Revision as of 22:17, 13 May 2021 view sourceDr.Swag Lord, Ph.d (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers9,650 edits Reverting 1 pending edit by 38.67.199.111 to last accepted version by Dr.Swag Lord, Ph.d (RW 16.1)Tag: Manual revert← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 15:21, 21 December 2024 view source GreenC bot (talk | contribs)Bots2,547,803 edits Reformat 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:USURPURL and JUDI batch #20 | ||
(351 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|American politician (born 1952)}} | |||
{{About|the businessman, United States senator and former governor of Florida|other people with the same name|Richard Scott (disambiguation)}} | |||
{{About|the American politician and businessman|other people with similar names|Richard Scott (disambiguation)}} | |||
{{Not to be confused with|Tim Scott}}{{pp-pc1}} | |||
{{pp|small=yes}} | |||
{{Short description|United States Senator from Florida}} | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2017}} | {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2017}} | ||
{{Use American English|date=December 2017}} | {{Use American English|date=December 2017}} | ||
{{Infobox officeholder | {{Infobox officeholder | ||
|name = Rick Scott | | name = Rick Scott | ||
|image = Official Portrait of Senator Rick Scott (R-FL).jpg | | image = Official Portrait of Senator Rick Scott (R-FL).jpg | ||
| office = Chair of the ] | |||
|caption = Scott in 2019 | |||
| status = Designate | |||
|office = Chair of the ] | |||
| |
| term_start = January 3, 2025 | ||
| term_end = | |||
|term_start = January 3, 2021 | |||
| succeeding = ] | |||
|term_end = | |||
|predecessor = ] | | predecessor = ] | ||
|successor = | | successor = | ||
| office1 = Chair of the ] | |||
|jr/sr1 = United States Senator | |||
| |
| leader1 = ] | ||
| term_start1 = January 3, 2021 | |||
|alongside1 = ] | |||
| |
| term_end1 = January 3, 2023 | ||
| predecessor1 = ] | |||
|term_end1 = | |||
| |
| successor1 = ] | ||
| jr/sr2 = United States Senator | |||
|successor1 = | |||
| |
| state2 = ] | ||
| alongside2 = ] | |||
|lieutenant2 = ]<br>] | |||
| term_start2 = January 8, 2019 | |||
| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|lawyer|financier |businessman|radarman}} | |||
| term_end2 = | |||
|term_start2 = January 4, 2011 | |||
| predecessor2 = ] | |||
|term_end2 = January 7, 2019{{efn|Because Ron DeSantis and Jeannette Núñez took their oaths of office ahead of time, they became governor and lieutenant governor at midnight on January 8, rather than waiting for the inaugural ceremony. Thus, Scott's and Lopez-Cantera's terms ended at the end of January 7.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/01/05/desantis-already-governor-when-ceremony-begins|title=DeSantis already governor when ceremony begins|work=]|date=January 5, 2019|access-date=January 9, 2019}}</ref>}} | |||
| successor2 = | |||
|predecessor2 = ] | |||
| order3 = 45th ] | |||
|successor2 = ] | |||
| lieutenant3 = ]<br>] | |||
|birth_name = Richard Lynn Myers | |||
| term_start3 = January 4, 2011 | |||
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=y|1952|12|01}} | |||
| term_end3 = January 7, 2019 | |||
|birth_place = ], U.S. | |||
| |
| predecessor3 = ] | ||
| |
| successor3 = ] | ||
| birth_name = Richard Lynn Myers | |||
|spouse = {{marriage|Ann Holland|April 20, 1972}} | |||
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|12|01}} | |||
|children = 2 | |||
| birth_place = ], U.S. | |||
|education = ] | |||
| death_date = | |||
|alma_mater = ] (])<br>] (]) | |||
| death_place = | |||
|net_worth = US$255 million (2018)<ref name=2018FD>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/07/27/rick-scott-reveals-highest-ever-family-assets-of-at-least-255-million|title=Rick Scott reveals highest-ever family assets of at least $255 million|last1=Bousquet|first1=Steve|last2=Klas|first2=Mary Ellen|date=July 27, 2018|access-date=August 27, 2018|website=]}}</ref> | |||
| party = ] | |||
|signature = Richard Scott signature.svg | |||
| |
| spouse = {{marriage|]|April 20, 1972}} | ||
| children = 2 | |||
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | |||
| education = {{ubl |] (]) |] (])}} | |||
|branch = {{flag|United States Navy}} | |||
| signature = Richard Scott signature.svg | |||
|serviceyears = 1971–1974<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/rep_bios.php?rep_id=66955326|title=Summary of Information on Rick Scott|publisher=Thepoliticalguide.com|access-date=May 30, 2011}}</ref> | |||
| website = {{url|rickscott.senate.gov|Senate website}} | |||
|rank = ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2010/09/oh-if-only-florida-had-a-governor-who-liked-business-people.html|title=Oh, if only Florida had a governor who liked businesspeople|publisher=Blogs.orlandosentinel.com|access-date=May 30, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104024550/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2010/09/oh-if-only-florida-had-a-governor-who-liked-business-people.html|archive-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref> | |||
| |
| branch = ] | ||
| serviceyears = {{circa|1971–1974}}<ref name=":24" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/rep_bios.php?rep_id=66955326 |title=Summary of Information on Rick Scott |publisher=Thepoliticalguide.com |access-date=May 30, 2011 |archive-date=August 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811201419/http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/rep_bios.php?rep_id=66955326|url-status=usurped}}</ref><!-- Rick's wife says in the Gulfshore Life article that they were stationed in the Navy for 15 months after their wedding in April 1972. That implies a discharge date of August 1973 --> | |||
|battles = | |||
| rank = ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2010/09/oh-if-only-florida-had-a-governor-who-liked-business-people.html |title=Oh, if only Florida had a governor who liked businesspeople |publisher=Blogs.orlandosentinel.com |access-date=May 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104024550/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2010/09/oh-if-only-florida-had-a-governor-who-liked-business-people.html |archive-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref> | |||
| unit = {{USS|Glover|FF-1098}} | |||
|module = {{Listen | |||
|pos = center | |||
|embed = yes | |||
|filename = Rick Scott on his opposition to student debt cancelation.ogg | |||
|title = Scott's voice | |||
|type = speech | |||
|description = Scott opposing ] relief<br/>Recorded September 14, 2022}} | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Richard Lynn Scott''' ({{né}} '''Myers'''; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who has been the ] ] from ] since 2019.{{efn|Because Ron DeSantis and Jeannette Núñez took their oaths of office ahead of time, they became governor and lieutenant governor at midnight on January 8, rather than waiting for the inaugural ceremony. Thus, Scott's and Lopez-Cantera's terms ended at the end of January 7.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/01/05/desantis-already-governor-when-ceremony-begins |title=DeSantis already governor when ceremony begins |work=] |date=January 5, 2019 |access-date=January 9, 2019}}</ref>}}<ref name=jan8oath>{{cite web|url=https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/rick-scott-sworn-in-as-florida-s-newest-us-senator|title=Rick Scott sworn in as Florida's newest U.S. senator|date=January 8, 2019|website=WJXT}}</ref><ref name="swearing in delay">{{cite news|last=Greenwood|first=Max|date=December 4, 2018|title=Rick Scott delays Senate swearing-in ceremony|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/419690-rick-scott-will-delay-senate-swearing-in-ceremony-until-jan-8/|work=]|access-date=December 4, 2018}}</ref> A member of the ], he served two terms as the 45th ] from 2011 to 2019. | |||
Scott is a graduate of the ] and the ] at ]. In 1987, after serving in the ] and becoming a law firm partner, he co-founded ]. Columbia later merged with another corporation to form ], which eventually became the nation's largest for-profit health care company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://danielsethics.mgt.unm.edu/pdf/hca.pdf|title=Hospital Corporation of America: Learning from Past Mistakes?|publisher=Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, University of New Mexico|access-date=September 9, 2016}}</ref> Scott was pressured to resign as chief executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997. During his tenure as chief executive, the company ]ed Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs. The ] won 14 felony convictions against the company, which was fined $1.7 billion in what was at the time the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history.<ref name=":20">{{Cite news|url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/mar/03/florida-democratic-party/rick-scott-rick-scott-oversaw-largest-medicare-fra|title=Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud' in U.S. history, Florida Democratic Party says|author=Sherman, Amy|work=Politifact|date=March 3, 2014|access-date=2018-04-19}}</ref><ref name="fungus">{{cite news|last1=Glorioso|first1=Alexandra|last2=Caputo|first2=Marc|title=Democrats: Medicare fraud is 'fungus' Scott will never get rid of|url=https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/08/30/democrats-medicare-fraud-is-fungus-scott-will-never-get-rid-of-573155|access-date=October 26, 2018|publisher=Politico|date=August 30, 2018}}</ref> Following his departure from Columbia/HCA, Scott became a venture capitalist and pursued other business interests. | |||
'''Richard Lynn Scott''' (] '''Myers''', born December 1, 1952) is an American politician and businessman serving as the ] ] from ] since 2019.<ref name=jan8oath>{{cite web|url=https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/rick-scott-sworn-in-as-florida-s-newest-us-senator|title=Rick Scott sworn in as Florida's newest U.S. senator|date=January 8, 2019|website=WJXT}}</ref><ref name="swearing in delay">{{cite news|last=Greenwood|first=Max|date=December 4, 2018|title=Rick Scott delays Senate swearing-in ceremony|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/419690-rick-scott-will-delay-senate-swearing-in-ceremony-until-jan-8|work=]|access-date=December 4, 2018}}</ref> A member of the ], he was the ] from 2011 to 2019. | |||
Scott ran for governor of Florida ]. He defeated ] in a vigorously contested Republican primary election, and then defeated ] nominee ] by just over one point in the general election.<ref name=Running>{{cite news|title=Health Care Figure Running for Florida Governor|first=Ben|last=Smith|date=April 13, 2010|access-date=February 24, 2016|work=]|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0410/Health_care_figure_running_for_Florida_Governor.html}}</ref> Scott was reelected ], again by just over one point, against former governor ]. He was barred by ] from running for reelection ], and instead ran for the U.S. Senate. | |||
Scott is a graduate of the ] and the ] at ]. In 1987, after serving in the ] and becoming a law firm partner, he co-founded ]. Columbia later merged with another corporation to form ], which eventually became the nation's largest private for-profit health care company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://danielsethics.mgt.unm.edu/pdf/hca.pdf|title=Hospital Corporation of America: Learning from Past Mistakes?|publisher=Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, University of New Mexico|access-date=September 9, 2016}}</ref> Scott was pressured to resign as chief executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997. During his tenure as chief executive, the company ] Medicare, Medicaid and other federal programs. The Department of Justice ultimately fined the company $1.7 billion in what was at the time the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history.<ref name=":20">{{Cite news|url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/mar/03/florida-democratic-party/rick-scott-rick-scott-oversaw-largest-medicare-fra|title=Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud' in U.S. history, Florida Democratic Party says|author=Sherman, Amy|work=Politifact|date=March 3, 2014|access-date=2018-04-19}}</ref><ref name="fungus">{{cite news|last1=Glorioso|first1=Alexandra|last2=Caputo|first2=Marc|title=Democrats: Medicare fraud is 'fungus' Scott will never get rid of|url=https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/08/30/democrats-medicare-fraud-is-fungus-scott-will-never-get-rid-of-573155|access-date=October 26, 2018|publisher=Politico|date=August 30, 2018}}</ref> Following his departure from Columbia/HCA, Scott became a venture capitalist and pursued other business interests. In 2009, he founded ]. | |||
Scott won the ], defeating Democratic incumbent ]. The initial election results were so close that they triggered a mandatory recount. The recount showed that Scott had won by 10,033 votes; Nelson then conceded the race. Scott took office following the expiration of his term as governor of Florida on January 8, 2019. He won reelection ], defeating Democratic nominee ] by over 12 points.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gans|first=Jared|date=November 5, 2024|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4962067-rick-scott-wins-reelection/|title=Scott wins Florida Senate race, fending off Democratic challenge|work=]|access-date=November 6, 2024}}</ref> Scott is expected to become Florida's senior senator when ] resigns to become secretary of state in the ]. | |||
Scott ran for governor of Florida in ]. He defeated ] in a vigorously contested ] primary election, and then narrowly defeated ] nominee ] in the general election.<ref name=Running>{{cite news|title=Health Care Figure Running for Florida Governor|first=Ben|last=Smith|date=April 13, 2010|access-date=February 24, 2016|work=]|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0410/Health_care_figure_running_for_Florida_Governor.html}}</ref> Scott was reelected in ], defeating former governor ]. He was barred by ] from running for reelection in ], and instead ran for the United States Senate. | |||
Scott won the ], defeating Democratic incumbent ]. The initial election results were so close that they triggered a mandatory recount. The recount showed that Scott had won by 10,033 votes; Nelson then conceded the race. Scott took office following the expiration of his term as governor of Florida on January 8, 2019. | |||
==Early life and education== | ==Early life and education== | ||
Rick Scott was born Richard Lynn Myers<ref name=birth1>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@smolenyak/one-less-secret-for-rick-scott-255d29679a59|title=One Less Secret for Rick Scott|first=Megan|last=Smolenyak|date=September 17, 2018|access-date=November 8, 2018}}</ref> in ], on December |
Rick Scott was born Richard Lynn Myers<ref name=birth1>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@smolenyak/one-less-secret-for-rick-scott-255d29679a59|title=One Less Secret for Rick Scott|first=Megan|last=Smolenyak|date=September 17, 2018|access-date=November 8, 2018}}</ref> in ], on December 1, 1952. Scott never met his biological father, Gordon William Myers,<ref name=birth1/> who was described by Scott's mother, Esther J. Scott (née Fry; 1928–2012), as an abusive alcoholic.<ref name=":26">{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Roger |date=July 9, 2014 |title=Rick Scott: A political outsider works hard to stay inside the governor's office |url=https://fortmyers.floridaweekly.com/articles/rick-scott/ |work=Florida Weekly -- Fort Meyer's Edition}}</ref> Scott's parents divorced in his infancy.<ref name=":26" /> | ||
In 1954, Esther married Orba George Scott Jr. (died 2006), a truck driver. Orba adopted Rick, who took his stepfather's surname and became known as Richard Lynn Scott.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430113447/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/rick-scott-the-tv-image-well-known-rick-scott-the-man-is-not/1128342 |
In 1954, Esther married Orba George Scott Jr. (died 2006), a truck driver. Orba adopted Rick, who took his stepfather's surname and became known as Richard Lynn Scott.<ref name=":22"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430113447/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/rick-scott-the-tv-image-well-known-rick-scott-the-man-is-not/1128342 |date=April 30, 2013}}; accessed March 8, 2014.</ref> Scott was raised in ], ], the second of five children. His family was lower-middle-class and struggled financially; Esther Scott worked as a clerk at ], among other jobs.<ref name="JBJ-17Apr06"/><ref name=":25">; accessed March 8, 2014.</ref> | ||
