or mismanaged art cultural or educational non profits normal donors wont touch with a ten foot pole
April 15th, 2016 at 4:01 pm
Not surprising he can’t fight back in a true forum. He’d lose. So all his statements, all the rhetoric about what he plans to do now was a lie? Is everything a lie? (Who says he’s being followed, finds a tracking device, puts it in his house, sees it missing and says the criminals took it from his house and only talks about it to reporters months after the fact, not to police? A man with absolutely nothing to hide? An honest man?) What a scared little “man” to quit other than face an appeal. What a cares nothing other than himself and political gain for himself little man… The only reason he had that job – to prove himself, and take more, and trick people into believing something sbout him, that he is something that he isn’t. He appears to be a corrupt social and political schemer obsessed with his own image, nothing more, or else he would have fought. If he cared, he would fight the appeal. If he wants to help others, he’d fight the appeal. But he doesn’t care, and he knows he’d lose.
April 16th, 2016 at 8:24 am
Right on David
No one can appreciate not coming in first and doing the touchdown dance of victory like I can.
Both of us have a lot of free time now, let’s have coffee.
April 16th, 2016 at 8:32 am
Look at BH before DDP became Chairman of the Board. Look at the decions pushed through by DDP. Move out CEO that had been doing admirable job. Hire CEO with NO experience except in political circles. Who else was behind El Sanadi’s hiring???Fire Sam Goren who had been there for 5 or 6 years, and deftly navigated the system and its people through rough seas!!! And also fired VP Marketing who had been there 17 years and was and is still highly respected in the community and had done a brilliant job throughout the years. Just those 3 key decisions demonstrate DDP either was incapable of running BH or just plain didn’t care about the best interests of BH and simply cared about helping his friends (chipster and Zimmerman). The place today is a mess. The Gov used whatever excuse he could to get out the guy that wasn’t doing the job. Plain and simple. 8 hrs board meetings???? Anyone with any experience could see DDP was out of his league here. Sorry. Lewis is just scratching the surface. There are more culprits involved. The troth hopefully is closed. Unfortunately I doubt it. Just new faces and SOS.
April 16th, 2016 at 11:51 am
@17 Biff Barff seems to give us a depressing account of recent years but Mr Nevins observed this mismanagement GOES BACK DECADES THRU BOTH DEMOCRATIC AS WELL AS REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS although Governor Rick Scott’s appointees including Mr DiPetro seem THE OPPOSITE OF FISCAL CONSERVATIVES CERTAINLY IN THE ADVERTISING REALM.
By the way HOW COME THE TEA PARTY n FISCAL CONSERVATIVES in the Republican Party arent deminstrating n screaming about the 71 Million Dollar Zimmermann contract?
April 17th, 2016 at 12:35 pm
like sands in the hour glass ,you know the rest. I mean its really like a soap opera. Chief in charge commits suicide then its this one is this ,that one is corrupt etc. First Di Pietro is told his services are no longer needed by the Gov. Then he sues to be reinstated. He prevails. Then two seconds later he tells the Gov.nay I don’t want to serf anymore. Looks like a ploy to me. Is Mr.Di Pietro facing criminal charges as a lot of you suggest and then will he state well I sued to get my potion back, judge states I did nothing wrong, I prevailed but then thought well I can’t serve knowing the Gov. does not want me there. Hence if there is a criminal charge he can use his judgement to be reinstated as a tool if he is charged. Well thought out. will see. I feel bad for his wife who judge received her judgeship from the Gov. It puts a cloud over her. No way to start out. What this shows me this whole you starch my back, i’ll starch yours. From contracts being handed out to business, being in the the loop, to its not what you know , but who you know(Zimmerman co. ring a bell). I would like to see more advocacy for patient care, oh whats that Robert we the appointe d comm. are to busy pleasing the Jones is , so they get all the goodies, we don’t give a damn about patient advocacy. I can remember my late mother being admitted to an area hospital(no names, you in th e loop know exactly what hospital I’m referring to. Floor was a complete shit hole(yes). everything from urine stench that would knock a hores out etc(what I don’t understand some of you that think you are holyier than thou,how could you stand the stench going on that floor week end ,week out, but wait Robert’s late mother is admitted to that shit hole and in a New York minute hospital bill is denied, denied(I felt like gay Suzie Orman that day denied, denied, denied) yup not one penny for her stay. See what I mean patient advocacy. Then when I worked my magic, poof like a “grand wizard” hospital floor now looks like you can eat off the floors. This is examples, results that I want to see, not some shumck making millions of dollars off bids, contracts that don’t give damn about the patients well being just the all mighty dollar and who (business’) get what. I think the entire hospital comm. should be let go and start over. That’s my take. Shame…..
April 23rd, 2016 at 5:32 pm
If DDP can manage to keep himself from getting too caught up in the BH investigation he’ll probably run for SA in 2020 when Satz retires. That’s been his plan all along. Howard Finklestein as PD and DiPietro as SA would make for some interesting headlines. Of course DDP’s better half would have to be in civil.
FROM BUDDY:
I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Mike Satz to retire.
DiPietro can not have a reasonable chance of winning anything countywide in Broward unless he changes parties. He’s a Republican activist.