Scott’s respect for Carroll is as negligible as his respect for FAMU

Jennifer Carroll has stood by Rick Scott’s side ever since he asked her to help him win the Florida governorship in 2010. She defended his integrity when questions were raised about his embarrassing financial past as the head of Columbia/HCA.

Scott rewarded Carroll’s loyalty by kicking her to the curb in the wake of an alleged scam that pales in comparison to the one that led to his exit from the health care company he ran years ago.

Carroll resigned from the lieutenant governorship on March 12 after federal investigators questioned her as part of a probe into an alleged $300 million, illegal gambling ring. Back in 2009 and 2010, Carroll did consulting work for the company that is accused of running the operation. She does not face any criminal charges.

The Associated Press gave the following description of what happened after Carroll answered the questions that the investigators asked her: "When the agents walked out about 20 minutes later, Gov. Rick Scott’s chief of staff was waiting outside her office. He told her Scott wanted her to resign. She immediately said yes and called her husband to let him know."

"‘In my military time, when the commander in chief makes a demand or request, then you say ‘Aye, aye sir,’ and you march on. And that’s what I did,’" Carroll said. She is a former Navy officer.

The scandal that led the feds to interrogate Carroll is small compared to the one that took place at the health care company that Scott previously led. Scott resigned as Chairman and CEO of Columbia/HCA in 1997 when the feds started an investigation into Medicare and Medicare fraud at his company. He pled the 5th Amendment 75 times during a deposition on the case. His former company ended up pleading guilty to more than a dozen felonies and paid $1.7 billion in fines, which set a new record.

The Carroll catastrophe is just another example of how Scott requires 100 percent loyalty from his appointees while demanding that they expect none in return. This has also been evident in Scott’s battle to gain control of the FAMU presidency. Trustee Rufus Montgomery constantly boasts about his “clout” with the governor and tells Rattlers that the university needs him due to his connections with Scott. Rufus was the governor’s top operative in the effort to pressure former FAMU President James H. Ammons to resign in order to make way for a new president who would be more to Scott’s liking.

But Rufus has shown himself to be completely useless in protecting FAMU against Scott’s budget vetoes. He kept his mouth shut when Scott line item vetoed $2M for electrical/technology upgrades and $500K for the Panama City mosquito lab from FAMU’s legislative appropriations in 2011. Rufus also did nothing when Scott line item vetoed $1.5M for FAMU Crestview Education Center in 2012.

Scott clearly has a one-sided relationship with Rufus. Rufus just does what he is told with no questions asked. FAMU has gotten absolutely nothing out of this deal.

The governor’s respect for FAMU is every bit as negligible as his respect for Carroll. Scott used Carroll to help him win the 2010 election and then got rid of her when she was no longer needed. He’ll do the same to Rufus once he’s no longer as asset toward the goal of snatching the keys to Lee Hall.

And you can bet that if Scott gets ahold of the FAMU presidency, he won’t give the university the same of funding support that he’s promised to the University of Florida. FAMU would just be another trophy for him to add to his collection of political conquests.