Scott graduated from ] in 1970.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://kchistory.org/document/north-kansas-city-high-school-yearbook-purgold-3 |title=Purgold: North Kansas City High School Yearbook 1970 |publisher=North Kansas City High School |year=1970 |editor-last=Cindy Richardson |editor-first=Dale McEowen |volume=XLIII |pages=130}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=UM-System; President's Office; James C. Olson Papers; Speeches and related Materials |url=https://muarchives.missouri.edu/uw-rg4-s99.html |access-date=2024-08-23 |website=muarchives.missouri.edu |quote=FF 54 - North Kansas City High School Commencement Address, 5/28/1970}}</ref> He attended community college for a year,<ref name=":21">{{Cite news |date=November 16, 2016 |title=Missouri native now a national leader: Florida -- Rick Scott '75, Governor of Florida |url=https://perspectives.umkc.edu/florida/ |work=Perspectives: University of Missouri-Kansas City Alumni Magazine}}</ref> and then enlisted in the ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Montgomery |first=Ben |title=Young Rick Scott recalled as driven, frugal, studious, focused |url=http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/young-rick-scott-recalled-as-driven-frugal-studious-focused/1129801 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607084743/http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/young-rick-scott-recalled-as-driven-frugal-studious-focused/1129801 |archive-date=June 7, 2013 |access-date=November 12, 2012 |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref> In 1972, he married ], whom he met in high school,<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Zac |date=June 15, 2014 |title=Ann Scott hopes she can help husband get re-elected |url=https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/local/2014/06/15/ann-scott-hopes-she-can/31866692007/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130155231/https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/local/2014/06/15/ann-scott-hopes-she-can/31866692007/ |archive-date=January 30, 2023 |work=The Gainesville Sun}}</ref> at a Baptist church in ].<ref name=":110">{{Cite news |last=Sanders |first=Katie |date=January 24, 2013 |title=Ann Scott: Florida's reluctant first lady |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article1946652.html |work=Miami Herald}}</ref> Scott had completed ] just before the wedding. Afterward, he was sent to a naval posting in ], where he and his wife lived for 15 months.<ref name=":24">{{Cite news |last=Parker |first=Betty |date=February 2014 |title=What You Don't Know About Ann Scott |url=https://www.gulfshorelife.com/February-2014/What-You-Dont-Know-About-Ann-Scott/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107110827/https://www.gulfshorelife.com/February-2014/What-You-Dont-Know-About-Ann-Scott/ |archive-date=November 7, 2014 |work=Gulfshore Life}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Kira |date=May 10, 2014 |title=A friendly first lady |url=https://www.news-press.com/story/life/2014/05/10/a-friendly-first-lady/8145945/ |work=News-Press |quote=I got married one day and moved 1,500 miles the next.}}</ref> He served there as a ] on the {{USS|Glover|FF-1098}}, which during his enlistment spent time ]ed in ] and sailed to ports in ] and ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kallestad |first=Brent |date=July 29, 2011 |title=Revamping vets Hall of Fame |url=https://www.staugustine.com/story/news/state/2011/07/29/revamping-vets-hall-fame/16199826007/ |work=St. Augustine Record}}</ref> Scott was in the Navy for 29 months, including training.<ref>{{cite news |author=Chrystal Hayes |date=October 13, 2018 |title=Florida Governor Rick Scott's Navy Hat Under Attack |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/10/13/florida-governor-rick-scott-navy-hat-attack-midterm-ad/1620149002/ |newspaper=]}}</ref><ref name="Time25" /> | |||
Scott graduated from ] in 1970.<ref>{{cite news|last=Montgomery|first=Ben|title=Young Rick Scott recalled as driven, frugal, studious, focused|url=http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/young-rick-scott-recalled-as-driven-frugal-studious-focused/1129801|newspaper=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=November 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607084743/http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/young-rick-scott-recalled-as-driven-frugal-studious-focused/1129801#|archive-date=June 7, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He attended community college and enlisted in the ] in 1970.<ref name=Hornick>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/25/rick.scott.republicans|title=Who is Florida's Rick Scott?|publisher=CNN|date=August 25, 2010|access-date=August 2, 2014|author=Hornick, Ed}}</ref>{{Not in citation|reason=Date of 1970 enlistment not in citation|date=December 2019}} Scott was in the Navy for 29 months<ref name="Time25"/> and served on the {{USS|Glover|FF-1098}} as a ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/biography|title=U.S. Senator Rick Scott was sworn in to the Senate in January 2019.|publisher=senate.gov}}</ref> | |||
Scott attended college on the ] |
After the Navy, Scott and his wife moved to Kansas City, where he attended college on the ].<ref name=":24" /> He graduated in 1975 from the ] with a ].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/umkclaw/islandora/object/umkclaw%3A24781#page/48/mode/2up |title=1975: Fortieth Annual Commencement |date=May 10, 1975 |publisher=University of Missouri, Kansas City |pages=45}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Rick Scott's Biography |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/124204/rick-scott |publisher=vote smart}}</ref> He earned a ] degree by working his way through ].<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |title=U.S. Senator Rick Scott was sworn in to the Senate in January 2019. |url=https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/biography |publisher=senate.gov}}</ref> The Texas Bar licensed him to practice law in 1978.<ref name="TXBAR">, State Bar of Texas website; accessed June 7, 2014.</ref> | ||
== Career == | == Career == | ||
Scott made his first foray into business while working his way through college and law school, initially buying and reviving a failing doughnut shop (the Flavor Maid Do-Nut) by adding workplace delivery instead of relying on foot traffic. He later bought and revived another doughnut shop.<ref name=tbt>{{cite news|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/rick-scott-the-tv-image-well-known-rick-scott-the-man-is-not/1128342|title=Rick Scott, the TV image is well known, Rick Scott, the man, is not|newspaper=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=February 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215141151/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/rick-scott-the-tv-image-well-known-rick-scott-the-man-is-not/1128342 |
Scott made his first foray into business while working his way through college and law school, initially buying and reviving a failing doughnut shop (the Flavor Maid Do-Nut) by adding workplace delivery instead of relying on foot traffic. He later bought and revived another doughnut shop.<ref name=tbt>{{cite news|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/rick-scott-the-tv-image-well-known-rick-scott-the-man-is-not/1128342|title=Rick Scott, the TV image is well known, Rick Scott, the man, is not|newspaper=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=February 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215141151/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/rick-scott-the-tv-image-well-known-rick-scott-the-man-is-not/1128342|archive-date=February 15, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> After graduating from law school, Scott worked as an attorney at the law firm of Johnson & Swanson in Dallas, Texas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/05/07/rick-scott-raising-money-in-texas|title=Rick Scott raising money in Texas|first=Alex|last=Leary|publisher=tampabay.com|access-date=November 8, 2018}}</ref> | ||
===Columbia Hospital Corporation=== | ===Columbia Hospital Corporation=== | ||
In 1988, Scott and ], a financier from Fort Worth, each put up $125,000 in ] in their new company, Columbia Hospital Corporation;<ref>{{cite news|title=Largest Publicly Held Hospital Chain Is Planned|author=Milt Freudenheim|date=October 4, 1993|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/04/business/largest-publicly-held-hospital-chain-is-planned.html}}</ref> they borrowed the remaining money needed to purchase two struggling hospitals in ] for $60 million.<ref name="NYTimes-6Oct94"/> Then they acquired a neighboring hospital and shut it down. Within a year, the remaining two were doing much better.<ref name="Time25"/> By the end of 1989, Columbia Hospital Corporation owned four hospitals with a total of 833 beds.<ref name="NYTimes-6Oct94"/> | In 1988, Scott and ], a financier from Fort Worth, each put up $125,000 in ] in their new company, Columbia Hospital Corporation;<ref>{{cite news|title=Largest Publicly Held Hospital Chain Is Planned|author=Milt Freudenheim|date=October 4, 1993|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/04/business/largest-publicly-held-hospital-chain-is-planned.html}}</ref> they borrowed the remaining money needed to purchase two struggling hospitals in ] for $60 million.<ref name="NYTimes-6Oct94"/> Then they acquired a neighboring hospital and shut it down. Within a year, the remaining two were doing much better.<ref name="Time25"/> By the end of 1989, Columbia Hospital Corporation owned four hospitals with a total of 833 beds.<ref name="NYTimes-6Oct94"/> | ||
In 1992, Columbia made a stock purchase of Basic American Medical, which owned eight hospitals, primarily in |
In 1992, Columbia made a stock purchase of Basic American Medical, which owned eight hospitals, primarily in Southwestern Florida. In September 1993, Columbia did another stock purchase, worth $3.4 billion, of Galen Healthcare, which had been spun off by ] several months earlier.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/21/business/a-hospital-giant-comes-to-town-bringing-change.html?pagewanted=all|work=]|title=A Hospital Giant Comes to Town, Bringing Change|author=Kathryn Jones|date=November 21, 1993}}</ref> At the time, Galen had approximately 90 hospitals. After the purchase, Galen stockholders had 82% of the stock in the combined company, with Scott still running the company.<ref name="NYTimes-6Oct94">{{cite news|title=Efficiencies of scale are taken to the nth degree at Columbia|author=Floyd Norris|date=October 6, 1994|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/06/business/market-place-efficiencies-of-scale-are-taken-to-the-nth-degree-at-columbia.html|access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref> | ||
===Columbia/HCA=== | ===Columbia/HCA=== | ||
Line 78: | Line 86: | ||
In 1994, Columbia Hospital Corporation merged with HCA, "forming the single largest for-profit health care company in the country." Scott became CEO of Columbia/HCA.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/industries/health-care/2018/08/16/hca-hospitals-nashville-health-care-company-timeline/986397002/|title=HCA: From single hospital to health care behemoth|work=Tennessean.com|last=Kelman|first=Brett|date=August 16, 2018|access-date=October 26, 2018}}</ref> According to ''The New York Times'', " less than a decade, Mr. Scott had built a company he founded with two small hospitals in El Paso into the world's largest health care company – a $20 billion giant with about 350 hospitals, 550 home health care offices and scores of other medical businesses in 38 states."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/26/business/2-leaders-are-out-at-health-giant-as-inquiry-goes-on.html|title=2 Leaders Are Out at Health Giant as Inquiry Goes On|work=The New York Times|last=Eichenwald|first=Kurt|date=July 26, 1997|access-date=October 26, 2018}}</ref> | In 1994, Columbia Hospital Corporation merged with HCA, "forming the single largest for-profit health care company in the country." Scott became CEO of Columbia/HCA.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/industries/health-care/2018/08/16/hca-hospitals-nashville-health-care-company-timeline/986397002/|title=HCA: From single hospital to health care behemoth|work=Tennessean.com|last=Kelman|first=Brett|date=August 16, 2018|access-date=October 26, 2018}}</ref> According to ''The New York Times'', " less than a decade, Mr. Scott had built a company he founded with two small hospitals in El Paso into the world's largest health care company – a $20 billion giant with about 350 hospitals, 550 home health care offices and scores of other medical businesses in 38 states."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/26/business/2-leaders-are-out-at-health-giant-as-inquiry-goes-on.html|title=2 Leaders Are Out at Health Giant as Inquiry Goes On|work=The New York Times|last=Eichenwald|first=Kurt|date=July 26, 1997|access-date=October 26, 2018}}</ref> | ||
====Fraud investigation and settlement==== | |||
On March 19, 1997, investigators from the ], the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Services served search warrants at Columbia/HCA facilities in El Paso and on dozens of doctors with suspected ties to the company.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/032197columbia-hca-investigate.html|work=The New York Times|title=U.S. Expands Search of Columbia/HCA in Texas |date=March 21, 1997 |author=Kurt Eichenwald |author-link=Kurt Eichenwald |access-date=March 14, 2019}}</ref> Eight days after the initial raid, Scott signed his last SEC report as a hospital executive. Four months later, the board of directors pressured him to resign as chairman and CEO.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/26/business/2-leaders-are-out-at-health-giant-as-inquiry-goes-on.html|title=2 Leaders are out at health giant as inquiry goes on|work=]|date=July 26, 1997|first=Kurt|last=Eichenwald|access-date=August 16, 2015 }}</ref> He was succeeded by ]<ref name=tampabay>{{cite web|title=Columbia/HCA reports warned Rick Scott of potential legal problems|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/columbiahca-reports-warned-rick-scott-of-potential-legal-problems/1122581|publisher=TampaBay|access-date=December 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502152330/http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/columbiahca-reports-warned-rick-scott-of-potential-legal-problems/1122581#|archive-date=May 2, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Scott was paid $9.88 million in a settlement, and left owning 10 million shares of stock then worth more than $350 million.<ref>{{cite web|last=Korten|first=Tristram|title=Rick Scott profits off the uninsured|work=]|url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/09/30/rick_scott_one|date=September 30, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511055118/http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/09/30/rick_scott_one|archive-date=May 11, 2010|access-date=December 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/HOSPITAL+FIRM+OUSTS+ITS+FOUNDER%3B+COLUMBIA%2FHCA+TRIES+TO+STOP...-a083874577|title=Hospital Firm Ousts Its Founder; Columbia/Hca Tries To Stop Slide|publisher=Thefreelibrary.com|date=July 26, 1997|access-date=May 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2006/04/17/story1.html|first=M.C.|last=Moewe|title=Ex-Columbia chief helps grow Solantic|date=April 17, 2006}}</ref> The directors had been warned in the company's annual public reports to stockholders that incentives Columbia/HCA offered doctors could run afoul of a federal anti-kickback law passed in order to limit or eliminate instances of conflicts of interest in Medicare and Medicaid.<ref name=tampabay/> | |||
