Lobbyist power key in suit

Former Broward Health chief cites influence on board

The former chairman of Broward Health claims in a lawsuit that a lobbyist close to Gov. Rick Scott controls appointments to Broward Health’s board and used that power to help a client win a highly questionable contract.

The lawsuit, filed 17 months ago but sealed until Friday, says Fort Lauderdale lobbyist William Rubin told thenBroward Health board member David Di Pietro that he “was controlling” all appointments to the board, whose members are chosen by the governor to run the five-hospital, taxpayer-supported system.

After Di Pietro complained to Scott about Rubin’s influence, the governor “acted upset” but ignored Di Pietro’s concerns, the lawsuit states.

The conversation got back to Rubin, however, who said Di Pietro “made a mistake” by contacting the governor about “my appointments” but offered to “move forward as a team.”

Rubin did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

The lawsuit, first reported by the Florida Bulldog website, was filed by Di Pietro in federal court against 21st Century Oncology, a Fort Myers company that provides cancer radiation services in the United States and Latin America.

The company declined comment, with a spokeswoman saying the company never discusses pending litigation.

In 2011, the company hired Rubin to approach Frank Nask, then in his last years as chief executive officer of Broward