Rick Scott pleads the 5th 75 times in one deposition.

[Orlandodem]

MIAMI- In the past week, GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott has been blasted by primary opponent, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, over his refusal to release a deposition stemming from a lawsuit over his health care company, Solantic. Scott calls it a private matter, that shows zero wrong-doing, and more importantly is not relevant to his quest for the governor's mansion in Tallahassee. Scott has lambasted McCollum for" abusing his office" for political reasons by promoting these allegations.

However, new documents (a total of 45 pages) circulated by the McCollum campaign, raise new questions concerning another deposition Scott gave in 2000 over his time as head of Columbia/HCA Hospital chain. Columbia/HCA settled a $1.7 billion lawsuit over Medicare fraud allegations--- making it the largest Medicare/Medicaid fraud case ever.The newly-unearthed documents show that Scott took the Fifth Amendment, 75 times during a 2000 deposition over a software dispute, not related specifically to the Medicare fraud controversy.

" Upon advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer the question by asserting my rights and privileges under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S.Constitution," Scott said repeatedly according to the deposition documents.

Scott at the time was no longer employed by Columbia/HCA but had received millions in a golden-parachute package after he was forcibly removed from the company while it was facing lawsuits and fines over the Medicare fraud.



Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/21/during-2000-deposition-florida-gubernatorial-candidate-took-5th-75-times#ixzz0y2okNlxl