On March 19, 1997, investigators from the ], the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Health and Human Services served search warrants at Columbia/HCA facilities in El Paso and on dozens of doctors with suspected ties to the company.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://partners.nytimes.com/library/financial/032197columbia-hca-investigate.html|work=The New York Times|title=U.S. Expands Search of Columbia/HCA in Texas |date=March 21, 1997 |author=Kurt Eichenwald |author-link=Kurt Eichenwald |access-date=March 14, 2019}}</ref> Eight days after the initial raid, Scott signed his last SEC report as a hospital executive. Four months later, the board of directors pressured him to resign as chairman and CEO.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/26/business/2-leaders-are-out-at-health-giant-as-inquiry-goes-on.html|title=2 Leaders are out at health giant as inquiry goes on|work=]|date=July 26, 1997|first=Kurt|last=Eichenwald|access-date=August 16, 2015 }}</ref> He was succeeded by ]<ref name=tampabay>{{cite web|title=Columbia/HCA reports warned Rick Scott of potential legal problems|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/columbiahca-reports-warned-rick-scott-of-potential-legal-problems/1122581|publisher=TampaBay|access-date=December 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502152330/http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/columbiahca-reports-warned-rick-scott-of-potential-legal-problems/1122581|archive-date=May 2, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Scott was paid $9.88 million in a settlement, and left owning 10 million shares of stock then worth more than $350 million.<ref>{{cite web|last=Korten|first=Tristram|title=Rick Scott profits off the uninsured|work=]|url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/09/30/rick_scott_one|date=September 30, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511055118/http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/09/30/rick_scott_one|archive-date=May 11, 2010|access-date=December 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/HOSPITAL+FIRM+OUSTS+ITS+FOUNDER%3B+COLUMBIA%2FHCA+TRIES+TO+STOP...-a083874577|title=Hospital Firm Ousts Its Founder; Columbia/Hca Tries To Stop Slide|publisher=Thefreelibrary.com|date=July 26, 1997|access-date=May 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2006/04/17/story1.html|first=M.C.|last=Moewe|title=Ex-Columbia chief helps grow Solantic|date=April 17, 2006}}</ref> The directors had been warned in the company's annual public reports to stockholders that incentives Columbia/HCA offered doctors could run afoul of a federal anti-kickback law passed in order to limit or eliminate instances of conflicts of interest in Medicare and Medicaid.<ref name=tampabay/> | |||
During Scott's 2000 deposition, he pleaded the Fifth Amendment 75 times.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/jun/17/florida-democratic-party/rick-scott-took-5th-75-times-democratic-party-ad-s|title=Rick Scott took the 5th Amendment 75 times, Democratic party ad says|author=Amy Sherman|date=June 17, 2014|website=Politifact.com|access-date=November 19, 2018}}</ref> In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA pleaded guilty to 14 felonies and agreed to a $600+ million fine in what was at the time the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history. Columbia/HCA admitted systematically overcharging the government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, by striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and by filing false data about use of hospital space. It also admitted to fraudulently billing Medicare and other health programs by inflating the seriousness of diagnoses and to giving doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA. It filed false cost reports, fraudulently |
During Scott's 2000 deposition, he ] 75 times.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/jun/17/florida-democratic-party/rick-scott-took-5th-75-times-democratic-party-ad-s|title=Rick Scott took the 5th Amendment 75 times, Democratic party ad says|author=Amy Sherman|date=June 17, 2014|website=Politifact.com|access-date=November 19, 2018}}</ref> In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA pleaded guilty to 14 felonies and agreed to a $600+ million fine in what was at the time the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history. Columbia/HCA admitted systematically overcharging the government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, by striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and by filing false data about use of hospital space. It also admitted to fraudulently billing Medicare and other health programs by inflating the seriousness of diagnoses and to giving doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA. It filed false cost reports, fraudulently billed Medicare for home health care workers, and paid kickbacks in the sale of home health agencies and to doctors to refer patients. In addition, it gave doctors "loans" never intending to be repaid, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/2000/12/15/1215disaster.html#60babbe2b66c|title=Disaster Of The Day: HCA|last=Ackman|first=Dan|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-10-26}}</ref><ref name=":20"/> | ||
In late 2002, HCA agreed to pay the United States government $631 million, plus interest, and $17.5 million to state ] agencies, in addition to $250 million paid up to that point to resolve outstanding Medicare expense claims.<ref>{{cite news|date=December 18, 2002|title=HCA to settle more allegations for $631M|author=Julie Appleby|work=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2002-12-18-hca-settlement-_x.htm}}</ref> In all, civil lawsuits cost HCA more than $2 billion to settle; at the time, this was the largest fraud settlement in U.S. history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/documents/doj-accomplishments.pdf|title=Accomplishments of the Department of Justice 2001–09|access-date=May 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Sherman|first=Amy|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/03/05/3973857/rick-scott-oversaw-the-largest.html#storylink=cpy|title=Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud in the nation's history', Florida Democratic Party says|access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> | In late 2002, HCA agreed to pay the United States government $631 million, plus interest, and $17.5 million to state ] agencies, in addition to $250 million paid up to that point to resolve outstanding Medicare expense claims.<ref>{{cite news|date=December 18, 2002|title=HCA to settle more allegations for $631M|author=Julie Appleby|work=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2002-12-18-hca-settlement-_x.htm}}</ref> In all, civil lawsuits cost HCA more than $2 billion to settle; at the time, this was the largest fraud settlement in U.S. history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/documents/doj-accomplishments.pdf|title=Accomplishments of the Department of Justice 2001–09|access-date=May 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Sherman|first=Amy|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/03/05/3973857/rick-scott-oversaw-the-largest.html#storylink=cpy|title=Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud in the nation's history', Florida Democratic Party says|website=]|access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> | ||
===Venture capitalist=== | ===Venture capitalist=== | ||
After leaving Columbia/HCA in 1997, Scott launched Richard L. Scott Investments, based in ] (originally in ]<ref name="btn01">Drew Ruble, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809170622/http://businesstn.com/content/great-scott |
After leaving Columbia/HCA in 1997, Scott launched Richard L. Scott Investments, based in ] (originally in ]),<ref name="btn01">Drew Ruble, {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809170622/http://businesstn.com/content/great-scott |date=August 9, 2009 }}, businesstn.com, July 2006; retrieved June 23, 2009.</ref> which has stakes in health care, manufacturing and technology companies. Between 1998 and 2001, he purchased 50% of CyberGuard Corporation for approximately $10 million. Among his investors was Metro Nashville finance director David Manning.<ref name="btn01" /> | ||
In 2006, CyberGuard was sold to ] for more than $300 million. In February 2005, Scott purchased Continental Structural Plastics, Inc. (CSP) in ]. In July 2006, CSP purchased Budd Plastics from ], making CSP the largest industrial composites molder in North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/richard-l-scott-investments-completes-acquisition-of-thyssenkrupp-budd-companys-plastics-division-with-portfolio-company-continental-structural-plastics-56132942.html|title=Richard L. Scott Investments Completes Acquisition of ThyssenKrupp Budd Company's Plastics Division with Portfolio Company Continental Structural Plastics|last=LLC|first=Richard L. Scott Investments|website=prnewswire.com|access-date=October 10, 2016}}</ref> | In 2006, CyberGuard was sold to ] for more than $300 million. In February 2005, Scott purchased Continental Structural Plastics, Inc. (CSP) in ]. In July 2006, CSP purchased Budd Plastics from ], making CSP the largest industrial composites molder in North America.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/richard-l-scott-investments-completes-acquisition-of-thyssenkrupp-budd-companys-plastics-division-with-portfolio-company-continental-structural-plastics-56132942.html|title=Richard L. Scott Investments Completes Acquisition of ThyssenKrupp Budd Company's Plastics Division with Portfolio Company Continental Structural Plastics|last=LLC|first=Richard L. Scott Investments|website=prnewswire.com|access-date=October 10, 2016}}</ref> | ||
In |
In 2005–2006, Scott provided the initial round of funding of $3 million to Alijor.com (named for the first three letters of his two daughters' names), which offered hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers the opportunity to post information about their prices, hours, locations, insurance accepted, and personal backgrounds online.<ref>{{cite news|date=July 28, 2008|title=Alijor's online directory of providers growing|work=San Jose Business Journal|author=Lisa Sibley|url=http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/07/28/newscolumn1.html|access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref> Scott co-founded the company with his daughter Allison.<ref name="btn01"/> | ||
In 2008, Alijor was sold to ]. In May 2008, Scott purchased ''Drives'', one of the world's leading independent designers and manufacturers of heavy-duty drive chain-based products and assemblies for industrial and agricultural applications and precision-engineered augers for agricultural, material handling, construction and related applications. Scott reportedly has an interest in a chain of family fun centers/bowling alleys, S&S Family Entertainment, in Kentucky and Tennessee led by ], a minor league baseball team owner.<ref>, NashvillePost.com, December 1, 2002; retrieved June 23, 2009.</ref> | In 2008, Alijor was sold to ]. In May 2008, Scott purchased ''Drives'', one of the world's leading independent designers and manufacturers of heavy-duty drive chain-based products and assemblies for industrial and agricultural applications and precision-engineered augers for agricultural, material handling, construction and related applications. Scott reportedly has an interest in a chain of family fun centers/bowling alleys, S&S Family Entertainment, in Kentucky and Tennessee led by ], a minor league baseball team owner.<ref>, NashvillePost.com, December 1, 2002; retrieved June 23, 2009.</ref> | ||
===America's Health Network (AHN)=== | ===America's Health Network (AHN)=== | ||
In July 1997, Columbia/HCA Healthcare purchased a controlling interest in ''America's Health Network'' (AHN), the first 24-hour health care cable channel. They{{who|date=October 2018}} pulled out of the deal on the day of the closing because Scott and |
In July 1997, Columbia/HCA Healthcare purchased a controlling interest in ''America's Health Network'' (AHN), the first 24-hour health care cable channel. They{{who|date=October 2018}} pulled out of the deal on the day of the closing because Scott and Vandewater were terminated, causing the immediate layoffs of more than 250 people in Orlando. Later that same year, Scott became majority owner of AHN.<ref name="AP-14Nov97">{{cite news|title=Former Columbia/HCA official gains $9.9 million in severances|work=Oklahoma City Journal Record|date=November 14, 1997|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_19971114/ai_n10113667|access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref> | ||
In 1998, Scott and Vandewater led a group of investors who gave AHN a major infusion of cash so that the company could continue to operate. By early 1999, the network was available in 9.5 million American homes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Where Dr. Spock Meets 'E.R.' on Line|author=Lisa Napoli|date=February 22, 1999|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/22/business/media-where-dr-spock-meets-er-on-line.html|access-date=June 7, 2014 }}</ref> | In 1998, Scott and Vandewater led a group of investors who gave AHN a major infusion of cash so that the company could continue to operate. By early 1999, the network was available in 9.5 million American homes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Where Dr. Spock Meets 'E.R.' on Line|author=Lisa Napoli|date=February 22, 1999|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/22/business/media-where-dr-spock-meets-er-on-line.html|access-date=June 7, 2014 }}</ref> | ||
Line 101: | Line 110: | ||
===Solantic=== | ===Solantic=== | ||
] | |||
Solantic, based in ], was co-founded in 2001 by Scott and Karen Bowling, a former television anchor Scott met after Columbia bought what is now Memorial Hospital in 1995.<ref name="JBJ-17Apr06">{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2006/04/17/story1.html|date=April 17, 2006|title=Ex-Columbia chief helps grow Solantic|work=Jacksonville Business Journal|author=M.C. Moewe|access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref> | |||
Solantic, based in ], was co-founded in 2001 by Scott and Karen Bowling, a former television anchor Scott met after Columbia bought what is now Memorial Hospital in 1995.<ref name="JBJ-17Apr06">{{cite news |author=M.C. Moewe |date=April 17, 2006 |title=Ex-Columbia chief helps grow Solantic |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2006/04/17/story1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604180435/https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2006/04/17/story1.html |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |access-date=August 16, 2015 |work=Jacksonville Business Journal}}</ref> | |||
Solantic opened its first urgent care center in 2002. It provides urgent care services, immunizations, physicals, drug screening, and care for injured workers. The corporation attracts patients who do not have insurance, cannot get appointments with their primary care physicians, or do not have primary care physicians. Solantic is an alternative to the emergency department care that these types of patients often seek, or for not seeing a doctor at all. In 2006, Scott said that his plans for Solantic were to establish a national brand of medical clinics.<ref name="JBJ-17Apr06"/> | Solantic opened its first urgent care center in 2002. It provides urgent care services, immunizations, physicals, drug screening, and care for injured workers. The corporation attracts patients who do not have insurance, cannot get appointments with their primary care physicians, or do not have primary care physicians. Solantic is an alternative to the emergency department care that these types of patients often seek, or for not seeing a doctor at all. In 2006, Scott said that his plans for Solantic were to establish a national brand of medical clinics.<ref name="JBJ-17Apr06"/> | ||
In August 2007, the company received a $40 million investment from a private equity firm and said that it expected to open 35 clinics by the end of 2009, with annual revenues of $100 million once all these clinics were open, compared to $20 million at the time.<ref>{{cite news|title=Solantic to expand well beyond state: The urgent-care center is planning to open 35 more clinics by the end of 2009|author=Urvaksh Karkaria|work=Jacksonville Times-Union|date=August 15, 2007|url=http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/081507/bus_191384274.shtml|access-date=August 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304122440/http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/081507/bus_191384274.shtml |
In August 2007, the company received a $40 million investment from a private equity firm and said that it expected to open 35 clinics by the end of 2009, with annual revenues of $100 million once all these clinics were open, compared to $20 million at the time.<ref>{{cite news|title=Solantic to expand well beyond state: The urgent-care center is planning to open 35 more clinics by the end of 2009|author=Urvaksh Karkaria|work=Jacksonville Times-Union|date=August 15, 2007|url=http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/081507/bus_191384274.shtml|access-date=August 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304122440/http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/081507/bus_191384274.shtml|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> As of March 2009, Solantic had 24 centers, all in Florida.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bethesda hospital, Solantic to open urgent care center|author=Phil Galewitz|work=Palm Beach Post|date=April 1, 2009|url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2009/04/01/a7b_urgent_0402.html|access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref> | ||
