Now that Rick Scott is job auditioning for American Orange Idol, he's rewriting history by claiming he was the victim of political persecution over his hospital chain, which paid $1.7 billion to resolve Medicare fraud charges. Via Rolling Stone:
He added, “I’ve had experience with this. Back in the 90s, I was the lead opponent to Hillarycare,” referring to then-First Lady Hillary Clinton’s health care plan. “After it was defeated, she used the Justice Department to go after me and my company,” he claimed. “This can’t continue. What’s happening to this president is wrong.”
Scott made similarly combative comments defending Trump in an appearance on Fox & Friends earlier on Thursday. “I fought Hillarycare, and guess what happened when I fought Hillarycare? Justice came after me and attacked me and my company,” he said.
Scott, the former governor of Florida, was previously the CEO of Columbia/HCA — now known as HCA Healthcare, the nation’s largest hospital chain. He resigned from Columbia/HCA after the FBI began a probe that ultimately resulted in the company paying $1.7 billion in fines to settle charges of rampant Medicare fraud. The fines were a record at the time.
According to the Miami Herald, “federal investigators found that Scott took part in business practices at Columbia/HCA that were later found to be illegal — specifically, that Scott and other executives offered financial incentives to doctors in exchange for patient referrals, in violation of federal law, according to lawsuits the Justice Department filed against the company in 2001.”
He's already admitted the fraud numerous times, but okay. In MAGA world, you can go back in time and change history!
He may be able to persuade Trump to consider him as VP, but what I think he's really doing is reminding voters why he shouldn't be in the Senate.