Solantic was the target of an employment discrimination suit that claimed that there had been a policy to not hire elderly or obese applicants, preferring "mainstream" candidates. It was settled for an undisclosed sum on May 23, 2007. Scott responded to Salon regarding the claims of discrimination pointing out that "currently 53 percent of Solantic's employees are white, 20 percent black and 17 percent Hispanic."<ref>{{cite news|title=A healthcare reform foe's alleged history of discrimination|author=Tristram Korten|work=Salon.com|date=October 10, 2009|url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/10/01/rick_scott_two/index.html|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> | Solantic was the target of an employment discrimination suit that claimed that there had been a policy to not hire elderly or obese applicants, preferring "mainstream" candidates. It was settled for an undisclosed sum on May 23, 2007. Scott responded to Salon regarding the claims of discrimination pointing out that "currently 53 percent of Solantic's employees are white, 20 percent black and 17 percent Hispanic."<ref>{{cite news|title=A healthcare reform foe's alleged history of discrimination|author=Tristram Korten|work=Salon.com|date=October 10, 2009|url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/10/01/rick_scott_two/index.html|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> | ||
===Pharmaca=== | ===Pharmaca=== | ||
In 2003, Scott invested $5.5 million in Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacies,<ref>{{cite news|date=September 29, 2010|title=Pharmaca Completes $5.5 Million Equity Financing With Richard L. Scott to Open New Pharmaca Locations|work=New Hope Network|url=https://www.newhope.com/supply-news-amp-analysis/pharmaca-completes-55-million-equity-financing-richard-l-scott-open-new-pha |
In 2003, Scott invested $5.5 million in Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacies,<ref>{{cite news|date=September 29, 2010|title=Pharmaca Completes $5.5 Million Equity Financing With Richard L. Scott to Open New Pharmaca Locations|work=New Hope Network|url=https://www.newhope.com/supply-news-amp-analysis/pharmaca-completes-55-million-equity-financing-richard-l-scott-open-new-pha|access-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref> which operates drugstores/pharmacies in the ] that offer vitamins, herbal medicine, skin products, homeopathic medicines, and prescriptions. | ||
===Other work=== | ===Other work=== | ||
In the 1990s, Scott was a partner of ] as co-owner of the ].<ref name=rangers>Dan Eggen, , ''Washington Post'', May 11, 2009.</ref> | In the 1990s, Scott was a partner of ] as co-owner of the ].<ref name=rangers>Dan Eggen, , ''Washington Post'', May 11, 2009.</ref> | ||
==Early political career== | |||
Scott founded {{When|date=November 2018}} and managed ]-headquartered Novosan, marketer of the Viosan Health Generation ]s, which have been criticized by alternative medicine critic and ] webmaster ] for being promoted with non-explicit suggestions that they could cure various diseases in violation of federal law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quackwatch.org/14Legal/viosan.html|title=Viosan Health Generation Making Shady Claims|last=Barrett|first=Stephen|author-link=Stephen Barrett|date=August 14, 2009|website=]|access-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref> | |||
==Politics== | |||
===Conservatives for Patients' Rights=== | ===Conservatives for Patients' Rights=== | ||
{{Main|Conservatives for Patients' Rights}} | {{Main|Conservatives for Patients' Rights}} | ||
Line 123: | Line 131: | ||
In February 2009, Scott founded Conservatives for Patients' Rights (CPR), which he said was intended to put pressure on ] to enact health care legislation based on ] principles.<ref name="WSJ 022609">{{cite news|title=Lobbyists Line Up to Torpedo Speech Proposals|first1=Brody|last1=Mullins|first2=Scott|last2=Kilman|date=February 26, 2009|access-date=April 2, 2009|work=]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123561083268377547}}</ref> As of March 2009, he had given about $5 million for a planned $20 million ad campaign by CPR.<ref>{{cite news|title=Conservatives worry that the cost of a government health plan can go in only one direction|author=Edward Lee Pitts|url=http://www.worldmag.com/articles/15157|work=World Magazine|date=March 28, 2009}}</ref> | In February 2009, Scott founded Conservatives for Patients' Rights (CPR), which he said was intended to put pressure on ] to enact health care legislation based on ] principles.<ref name="WSJ 022609">{{cite news|title=Lobbyists Line Up to Torpedo Speech Proposals|first1=Brody|last1=Mullins|first2=Scott|last2=Kilman|date=February 26, 2009|access-date=April 2, 2009|work=]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123561083268377547}}</ref> As of March 2009, he had given about $5 million for a planned $20 million ad campaign by CPR.<ref>{{cite news|title=Conservatives worry that the cost of a government health plan can go in only one direction|author=Edward Lee Pitts|url=http://www.worldmag.com/articles/15157|work=World Magazine|date=March 28, 2009}}</ref> | ||
==Governor of Florida== | |||
===Florida gubernatorial campaigns=== | |||
===Elections=== | |||
====2010==== | ====2010==== | ||
{{Main|2010 Florida gubernatorial election}} | {{Main|2010 Florida gubernatorial election}} | ||
On April 9, 2010, Scott announced his candidacy for the 2010 ] nomination for ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2010/apr/22/rick-scott/rick-scott-republican-governor-facebook|title=Is Rick Scott the top Republican governor candidate on Facebook?|author=Sharockman, Aaron|date=April 22, 2010|work=Politifact|publisher=St. Petersburg Times, Miami Herald|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref> He ran against ] nominee ].<ref>{{cite news|author=Catherine Whittenburg|date=August 24, 2010|title=Scott claims victory in Republican governor's race|newspaper=The Tampa Tribune|url=http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/24/240125/scott-pulls-4-points-ahead-mccollum/news-politics}}</ref> |
On April 9, 2010, Scott announced his candidacy for the 2010 ] nomination for ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2010/apr/22/rick-scott/rick-scott-republican-governor-facebook|title=Is Rick Scott the top Republican governor candidate on Facebook?|author=Sharockman, Aaron|date=April 22, 2010|work=Politifact|publisher=St. Petersburg Times, Miami Herald|access-date=June 24, 2010}}</ref> He ran against ] nominee ].<ref>{{cite news|author=Catherine Whittenburg|date=August 24, 2010|title=Scott claims victory in Republican governor's race|newspaper=The Tampa Tribune|url=http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/24/240125/scott-pulls-4-points-ahead-mccollum/news-politics}}</ref> | ||
Susie Wiles, former communications chief to ] Mayor ], |
], former communications chief to ] Mayor ], was Scott's campaign manager, and ] was his chief pollster. It was reported on May 7 that Scott's campaign had already spent $4.7 million on television and radio ads.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rick Scott, multimillionaire political rookie, gunning to be governor of Florida|first=Adam C.|last=Smith|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=May 7, 2010|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/rick-scott-multimillionaire-political-rookie-gunning-to-be-governor-of/1093234|access-date=June 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712033358/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/rick-scott-multimillionaire-political-rookie-gunning-to-be-governor-of/1093234|archive-date=July 12, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> His first video advertisement was released to ] on April 13.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jibG4DwBsE|url-status=dead|title=Accountable|author=Scott for Florida|date=April 13, 2010|work=YouTube|access-date=June 24, 2010|archive-date=June 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625043541/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jibG4DwBsE}}</ref> | ||
During the primary campaign, Scott's opponent, ], made an issue of Scott's role at Columbia/HCA. Scott countered that the FBI had never targeted him. Marc Caputo of the '']'' contended that a 1998 bill sponsored by McCollum would have made it more difficult to prosecute Medicare fraud cases, and was counter to his current views and allegations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bill McCollum's attacks on rival Rick Scott clash with record|first=Marc|last=Caputo|newspaper=Miami Herald|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/25/1646281/mccollums-attacks-on-rival-scott.html|access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref> Scott won the August primary with approximately |
During the primary campaign, Scott's opponent, ], made an issue of Scott's role at Columbia/HCA. Scott countered that the FBI had never targeted him. Marc Caputo of the '']'' contended that a 1998 bill sponsored by McCollum would have made it more difficult to prosecute Medicare fraud cases, and was counter to his current views and allegations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bill McCollum's attacks on rival Rick Scott clash with record|first=Marc|last=Caputo|newspaper=Miami Herald|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/25/1646281/mccollums-attacks-on-rival-scott.html|access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref> Scott won the August primary with approximately 46.4% percent of the vote to McCollum's 43.4% By the date of the Tampa debate between Scott and Sink (October 25, 2010), Scott had spent $60 million of his own money on the campaign compared to Sink's reported $28 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2010/10/26/governors-race-rick-scott-alex-sink-save-harshest-words-for-last-debate/|title=Governor's race: Rick Scott, Alex Sink save harshest words for last debate|work=Orlando Sentinel|author=Deslatte, Aaron|date=October 26, 2010|access-date=May 30, 2011}}</ref> Scott campaigned as part of the ].<ref name=":13">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/09/florida-gov-rick-scott-is-running-for-senate.html|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott is running for Senate|last=CNBC|date=2018-04-09|work=CNBC|access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> | ||
''The Fort Myers News |
'']'' quoted Scott as saying he spent roughly $78 million of his own money on the campaign, although other figures indicate he spent slightly over $75 million. He won the general election, defeating Sink by around 68,000 votes, or 1.29%.<ref>, Florida Election Watch webpage; accessed August 16, 2015.</ref> He took office as the 45th governor of Florida on January 4, 2011. | ||
====2014==== | ====2014==== | ||
{{Main|2014 Florida gubernatorial election}} | {{Main|2014 Florida gubernatorial election}} | ||
In October 2011, Scott announced that he would run for reelection in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title |
In October 2011, Scott announced that he would run for reelection in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gov. Scott: I'll run again in 2014 |url=http://www.ocala.com/article/20111004/WIRE/111009899 |publisher=Ocala.com |access-date=January 23, 2014 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924122355/http://www.ocala.com/article/20111004/WIRE/111009899 |url-status=dead }}</ref> His political funding committee, ], had raised $28 million for his campaign as of May 2014.<ref name=CG-140515>{{cite web|url=http://clearwatergazette.com/cg/news/political-news-20140515|title=Scott campaign, committee collect $1.3M|publisher=Clearwater Gazette |date = May 15, 2014|access-date=June 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714163354/http://clearwatergazette.com/cg/news/political-news-20140515/|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=FDE-CFA>{{cite web|url=http://election.dos.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/TreSel.exe |title = Let's Get to Work: Campaign Finance Activity|publisher=Florida Division of Elections|access-date=June 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930114620/http://election.dos.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/TreSel.exe|archive-date=September 30, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
As of early June 2014, Scott had spent almost $13 million since March on television advertisements attacking former governor ], who then appeared to be the likely Democratic nominee, and who was eventually nominated. The ads resulted in a tightening of the race, mainly due to a decline in Crist's favorability ratings, while Scott's favorability ratings did not increase.<ref>{{cite news|url= |
As of early June 2014, Scott had spent almost $13 million since March on television advertisements attacking former governor ], who then appeared to be the likely Democratic nominee, and who was eventually nominated. The ads resulted in a tightening of the race, mainly due to a decline in Crist's favorability ratings, while Scott's favorability ratings did not increase.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2014/06/08/gov-scotts-ad-blitz-aims-to-hit-crist-early/|title=Gov. Scott's ad blitz aims to hit Crist early|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|date=June 8, 2014|access-date=December 22, 2014|author=Aaron Deslatte}}</ref> | ||
By late September 2014, Scott's television ad spending had exceeded $35 million<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/dc58e5b58f32444e82eb6a2238814122/FL--Governors-Race-Campaign|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott and ex-Gov. Charlie Crist bash each other as campaigns kick into gear|publisher=The Republic|date=September 1, 2014|access-date=December 22, 2014|author=Gary Fineout|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914004332/http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/dc58e5b58f32444e82eb6a2238814122/FL--Governors-Race-Campaign|archive-date=September 14, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/marc-caputo/article2194752.html|title=With $50 million in TV ad spending, Rick Scott-Charlie Crist race is one big marketing campaign|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=September 21, 2014|access-date=December 22, 2014|author=Marc Caputo}}</ref> and in mid-October reached $56.5 million, compared to $26.5 million by Crist. On October 22 it was reported that Scott's total spending had exceeded $83 million and he announced that, having previously said he would not do so, he would invest his own money into the campaign, speculated to be as much as $22 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/10/scott-says-he-will-write-his-campaign-a-personal-check-after-all-.html|title=Scott says he will write his campaign a personal check, after all, but won't say how much|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=October 22, 2014|access-date=December 22, 2014|author=Marc Caputo}}</ref> | By late September 2014, Scott's television ad spending had exceeded $35 million<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/dc58e5b58f32444e82eb6a2238814122/FL--Governors-Race-Campaign|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott and ex-Gov. Charlie Crist bash each other as campaigns kick into gear|publisher=The Republic|date=September 1, 2014|access-date=December 22, 2014|author=Gary Fineout|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914004332/http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/dc58e5b58f32444e82eb6a2238814122/FL--Governors-Race-Campaign|archive-date=September 14, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/marc-caputo/article2194752.html|title=With $50 million in TV ad spending, Rick Scott-Charlie Crist race is one big marketing campaign|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=September 21, 2014|access-date=December 22, 2014|author=Marc Caputo}}</ref> and in mid-October reached $56.5 million, compared to $26.5 million by Crist. On October 22 it was reported that Scott's total spending had exceeded $83 million and he announced that, having previously said he would not do so, he would invest his own money into the campaign, speculated to be as much as $22 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/10/scott-says-he-will-write-his-campaign-a-personal-check-after-all-.html|title=Scott says he will write his campaign a personal check, after all, but won't say how much|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=October 22, 2014|access-date=December 22, 2014|author=Marc Caputo}}</ref> | ||
Crist hoped to draw strong support from Florida's more than 1.6 million registered black voters, an effort that was challenging given his previous political career as a Republican. A September 2014 ] poll revealed his support among black voters was 72%, well below the 90% analysts believed he needed to defeat Scott.<ref>{{cite |
Crist hoped to draw strong support from Florida's more than 1.6 million registered black voters, an effort that was challenging given his previous political career as a Republican. A September 2014 ] poll revealed his support among black voters was 72%, well below the 90% analysts believed he needed to defeat Scott.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Stein|first1=Letitia|title=In Florida governor's race, Democrat woos crucial black vote|newspaper=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-florida-election-idUSKBN0FZ17J20140730|date=July 30, 2014|access-date=December 22, 2014|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006122651/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/30/us-usa-florida-election-idUSKBN0FZ17J20140730|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
Scott and Crist met in an October 15 debate held by the Florida Press Association at ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beforeyouvote.org|title=The race for the governor of florida|website=Before You Vote|access-date=December 22, 2014}}</ref> Scott refused to take the stage for seven minutes because Crist had a small electric fan under his lectern. The incident was dubbed ] by media sources such as '']''.<ref name=TParti>{{cite news|last1=Parti|first1=Tarini|title=Rick Scott faces the 'Fangate' heat|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/fan-rick-scott-charlie-crist-111948.html|access-date=December 22, 2014|publisher=Politico|date=October 16, 2014}}</ref> On November 4, 2014, Scott and Carlos Lopez-Cantera won the general election against Crist and Annette Taddeo-Goldstein by 64,000 votes. The Libertarian candidates, Adrian Wyllie and Greg Roe, received 223,356 votes.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Index.asp?ElectionDate=11/4/2014&DATAMODE=|title=Florida Department of State - Election Results|website=results.elections.myflorida.com}}</ref> | Scott and Crist met in an October 15 debate held by the Florida Press Association at ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beforeyouvote.org|title=The race for the governor of florida|website=Before You Vote|access-date=December 22, 2014}}</ref> Scott refused to take the stage for seven minutes because Crist had a small electric fan under his lectern. The incident was dubbed ] by media sources such as '']''.<ref name=TParti>{{cite news|last1=Parti|first1=Tarini|title=Rick Scott faces the 'Fangate' heat|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/fan-rick-scott-charlie-crist-111948.html|access-date=December 22, 2014|publisher=Politico|date=October 16, 2014}}</ref> On November 4, 2014, Scott and Carlos Lopez-Cantera won the general election against Crist and Annette Taddeo-Goldstein by 64,000 votes. The Libertarian candidates, Adrian Wyllie and Greg Roe, received 223,356 votes.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Index.asp?ElectionDate=11/4/2014&DATAMODE=|title=Florida Department of State - Election Results|website=results.elections.myflorida.com}}</ref>{{multiple image | ||
===Governor of Florida=== | |||
{{multiple image | |||
| align = right | | align = right | ||
| total_width = 320 | | total_width = 320 | ||
Line 157: | Line 164: | ||
| caption2 = | | caption2 = | ||
| footer = Scott's gubernatorial portraits during his first (left) and second (right) term}} | | footer = Scott's gubernatorial portraits during his first (left) and second (right) term}} | ||
=== Tenure === | |||
], and other state officials]] | ], and other state officials]] | ||
] in ]]] | ] in ]]] | ||
] | ] | ||
During ], Scott led Florida through the largest mass evacuation in U.S. history |
During ], Scott led Florida through the largest mass evacuation in U.S. history. He signed a repeal of Florida's 1985 growth management laws, reduced funding for water management districts, reduced oversight at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and supported increased funding for ] restoration. Scott supported permanent tax cuts and "focused on job numbers rather than on running state agencies or making sweeping policy changes".<ref name="legacy">{{cite news|last1=Bousquet|first1=Steve|title=Solitary man: What Rick Scott's legacy as governor will look like|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/01/04/solitary-man-what-rick-scotts-legacy-as-governor-will-look-like/|access-date=June 21, 2018|newspaper=Tampa Bay Times|date=January 4, 2018}}</ref> | ||
Scott had a 26 percent ] in December 2011, the lowest among U.S. governors,<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 27, 2011 |title=Sinking G.O.P. Poll Numbers May Put Florida in Play |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/us/28florida.html |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 6, 2011 |title=Florida Governor Rick Scott's Popularity Plunges To Record Low |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rick-scott-approval-rating-record_n_1132160 |website=]}}</ref> but it steadily increased during the rest of his governorship.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 9, 2012 |title=Poll: Scott Approval Rating Falls To 31% |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/poll-scott-approval-rating-falls-to-31/ |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=November 20, 2015 |title=Rick Scott, America's eighth least popular Governor |url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/20/rick-scott-americas-eighth-least-popular-governor/76104172/ |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 18, 2013 |title=Gov. Scott Approval Rating Up |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/gov-scott-approval-rating-up/ |website=]}}</ref> It stood at 45 percent in August 2015,<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 26, 2015 |title=Scott approval rating improves |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/port-charlotte-sun-scott-approval-rating/129938646/ |newspaper=Port Charlotte Sun}}</ref> and at 57 percent in April 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 16, 2017 |title=Rick Scott's approval: Economy trumps all |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/port-charlotte-sun-rick-scotts-approval/130757205/ |last=Henderson |first=Joe |newspaper=Port Charlotte Sun}}</ref> In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma later that year, Scott's approval rating saw a high of 61 percent.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 3, 2017 |title=Poll: Scott's favorability rising |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-press-poll-scotts-favorability-ri/126818053/ |website=]}}</ref> Shortly before he left office, his ratings had fallen to 47 percent approving and 41 percent disapproving.<ref name="ballot">{{Cite web |title=Gubernatorial approval ratings (2015-2019) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Gubernatorial_approval_ratings_(2015-2019)#Q4_2017 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
====Death penalty==== | ====Death penalty==== | ||
In 2013, Scott signed the |
In 2013, Scott signed the ''Timely Justice Act'' (HB 7101)<ref>{{cite web|title=HB 7101|url=https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2016/7101/BillText/er/PDF|publisher=]|website=Flsenate.gov|access-date=March 15, 2016}}</ref> to overhaul the processes for ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Gov. Rick Scott signs bill to speed up executions in Florida|first=Mary Ellen|last=Klas|newspaper=]|access-date=October 15, 2016|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/article1952487.html|date=June 14, 2016}}</ref> The ] struck down part of this law in January 2016 in '']'', declaring, in an 8–1 decision, that a judge determining the aggravating facts to be used in considering a death sentence with only a non-binding recommendation from the jury based on a majority vote was insufficient and violated the ] guarantee of a jury trial.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/13/us/politics/supreme-court-death-penalty-hurst-v-florida.html|first=Adam|last=Liptak|title=Supreme Court Strikes Down Part of Florida Death Penalty|newspaper=]|date=January 12, 2016|access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/03/us/supreme-court-ruling-has-florida-scrambling-to-fix-death-penalty-law.html|first=Lizette|last=Alvarez|title=Supreme Court Ruling Has Florida Scrambling to Fix Death Penalty Law|newspaper=]|date=February 2, 2016|access-date=October 14, 2016}}</ref> | ||
The ] passed a new statute to comply with '']'', changing the sentencing method to require a 10-juror supermajority for a sentence of death with a life sentence as the alternative.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/03/07/florida-death-penalty-officially-revamped-after-supreme-court-struck-it-down|title=Florida death penalty officially revamped after the Supreme Court struck it down|last=Berman|first=Mark|date=March 7, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> In October 2016 this new sentencing scheme was struck down by the ] in a 5–2 ruling, which held that a death sentence must be issued by a unanimous jury.<ref>{{cite news|title=Court again tosses state death penalty; ruling raises bar on capital punishment|first1=Mary Ellen|last1=Klas|first2=David|last2=Ovalle|date=October 14, 2016|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article108231392.html|newspaper=]|access-date=October 15, 2016}}</ref> The Florida Supreme Court ruled the law "cannot be applied to pending prosecutions" which means that until the Florida legislature acts, there is no procedure or law allowing a prosecutor to seek the death penalty; but it leaves open{{clarify|date=November 2016}}<!-- What does "leaves open" mean? --> the status of sentences passed under the twice-struck down provisions,<ref name=FlSupCt_Oct16/> also left open by the January 2016 ] ''Hurst'' decision. The Court granted Hurst a new sentencing hearing after the same Supreme Court decision.<ref name=FlSupCt_Oct16>{{cite news|title=Florida's Death Penalty Law Is Ruled Unconstitutional – Again|date=October 25, 2016|first=Cristian|last=Farias|newspaper=]|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/florida-death-penalty_us_5801066de4b06e04759473b3|access-date=October 15, 2016}}</ref> | The ] passed a new statute to comply with '']'', changing the sentencing method to require a 10-juror supermajority for a sentence of death with a life sentence as the alternative.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/03/07/florida-death-penalty-officially-revamped-after-supreme-court-struck-it-down|title=Florida death penalty officially revamped after the Supreme Court struck it down|last=Berman|first=Mark|date=March 7, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=August 3, 2016}}</ref> In October 2016 this new sentencing scheme was struck down by the ] in a 5–2 ruling, which held that a death sentence must be issued by a unanimous jury.<ref>{{cite news|title=Court again tosses state death penalty; ruling raises bar on capital punishment|first1=Mary Ellen|last1=Klas|first2=David|last2=Ovalle|date=October 14, 2016|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article108231392.html|newspaper=]|access-date=October 15, 2016}}</ref> The Florida Supreme Court ruled the law "cannot be applied to pending prosecutions" which means that until the Florida legislature acts, there is no procedure or law allowing a prosecutor to seek the death penalty; but it leaves open{{clarify|date=November 2016}}<!-- What does "leaves open" mean? --> the status of sentences passed under the twice-struck down provisions,<ref name=FlSupCt_Oct16/> also left open by the January 2016 ] ''Hurst'' decision. The Court granted Hurst a new sentencing hearing after the same Supreme Court decision.<ref name=FlSupCt_Oct16>{{cite news|title=Florida's Death Penalty Law Is Ruled Unconstitutional – Again|date=October 25, 2016|first=Cristian|last=Farias|newspaper=]|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/florida-death-penalty_us_5801066de4b06e04759473b3|access-date=October 15, 2016}}</ref> | ||
Line 172: | Line 183: | ||
In the 2016 Republican primaries, Scott endorsed Trump after Trump won the ].<ref name=":9">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/04/27/once-eager-to-tout-trump-friendship-rick-scott-now-plays-it-down/|title=Once eager to tout Trump friendship, Rick Scott now plays it down|last=Leary|first=Alex|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-08-27|language=en-US}}</ref> Scott chaired a pro-Trump super PAC in the 2016 election.<ref name=":9"/><ref name=":10">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-senate-race-rick-scott-treads-carefully-trump/story?id=57359027|title=In Florida Senate race, Rick Scott treads carefully around Trump|date=2018-08-26|website=ABC News|first1=John|last1=Verhovek|first2=Lissette|last2=Rodriguez|access-date=2018-08-27}}</ref> Unlike many other establishment Republicans, Scott praised Trump as tough on terrorism and as an outsider during the 2016 Republican convention.<ref name=":9"/> | In the 2016 Republican primaries, Scott endorsed Trump after Trump won the ].<ref name=":9">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/04/27/once-eager-to-tout-trump-friendship-rick-scott-now-plays-it-down/|title=Once eager to tout Trump friendship, Rick Scott now plays it down|last=Leary|first=Alex|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-08-27|language=en-US}}</ref> Scott chaired a pro-Trump super PAC in the 2016 election.<ref name=":9"/><ref name=":10">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-senate-race-rick-scott-treads-carefully-trump/story?id=57359027|title=In Florida Senate race, Rick Scott treads carefully around Trump|date=2018-08-26|website=ABC News|first1=John|last1=Verhovek|first2=Lissette|last2=Rodriguez|access-date=2018-08-27}}</ref> Unlike many other establishment Republicans, Scott praised Trump as tough on terrorism and as an outsider during the 2016 Republican convention.<ref name=":9"/> | ||
When Trump "sparred with the Muslim father of a slain U.S. soldier", Scott said "I'm never going to agree with every candidate on what they're going to say".<ref name=":9"/> When the ] was publicized, in which Trump spoke of grabbing women "by the pussy", Scott rebuked Trump, saying, "I'm not following politics closely right now, but this is terrible. I don't agree with anyone talking like this about anyone, ever |
When Trump "sparred with the Muslim father of a slain U.S. soldier", Scott said "I'm never going to agree with every candidate on what they're going to say".<ref name=":9"/> When the ] was publicized, in which Trump spoke of grabbing women "by the pussy", Scott rebuked Trump, saying, "I'm not following politics closely right now, but this is terrible. I don't agree with anyone talking like this about anyone, ever."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Caputo|first1=Marc|last2=Lima|first2=Cristiano|title=Scott, Rubio rebuke Trump|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/rick-scott-marco-rubio-donald-trump-comments-women-229334|access-date=August 29, 2018 |publisher=Politico|date=October 7, 2016}}</ref> | ||
====Drug testing for welfare recipients==== | ====Drug testing for welfare recipients==== | ||
In June 2011, Scott signed a bill requiring those seeking welfare under the federal ] program to submit to drug screenings. Applicants who fail a drug test may name another person to receive benefits for their children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-01/politics/florida.welfare.drug.testing_1_drug-testing-drug-screening-tanf?_s=PM:POLITICS|title=Florida governor signs welfare drug-screen measure|publisher=CNN.com|date=June 1, 2011|access-date=September 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916231858/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-01/politics/florida.welfare.drug.testing_1_drug-testing-drug-screening-tanf?_s=PM:POLITICS |
In June 2011, Scott signed a bill requiring those seeking welfare under the federal ] program to submit to drug screenings. Applicants who fail a drug test may name another person to receive benefits for their children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-01/politics/florida.welfare.drug.testing_1_drug-testing-drug-screening-tanf?_s=PM:POLITICS|title=Florida governor signs welfare drug-screen measure|publisher=CNN.com|date=June 1, 2011|access-date=September 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916231858/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-01/politics/florida.welfare.drug.testing_1_drug-testing-drug-screening-tanf?_s=PM:POLITICS|archive-date=September 16, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
In an interview with CNN host ], Scott said, "Studies show that people that are on welfare are higher users of drugs than people not on welfare" and "the bottom line is, if they're not using drugs, it's not an issue". ] said this comment was "half true". Government researchers in 1999–2000 reported "that 9.6 percent of people in families receiving some type of government assistance reported recent drug use, compared to 6.8 percent among people in families receiving no government assistance at all."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2011/jun/09/rick-scott/rick-scott-says-welfare-recipients-are-more-likely|publisher=PolitiFact.com|title=Rick Scott says welfare recipients are more likely to use illicit drugs|date=June 9, 2011|access-date=September 28, 2011}}</ref> | In an interview with CNN host ], Scott said, "Studies show that people that are on welfare are higher users of drugs than people not on welfare" and "the bottom line is, if they're not using drugs, it's not an issue". ] said this comment was "half true". Government researchers in 1999–2000 reported "that 9.6 percent of people in families receiving some type of government assistance reported recent drug use, compared to 6.8 percent among people in families receiving no government assistance at all."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2011/jun/09/rick-scott/rick-scott-says-welfare-recipients-are-more-likely|publisher=PolitiFact.com|title=Rick Scott says welfare recipients are more likely to use illicit drugs|date=June 9, 2011|access-date=September 28, 2011}}</ref> | ||
Preliminary figures from Florida's program showed that 2.5% of applicants tested positive for drugs, with 2% declining to take the test, while the Justice Department estimated that around 6% of Americans use drugs overall.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/us/florida-few-drug-users-among-welfare-applicants.html|agency=Associated Press|title=Florida: Few Drug Users Among Welfare Applicants|date=September 28, 2011}}</ref> The law was declared unconstitutional, with the ] upholding that ruling in December 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Florida drops bid to require drug tests for welfare applicants|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-declines-to-appeal-further-in-case-of-welfare-drug-testing|website=CBSnews.com|access-date=August 12, 2015}}</ref> The Scott administration declined to appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court. | Preliminary figures from Florida's program showed that 2.5% of applicants tested positive for drugs, with 2% declining to take the test, while the Justice Department estimated that around 6% of Americans use drugs overall.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/us/florida-few-drug-users-among-welfare-applicants.html|agency=Associated Press|title=Florida: Few Drug Users Among Welfare Applicants|work=The New York Times |date=September 28, 2011}}</ref> The law was declared unconstitutional, with the ] upholding that ruling in December 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Florida drops bid to require drug tests for welfare applicants|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-declines-to-appeal-further-in-case-of-welfare-drug-testing|website=CBSnews.com|date=March 5, 2015 |access-date=August 12, 2015}}</ref> The Scott administration declined to appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court. | ||
====Economy==== | ====Economy==== | ||
In Scott's 2010 gubernatorial campaign, he promised to create 700,000 jobs in the state |
In Scott's 2010 gubernatorial campaign, he promised to "run the state like you run a business".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Allen|first1=Greg|title=Gov. Scott, Ex-CEO, Aims To Run Fla. Like A Business|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/01/06/132684525/rick-scott-floridas-outsider-is-now-in-office|access-date=May 12, 2023|work=]|date=January 6, 2011}}</ref> In his gubernatorial platform, he pledged to create 700,000 jobs in the state; ] ruled in 2018 that Scott's job creation pledge was a "Promise Kept".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Graves|first1=Allison|title=Create over 700,000 jobs|url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/promises/scott-o-meter/promise/588/create-over-700000-jobs|access-date=June 21, 2018|work=Scott-O-Meter|publisher=PolitiFact|date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> | ||
Under Scott, Florida's job creation far outpaced the rest of the nation, while wages were below-average and poverty rates were above-average. During his tenure as governor, Florida employers created nearly 1.5 million jobs, and the state's employment grew 20.3%, compared to 12.5% growth for the U.S. as a whole. Florida's household income is lower than the national average, with a widening gap. At 15.8%, the state's poverty rate is slightly above the national rate of 14.7%.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ostrowski|first1=Jeff|title=Florida economy in Rick Scott era: Success story or disappointment?|url=https://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/business/florida-economy-rick-scott-era-success-story-disappointment/FEkqP98ayB1pfW9W9dRyNJ|access-date=June 21, 2018|newspaper=Palm Beach Post|date=January 9, 2018}}</ref> | Under Scott, Florida's job creation far outpaced the rest of the nation, while wages were below-average and poverty rates were above-average. During his tenure as governor, Florida employers created nearly 1.5 million jobs, and the state's employment grew 20.3%, compared to 12.5% growth for the U.S. as a whole. Florida's household income is lower than the national average, with a widening gap. At 15.8%, the state's poverty rate is slightly above the national rate of 14.7%.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ostrowski|first1=Jeff|title=Florida economy in Rick Scott era: Success story or disappointment?|url=https://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/business/florida-economy-rick-scott-era-success-story-disappointment/FEkqP98ayB1pfW9W9dRyNJ|access-date=June 21, 2018|newspaper=Palm Beach Post|date=January 9, 2018|archive-date=June 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621070258/https://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/business/florida-economy-rick-scott-era-success-story-disappointment/FEkqP98ayB1pfW9W9dRyNJ/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
====Education==== | ====Education==== | ||
Line 195: | Line 206: | ||
In 2017, Scott signed a $419 million public school bill that included ] expansion. The bill was supported by House Republicans, school choice proponents, and conservative political groups and it was opposed by superintendents, school boards, parent groups, and teachers unions.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Clark|first1=Kristen|last2=Gurney|first2=Kyra|title=Governor signs controversial schools bill into law|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article156299239.html|access-date=June 21, 2018|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=June 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Postal|first1=Leslie|title=Gov. Scott signs controversial education bill at Orlando ceremony|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-rick-scott-education-bill-7069-story.html|access-date=June 21, 2018|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|date=June 15, 2017}}</ref> | In 2017, Scott signed a $419 million public school bill that included ] expansion. The bill was supported by House Republicans, school choice proponents, and conservative political groups and it was opposed by superintendents, school boards, parent groups, and teachers unions.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Clark|first1=Kristen|last2=Gurney|first2=Kyra|title=Governor signs controversial schools bill into law|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article156299239.html|access-date=June 21, 2018|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=June 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Postal|first1=Leslie|title=Gov. Scott signs controversial education bill at Orlando ceremony|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-rick-scott-education-bill-7069-story.html|access-date=June 21, 2018|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|date=June 15, 2017}}</ref> | ||
During the summer of 2017, Scott signed a bill (HB 989 and SB 1210) that would allow any Florida resident to "challenge the use or adoption of instructional materials" in public schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/00989/?Tab=Analyses|title=House Bill 989 (2017) – The Florida Senate|website=flsenate.gov|access-date=July 20, 2017}}</ref> Proponents of the bill argued that it would allow parents to be more proactive in their child's education. Opponents of the bill argued that it would allow more censorship, especially for scientific topics like global warming and evolution.<ref>{{cite |
During the summer of 2017, Scott signed a bill (HB 989 and SB 1210) that would allow any Florida resident to "challenge the use or adoption of instructional materials" in public schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/00989/?Tab=Analyses|title=House Bill 989 (2017) – The Florida Senate|website=flsenate.gov|access-date=July 20, 2017}}</ref> Proponents of the bill argued that it would allow parents to be more proactive in their child's education. Opponents of the bill argued that it would allow more censorship, especially for scientific topics like global warming and evolution.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/07/01/new-florida-law-lets-any-resident-challenge-whats-taught-in-science-classes|title=New Florida law lets any resident challenge what's taught in science classes|author=Kaplan, Sarah|newspaper=Washington Post|date=July 1, 2017|access-date=July 20, 2017}}</ref> | ||
====Environment==== | ====Environment==== | ||
Scott rejects the ], saying "]".<ref>{{cite news|first=Marc|last=Caputo|date=May 27, 2014|title=Rick Scott won't say if he thinks man-made climate-change is real, significant|url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/05/rick-scott-wont-say-if-he-thinks-man-made-climate-change-is-real-significant.html|newspaper=Miami Herald|access-date=March 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title = Cut short by Gov. Rick Scott, climate scientist finishes his thought|first=Michael|last=Kruse|date=September 3, 2014|access-date=March 17, 2015|url= |
Scott rejects the ], saying "]".<ref>{{cite news|first=Marc|last=Caputo|date=May 27, 2014|title=Rick Scott won't say if he thinks man-made climate-change is real, significant|url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/05/rick-scott-wont-say-if-he-thinks-man-made-climate-change-is-real-significant.html|newspaper=Miami Herald|access-date=March 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title = Cut short by Gov. Rick Scott, climate scientist finishes his thought|first=Michael|last=Kruse|date=September 3, 2014|access-date=March 17, 2015|url=https://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/cut-short-by-gov-rick-scott-climate-scientist-finishes-his-thought/2195917/|newspaper=]}}</ref> The quote or paraphrases thereof became ]s for some Republican political candidates in the 2014 election campaigns.<ref>{{cite news|title=Why Republicans Keep Telling Everyone They're Not Scientists|first=Coral|last=Davenport|date=October 30, 2014|newspaper=]|access-date=March 20, 2015|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/us/why-republicans-keep-telling-everyone-theyre-not-scientists.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Republicans on climate science: Don't ask us|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/republicans-climate-change-science-107234.html|first=Darren|last=Goode|date=March 29, 2014|publisher=Politico.com|access-date=March 21, 2015}}</ref> | ||
When questioned by the press on March 9, 2015, in ], Florida, Scott did not say whether he believes ] is a problem or whether Florida's Department of ] has made or is making preparations for its potential consequences.<ref>{{cite news|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott won't say if global warming is a problem|url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2015/03/florida-gov-rick-scott-wont-say-if-global-warming-is-a-problem.html|newspaper=]|date=March 9, 2015|first=Patricia|last=Mazzei|access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Political Art of Not Being a Scientist|first=Francis X.|last=Clines|date=March 12, 2015|newspaper=New York Times|url=http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/the-political-art-of-not-being-a-scientist|access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref> | When questioned by the press on March 9, 2015, in ], Florida, Scott did not say whether he believes ] is a problem or whether Florida's Department of ] has made or is making preparations for its potential consequences.<ref>{{cite news|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott won't say if global warming is a problem|url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2015/03/florida-gov-rick-scott-wont-say-if-global-warming-is-a-problem.html|newspaper=]|date=March 9, 2015|first=Patricia|last=Mazzei|access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Political Art of Not Being a Scientist|first=Francis X.|last=Clines|date=March 12, 2015|newspaper=New York Times|url=http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/the-political-art-of-not-being-a-scientist|access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref> | ||
Line 204: | Line 215: | ||
In March 2015, accusations were made that Scott's administration had instructed ] officials to avoid the terms "]" or "global warming" in official communications. Scott denied that his administration had banned the terms.<ref>{{cite news|title=Florida governor denies environmental agency banned term 'climate change'|first=Patricia|last=Mazzei|date=March 9, 2015|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article13146584.html|newspaper=]|access-date=March 17, 2015}}</ref><ref name=npr>{{cite news|title=Florida Gov. Scott Denies Banning Phrase 'Climate Change'|date=March 11, 2015|first=Greg|last=Allen|url=https://www.npr.org/2015/03/11/392263831/fla-gov-scott-denies-climate-change-is-a-banned-term|access-date=March 17, 2015|work=] }}</ref><ref name=Bosquet>{{cite web|url=http://www.bradenton.com/2015/03/20/5701928/more-climate-change-silence-from.html|title=More 'climate change' silence from Florida Gov. Rick Scott's administration|work=Bradenton Herald|date=March 20, 2015|access-date=August 16, 2015|author=Bosquet, Steve}}</ref><ref name=Rohrer>{{cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/political-pulse/os-scott-official-avoids-climate-change-in-senate-hearing-20150319-post.html |title = Scott official avoids 'climate change' in Senate hearing|work=]|date=March 19, 2015|access-date=August 16, 2015|author=Rohrer, Gray}}</ref> | In March 2015, accusations were made that Scott's administration had instructed ] officials to avoid the terms "]" or "global warming" in official communications. Scott denied that his administration had banned the terms.<ref>{{cite news|title=Florida governor denies environmental agency banned term 'climate change'|first=Patricia|last=Mazzei|date=March 9, 2015|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article13146584.html|newspaper=]|access-date=March 17, 2015}}</ref><ref name=npr>{{cite news|title=Florida Gov. Scott Denies Banning Phrase 'Climate Change'|date=March 11, 2015|first=Greg|last=Allen|url=https://www.npr.org/2015/03/11/392263831/fla-gov-scott-denies-climate-change-is-a-banned-term|access-date=March 17, 2015|work=] }}</ref><ref name=Bosquet>{{cite web|url=http://www.bradenton.com/2015/03/20/5701928/more-climate-change-silence-from.html|title=More 'climate change' silence from Florida Gov. Rick Scott's administration|work=Bradenton Herald|date=March 20, 2015|access-date=August 16, 2015|author=Bosquet, Steve}}</ref><ref name=Rohrer>{{cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/political-pulse/os-scott-official-avoids-climate-change-in-senate-hearing-20150319-post.html |title = Scott official avoids 'climate change' in Senate hearing|work=]|date=March 19, 2015|access-date=August 16, 2015|author=Rohrer, Gray}}</ref> | ||
Scott cut $700 million from Florida's water management districts over his tenure as governor.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2018/aug/14/florida-democrats/yes-rick-scott-did-cut-700-million-floridas-water-|title=Did Rick Scott cut $700 million from water management?|author=Geng, Lucia|work=Politifact|access-date=2018-08-27}}</ref> The cuts stirred controversy in 2018 when Florida faced a water contamination crisis.<ref name=":8"/><ref>{{Cite news|url= |
Scott cut $700 million from Florida's water management districts over his tenure as governor.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2018/aug/14/florida-democrats/yes-rick-scott-did-cut-700-million-floridas-water-|title=Did Rick Scott cut $700 million from water management?|author=Geng, Lucia|work=Politifact|access-date=2018-08-27}}</ref> The cuts stirred controversy in 2018 when Florida faced a water contamination crisis.<ref name=":8"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/07/09/gov-scott-declares-emergency-over-toxic-algae-outbreaks/|title=Gov. Scott declares emergency over toxic algae outbreaks|last=Florida|first=News Service of|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-08-27}}</ref> | ||
====Financial disclosures==== | ====Financial disclosures==== | ||
In 2017, Donald Hinkle, a Democratic activist and lawyer, filed a lawsuit claiming that Scott had not disclosed sufficient information about his wealth and holdings and may have underestimated his net worth. Scott appealed to a three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court granted a writ of prohibition barring the circuit judge from taking any further action in the case. The five-page ruling agreed with Scott that only the Commission on Ethics |
In 2017, Donald Hinkle, a Democratic activist and lawyer, filed a lawsuit claiming that Scott had not disclosed sufficient information about his wealth and holdings and may have underestimated his net worth. Scott appealed to a three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court granted a writ of prohibition barring the circuit judge from taking any further action in the case. The five-page ruling agreed with Scott that only the Commission on Ethics "has constitutional authority to investigate Mr. Hinkle's complaint."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/political-pulse/os-rick-scott-lawsuit-wealth-20171109-story.html|title=Gov. Rick Scott sued over wealth disclosure|author=Fineout, Gary|date=November 9, 2017|work=Orlando Sentinel|access-date=May 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109212111/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/political-pulse/os-rick-scott-lawsuit-wealth-20171109-story.html|archive-date=November 9, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sunshinestatenews.com/story/court-blocks-lawsuit-wanting-scott-disclose-more-about-his-assets|title=Court Blocks Lawsuit Wanting Scott to Disclose More about His Assets|author=Jim Saunders |agency=News Service of Florida|date=November 30, 2018|website=Sunshine State News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205175254/http://sunshinestatenews.com/story/court-blocks-lawsuit-wanting-scott-disclose-more-about-his-assets|archive-date=December 5, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
====Gun laws==== | ====Gun laws==== | ||
As of February 2018, Scott had an A+ rating from the ] (NRA), indicating a record of supporting gun rights.<ref name="Mower 2018">{{cite news|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article201009834.html|last=Mower|first=Lawrence|date=February 20, 2018|title=Scott hasn't declared Senate candidacy, but his support of gun lobby draws attack ad|work=Miami Herald|location=Miami, Florida|access-date=February 23, 2018}}</ref> The NRA |
As of February 2018, Scott had an A+ rating from the ] (NRA-PVF), indicating a record of supporting gun rights.<ref name="Mower 2018">{{cite news|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article201009834.html|last=Mower|first=Lawrence|date=February 20, 2018|title=Scott hasn't declared Senate candidacy, but his support of gun lobby draws attack ad|work=Miami Herald|location=Miami, Florida|access-date=February 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220151747/http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article201009834.html|archive-date=February 20, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The NRA-PVF endorsed Scott in 2010 and 2014, stating in 2014 that he had "signed more pro-gun bills into law–in one term–than any other governor in Florida history".<ref name="nrapvf-2014">{{cite web |title=NRA Endorses Rick Scott for Governor in Florida |url=https://www.nrapvf.org/articles/20140918/nra-endorses-rick-scott-for-governor-in-florida |website=nrapvf.org |publisher=NRA-PVF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923194908/https://www.nrapvf.org/articles/20140918/nra-endorses-rick-scott-for-governor-in-florida |archive-date=September 23, 2014 |language=en-US |date=September 18, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NRA 2014">{{cite web|url=https://www.nraila.org/articles/20140623/alert-governor-rick-scott-makes-history-signing-5-pro-gun-bills|title=ALERT: Governor Rick Scott Makes History Signing 5 Pro-gun Bills|last=Hammer|first=Marion M.|website=NRA-ILA|publisher=National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action|date=June 23, 2014|access-date=February 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215093942/https://www.nraila.org/articles/20140623/alert-governor-rick-scott-makes-history-signing-5-pro-gun-bills|archive-date=February 15, 2018|url-status=live}}.</ref> | ||
In 2011, Scott signed the ] (informally called "Docs vs. Glocks"), which made it illegal for doctors and mental health professionals to ask patients about their gun ownership unless they believed "that this information is relevant to the patient's medical care or safety, or the safety of others."<ref name="Sherman 2018">{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2018/feb/22/giffords/florida-gov-rick-scott-made-it-illegal-doctors-tal|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott made it illegal for doctors to talk to patients about guns, TV ad says|last=Sherman|first=Amy|date=February 22, 2018| website=Politifact|publisher=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=February 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223003836/http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2018/feb/22/giffords/florida-gov-rick-scott-made-it-illegal-doctors-tal|archive-date=February 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Provisions of the law, including the part forbidding doctors from asking about a patient's gun ownership, were struck down as unconstitutional in 2017 by the ].<ref name="Sherman 2018"/> | |||
On June 9, 2017, Scott signed an expanded version of Florida's ] into law.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bowden|first1=John|title=Florida governor signs strengthened 'stand your ground' bill into law|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/news/337215-florida-governor-signs-strengthened-stand-your-ground-bill-into-law/|date=June 9, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=June 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613132333/http://thehill.com/homenews/news/337215-florida-governor-signs-strengthened-stand-your-ground-bill-into-law|archive-date=June 13, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
In 2011, Scott signed the ] (informally called "Docs vs. Glocks"), which made it illegal for doctors and mental health professionals to ask patients about their gun ownership unless they believed "that this information is relevant to the patient's medical care or safety, or the safety of others."<ref name="Sherman 2018">{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2018/feb/22/giffords/florida-gov-rick-scott-made-it-illegal-doctors-tal|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott made it illegal for doctors to talk to patients about guns, TV ad says|last=Sherman|first=Amy|date=February 22, 2018| website=Politifact|publisher=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=February 23, 2018}}</ref> Provisions of the law, including the part forbidding doctors from asking about a patient's gun ownership, were struck down as unconstitutional in 2017 by the ].<ref name="Sherman 2018"/> | |||
In February 2018, after the ] in ], Scott stated his support for raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21; at the time of the shooting, 21 was the minimum age to buy a handgun, but rifles could be purchased at age 18. He also announced his support of a ban on ]s. Scott said, "I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who has mental issues to use a gun", requesting $500 million in funds for mental health and school safety programs.<ref name="Mazzei 2018">{{cite news|last=Mazzei|first=Patricia|date=February 23, 2018|title=Defying N.R.A., Florida Lawmakers Back Raising Age Limits on Assault Rifles|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/us/florida-gun-control.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur |work=]|location=New York City|access-date=February 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223193138/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/us/florida-gun-control.html|archive-date=February 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2018, the ] passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which incorporated many of the measures Scott supported. It raised the minimum age for buying firearms to 21, established waiting periods and background checks, provided a program for the arming of some teachers and the hiring of school police, banned bump stocks, and barred potentially violent or mentally unhealthy people arrested under certain laws from possessing guns. In all, it allocated around $400 million.<ref name="Bill">{{cite news|work=]|date=March 7, 2018|first=Dan|last=Sweeney|title=Florida House sends Stoneman Douglas gun and school bill to Gov. Scott|access-date=March 8, 2018|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-florida-school-shooting-legislature-20180307-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307212042/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-florida-school-shooting-legislature-20180307-story.html|archive-date=March 7, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Scott signed the bill into law on March 9.<ref name="Sanchez">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/09/us/florida-gov-scott-gun-bill/index.html|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott signs gun bill|last1=Sanchez|first1=Ray|last2=Yan|first2=Holly|date=March 9, 2018|work=CNN|access-date=March 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309210028/https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/09/us/florida-gov-scott-gun-bill/index.html|archive-date=March 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> That same day, the National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the law's provision banning gun sales to people under 21. NRA spokesperson ] said, "We filed a lawsuit against the state for violating the constitutional rights of 18- to 21-year-olds."<ref name="Schweers">{{cite news|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/03/09/nra-sues-florida-over-gun-bill-same-day-gov-scott-signed-law/412365002|title=NRA sues Florida over gun bill same day Gov. Scott signed it into law|last=Schweers|first=Jeffrey|date=March 9, 2018|work=Tallahassee Democrat|access-date=March 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309230737/https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/03/09/nra-sues-florida-over-gun-bill-same-day-gov-scott-signed-law/412365002|archive-date=March 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
On June 9, 2017, Scott signed an expanded version of Florida's ] into law.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bowden|first1=John|title=Florida governor signs strengthened 'stand your ground' bill into law|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/news/337215-florida-governor-signs-strengthened-stand-your-ground-bill-into-law|date=June 9, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=June 9, 2017}}</ref> | |||
In 2022, Scott voted against the ], a gun reform bill introduced following a deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The bill enhanced background checks for firearm purchasers under the age of 21, provided funding for school-based mental health services, and partially closed the ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 2nd Session |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00242.htm |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=www.senate.gov}}</ref> | |||
In February 2018, after the ] in ], Scott stated his support for raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21; at the time of the shooting, 21 was the minimum age to buy a handgun, but rifles could be purchased at age 18. He also announced his support of a ban on ]s. Scott said, "I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who has mental issues to use a gun", requesting $500 million in funds for mental health and school safety programs.<ref name="Mazzei 2018">{{cite news|last=Mazzei|first=Patricia|date=February 23, 2018|title=Florida Governor Rick Scott Backs Raising Age Limits on Assault Rifles|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/us/florida-gun-control.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur |work=]|location=New York City|access-date=February 23, 2018}}</ref> In March 2018, the ] passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which incorporated many of the measures Scott supported. It raised the minimum age for buying firearms to 21, established waiting periods and background checks, provided a program for the arming of some teachers and the hiring of school police, banned bump stocks, and barred potentially violent or mentally unhealthy people arrested under certain laws from possessing guns. In all, it allocated around $400 million.<ref name="Bill">{{cite news|work=]|date=March 7, 2018|first=Dan|last=Sweeney|title=Florida House sends Stoneman Douglas gun and school bill to Gov. Scott|access-date=March 8, 2018|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-florida-school-shooting-legislature-20180307-story.html}}</ref> Scott signed the bill into law on March 9.<ref name="Sanchez">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/09/us/florida-gov-scott-gun-bill/index.html|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott signs gun bill|last1=Sanchez|first1=Ray|last2=Yan|first2=Holly|date=March 9, 2018|work=CNN|access-date=March 10, 2018}}</ref> That same day, the ] (NRA) filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the law's provision banning gun sales to people under 21. An NRA spokesman said, "We filed a lawsuit against the state for violating the constitutional rights of 18- to 21-year-olds."<ref name="Schweers">{{cite news|url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/03/09/nra-sues-florida-over-gun-bill-same-day-gov-scott-signed-law/412365002|title=NRA sues Florida over gun bill same day Gov. Scott signed it into law|last=Schweers|first=Jeffrey|date=March 9, 2018|work=Tallahassee Democrat|access-date=March 10, 2018}}</ref> | |||
====Health care==== | ====Health care==== | ||
Scott has been a harsh critic of the ] (Obamacare),<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/apr/04/charlie-crist/rick-scott-opposes-health-care-law-so-he-wants-go- |title=Rick Scott wants to go back to denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, Charlie Crist says |first=Amy |last=Sherman |work=] |date=April 4, 2014 |access-date=June 14, 2018 }}</ref> but in his 2018 Senate campaign stopped harshly criticizing the bill.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |url= |
Scott has been a harsh critic of the ] (Obamacare),<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2014/apr/04/charlie-crist/rick-scott-opposes-health-care-law-so-he-wants-go- |title=Rick Scott wants to go back to denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, Charlie Crist says |first=Amy |last=Sherman |work=] |date=April 4, 2014 |access-date=June 14, 2018 }}</ref> but in his 2018 Senate campaign stopped harshly criticizing the bill.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/06/13/pre-existing-conditions-latest-flashpoint-in-nelson-scott-battle/ |title=Pre-existing conditions latest flashpoint in Nelson-Scott battle |last=Leary |first=Alex |work=] |access-date=June 14, 2018 }}</ref> In 2017, he said that people with preexisting conditions should be protected.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/06/11/scott-mum-on-trumps-attack-on-pre-existing-condition-provision-461274 |title=Scott mum on Trump's attack on pre-existing condition provision |first1=Alexandra |last1=Glorioso |first2=Marc |last2=Caputo |work=] |date=June 11, 2018 |access-date=June 14, 2018 }}</ref> In June 2018, when the Trump administration sought to remove provisions of Obamacare protecting people with preexisting conditions, Scott declined to criticize the administration,<ref name=":3"/><ref name=":4"/><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |url=https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/06/13/gov-rick-scott-wont-talk-about-floridas-part-in-obamacare-lawsuit |title=Gov. Rick Scott won't talk about Florida's part in Obamacare lawsuit |first=Christine |last=Sexton |work=] |access-date=June 14, 2018 |archive-date=June 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614171933/https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/06/13/gov-rick-scott-wont-talk-about-floridas-part-in-obamacare-lawsuit |url-status=dead }}</ref> saying he did not know enough about it to comment.<ref name=":4"/> | ||
Scott has taken a number of positions on ]. For much of his first term as governor, he opposed ] expansion in Florida, saying it was too costly. In 2013, he came out in support of Medicaid expansion, and reiterated his support in 2014 when he was up for reelection.<ref name=":5"/> After being reelected, Scott reversed his position and adamantly fought against efforts by the Florida Senate to pass Medicaid expansion in 2015.<ref name=budgetmedicaid>{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=Jon |title=Gov. Rick Scott shifts again on Medicaid expansion |url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/apr/07/rick-scott/scott-shifts-again-medicaid-expansion |access-date=April 13, 2018 |agency=] |work=] |date=April 7, 2015 }}</ref> Scott rejected the Medicaid expansion because of his renewed fiscal concerns, saying it is "hard to understand how the state could take on even more federal programs."<ref name=budgetmedicaid/> | Scott has taken a number of positions on ]. For much of his first term as governor, he opposed ] expansion in Florida, saying it was too costly. In 2013, he came out in support of Medicaid expansion, and reiterated his support in 2014 when he was up for reelection.<ref name=":5"/> After being reelected, Scott reversed his position and adamantly fought against efforts by the Florida Senate to pass Medicaid expansion in 2015.<ref name=budgetmedicaid>{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=Jon |title=Gov. Rick Scott shifts again on Medicaid expansion |url=http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/apr/07/rick-scott/scott-shifts-again-medicaid-expansion |access-date=April 13, 2018 |agency=] |work=] |date=April 7, 2015 }}</ref> Scott rejected the Medicaid expansion because of his renewed fiscal concerns, saying it is "hard to understand how the state could take on even more federal programs."<ref name=budgetmedicaid/> Scott voted against the ] in 2022, which allows Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 2nd Session |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00325.htm |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.senate.gov}}</ref> | ||
Scott has been accused of having fueled an ] epidemic while governor, by ensuring that Florida returned $54 million in unspent federal HIV-prevention grants and blocking $16 million in ] grants to ] and ] counties.<ref name="The Guardian 2019-09-11">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/11/florida-hiv-rick-scott-republican-governor |title='Rick Scott had us on lockdown': how Florida said no to $70m for HIV crisis |first=Benjamin |last=Ryan |work=] |date=September 11, 2019 |access-date=September 15, 2019 }}</ref> The effect of this rejection of federal funds combined with Scott's stance on Medicaid expansion has been described as "helping explain why the state’s HIV epidemic became almost peerlessly severe during Scott’s time in office", with the state accounting for 13% of the country's HIV diagnoses in 2017.<ref name="The Guardian 2019-09-11"/> Scott has opposed most federal grants due to his fiscal conservatism.<ref name="The Guardian 2019-09-11"/> | Scott has been accused of having fueled an ] epidemic while governor, by ensuring that Florida returned $54 million in unspent federal HIV-prevention grants and blocking $16 million in ] grants to ] and ] counties.<ref name="The Guardian 2019-09-11">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/11/florida-hiv-rick-scott-republican-governor |title='Rick Scott had us on lockdown': how Florida said no to $70m for HIV crisis |first=Benjamin |last=Ryan |work=] |date=September 11, 2019 |access-date=September 15, 2019 }}</ref> The effect of this rejection of federal funds combined with Scott's stance on Medicaid expansion has been described as "helping explain why the state’s HIV epidemic became almost peerlessly severe during Scott’s time in office", with the state accounting for 13% of the country's HIV diagnoses in 2017.<ref name="The Guardian 2019-09-11"/> Scott has opposed most federal grants due to his fiscal conservatism.<ref name="The Guardian 2019-09-11"/> | ||
====Hurricane Irma==== | ====Hurricane Irma==== | ||
Scott's handling of ] boosted his profile in advance of his U.S. Senate campaign, with ''The Hill'' writing that his "aggressive approach to Irma, which saw him order an extensive evacuation ahead of the storm and coordinate disaster relief efforts as the storm came ashore, has sent his political stock even higher" |
Scott's handling of ] boosted his profile in advance of his U.S. Senate campaign, with ''The Hill'' writing that his "aggressive approach to Irma, which saw him order an extensive evacuation ahead of the storm and coordinate disaster relief efforts as the storm came ashore, has sent his political stock even higher".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Henry|first1=Devin|title=Rick Scott's hurricane response boosts potential Senate run|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/350455-rick-scotts-hurricane-response-boosts-profile-for-potential-senate-run/|access-date=June 20, 2018|newspaper=The Hill|date=September 13, 2017}}</ref> | ||
An investigation by ] found that after Hurricane Irma, Scott ignored existing debris removal contracts and instead issued emergency contracts for hurricane clean-up efforts.<ref name=hurricane/> Florida state officials sent an email to several companies on September 11 inviting them to hand in bids for debris clean-up by the next day.<ref name=hurricane/> State officials believed new contracts were needed to speed up the removal process given the severity of Hurricane Irma.<ref name=hurricane/> On September 13, state officials decided to use the services of MCM and Community Asphalt, firms owned by contributors to the Republican Party and Scott's campaigns. According to the television station, the emergency contracts cost $28 to $30 million more than the existing contracts.<ref name=hurricane>{{cite news|last1=DeFede|first1=Jim|title=Exclusive: Rick Scott's 'Rookie Mistake' May Have Cost Taxpayers Millions|url=https://miami.cbslocal.com/2018/06/12/rick-scott-rookie-mistake-cost-millions|access-date=June 20, 2018|publisher=CBS Miami|date=June 12, 2018}}</ref> | An investigation by ] found that after Hurricane Irma, Scott ignored existing debris removal contracts and instead issued emergency contracts for hurricane clean-up efforts.<ref name=hurricane/> Florida state officials sent an email to several companies on September 11 inviting them to hand in bids for debris clean-up by the next day.<ref name=hurricane/> State officials believed new contracts were needed to speed up the removal process given the severity of Hurricane Irma.<ref name=hurricane/> On September 13, state officials decided to use the services of MCM and Community Asphalt, firms owned by contributors to the Republican Party and Scott's campaigns. According to the television station, the emergency contracts cost $28 to $30 million more than the existing contracts.<ref name=hurricane>{{cite news|last1=DeFede|first1=Jim|title=Exclusive: Rick Scott's 'Rookie Mistake' May Have Cost Taxpayers Millions|url=https://miami.cbslocal.com/2018/06/12/rick-scott-rookie-mistake-cost-millions|access-date=June 20, 2018|publisher=CBS Miami|date=June 12, 2018}}</ref> | ||
====Immigration and refugees==== | ====Immigration and refugees==== | ||
In 2010, Scott ran for governor as an immigration hard-liner.<ref name=":14">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/06/08/rick-scott-appears-to-support-curbelos-immigration-plan-but-how-would-he-vote|title=Rick Scott appears to support Curbelo's immigration plan, but how would he vote?|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":13"/> At the time, he favored similar laws as Arizona's controversial Arizona SB 1070 which targeted illegal immigrants, and criticized Florida lawmakers for not being tougher on illegal immigrants.<ref name=":15">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/05florida.html|title=Florida Republicans Unite to Pass Immigration Bill|last=Alvarez|first=Lizette|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":14"/> Scott called for police to check individuals' immigration status.<ref name=":15" /> By 2014, ''PolitiFact'' wrote that Scott had "abandoned promises to get tough on illegal immigration."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/article/2014/sep/05/rating-gov-rick-scott-his-campaign-promises|title=Rating Gov. Rick Scott on his 2010 campaign promises|first1=Joshua|last1=Gillin|first2=Angie|last2=Drobnic Holan|first3=Amy|last3=Sherman|work=PolitiFact Florida|access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> Over time, he moderated his views on immigration.<ref name=":13"/> | In 2010, Scott ran for governor as an immigration hard-liner.<ref name=":14">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/06/08/rick-scott-appears-to-support-curbelos-immigration-plan-but-how-would-he-vote|title=Rick Scott appears to support Curbelo's immigration plan, but how would he vote?|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-08-29|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":13"/> At the time, he favored similar laws as Arizona's controversial Arizona SB 1070 which targeted illegal immigrants, and criticized Florida lawmakers for not being tougher on illegal immigrants.<ref name=":15">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/us/05florida.html|title=Florida Republicans Unite to Pass Immigration Bill|last=Alvarez|first=Lizette|work=The New York Times |date=May 5, 2011 |access-date=2018-08-29|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":14"/> Scott called for police to check individuals' immigration status.<ref name=":15" /> By 2014, ''PolitiFact'' wrote that Scott had "abandoned promises to get tough on illegal immigration."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/article/2014/sep/05/rating-gov-rick-scott-his-campaign-promises|title=Rating Gov. Rick Scott on his 2010 campaign promises|first1=Joshua|last1=Gillin|first2=Angie|last2=Drobnic Holan|first3=Amy|last3=Sherman|work=PolitiFact Florida|access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> Over time, he moderated his views on immigration.<ref name=":13"/> | ||
In 2011, Scott opposed giving in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, but reversed course in 2014 and signed a bill giving DREAMers in-state tuition in an effort to place limits on how much state institutions can raise tuition each year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ontheissues.org/international/Rick_Scott_Immigration.htm|title=Rick Scott on Immigration|website=www.ontheissues.org|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/06/09/florida-gov-rick-scott-signs-in-state-tuition-bill-for-dreamers|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott Signs In-State Tuition Bill for 'Dreamers'|author=Fox, Lauren|work=U.S. News & World Report|date=June 9, 2014|access-date=November 8, 2018}}</ref> In 2013, Scott vetoed legislation that would have given DACA-eligible immigrants the ability to obtain temporary driving licenses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/florida-gov-rick-scott-vetos-immigrant-drivers-licenses/story?id=19329999|title=License Bill Vetoed Despite Support|author=Fabian, Jordan|date=2013-06-05|website=ABC News|access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref><ref name=":16"/> By 2018, he spoke in favor of giving DREAMers a path to citizenship.<ref name=":14"/> | In 2011, Scott opposed giving in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, but reversed course in 2014 and signed a bill giving DREAMers in-state tuition in an effort to place limits on how much state institutions can raise tuition each year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ontheissues.org/international/Rick_Scott_Immigration.htm|title=Rick Scott on Immigration|website=www.ontheissues.org|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/06/09/florida-gov-rick-scott-signs-in-state-tuition-bill-for-dreamers|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott Signs In-State Tuition Bill for 'Dreamers'|author=Fox, Lauren|work=U.S. News & World Report|date=June 9, 2014|access-date=November 8, 2018}}</ref> In 2013, Scott vetoed legislation that would have given DACA-eligible immigrants the ability to obtain temporary driving licenses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/florida-gov-rick-scott-vetos-immigrant-drivers-licenses/story?id=19329999|title=License Bill Vetoed Despite Support|author=Fabian, Jordan|date=2013-06-05|website=ABC News|access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref><ref name=":16"/> By 2018, he spoke in favor of giving DREAMers a path to citizenship.<ref name=":14"/> | ||
Line 238: | Line 251: | ||
Scott's administration awarded ] (CHSi) a tax incentive package of $600,000 to expand in ]. CHSi runs the ] which detains minor migrants, including those separated from families at the border.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/these-companies-make-money-from-the-homestead-miami-migrant-camp-11060995|title=Here's a List of Companies Making Money From Miami's Child-Migrant Detention Camp|last=Iannelli|first=Jerry|date=2019-01-27|website=Miami New Times|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref> | Scott's administration awarded ] (CHSi) a tax incentive package of $600,000 to expand in ]. CHSi runs the ] which detains minor migrants, including those separated from families at the border.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/these-companies-make-money-from-the-homestead-miami-migrant-camp-11060995|title=Here's a List of Companies Making Money From Miami's Child-Migrant Detention Camp|last=Iannelli|first=Jerry|date=2019-01-27|website=Miami New Times|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref> | ||
==== LGBTQ rights ==== | |||
In 2022, Scott voted against the ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mourtoupalas and Blanco |date=November 29, 2022 |title=Here's which senators voted for or against the Respect for Marriage Act |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2022/senator-vote-count-respect-for-marriage-act/}}</ref> | |||
====Medical marijuana==== | ====Medical marijuana==== | ||
After voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana, Scott signed a bill passed by the legislature which allowed the use of medical marijuana but not smokeable medical marijuana.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.apnews.com/d4253f9e0bb3477c99d9c8dda964a9b2/Lawyer:-Florida-governor-should-end-medical-marijuana-appeal|title=Lawyer: Florida governor should end medical marijuana appeal|author=Reedy, Joe|work=Associated Press|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en-US}}</ref> A judge ruled the ban on smokeable medical marijuana unconstitutional.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://floridapolitics.com/archives/266294-rick-scott-talks-pot-donald-trump|title=Rick Scott talks pot, Donald Trump|author=McAuliffe, Danny|date=2018-06-13|work=Florida Politics|access-date=2018-06-14}}</ref> Scott appealed the decision.<ref>{{Cite news|url= |
After voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana, Scott signed a bill passed by the legislature which allowed the use of medical marijuana but not smokeable medical marijuana.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.apnews.com/d4253f9e0bb3477c99d9c8dda964a9b2/Lawyer:-Florida-governor-should-end-medical-marijuana-appeal|title=Lawyer: Florida governor should end medical marijuana appeal|author=Reedy, Joe|work=Associated Press|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en-US}}</ref> A judge ruled the ban on smokeable medical marijuana unconstitutional.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://floridapolitics.com/archives/266294-rick-scott-talks-pot-donald-trump|title=Rick Scott talks pot, Donald Trump|author=McAuliffe, Danny|date=2018-06-13|work=Florida Politics|access-date=2018-06-14}}</ref> Scott appealed the decision.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/05/29/john-morgan-tells-gov-scott-drop-appeal-in-smokeable-medical-marijuana-case/|title=John Morgan tells Gov. Scott: Drop appeal in smokeable medical marijuana case|last=Koh|first=Elizabeth|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/06/02/battle-rages-between-rick-scott-john-morgan-over-smokable-medical-marijuana/|title=Battle rages between Rick Scott, John Morgan over smokable medical marijuana|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-06-14}}</ref> | ||
====Predictive policing==== | ====Predictive policing==== | ||
On September 3, 2020, the ] released an investigative report into Scott-appointed Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco's "predictive policing" program, which relies on unproven algorithms.<ref name="targeted">{{cite web|url=https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2020/investigations/police-pasco-sheriff-targeted/intelligence-led-policing/|title=Targeted|first1=Kathleen|last1=McGrory|first2=Neil|last2=Bedi|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=September 3, 2020|access-date=September 17, 2020}}</ref> The program is designed to use counter-terrorism and other military "intelligence" tactics to prevent property damage.<ref name="targeted"/> Nocco was a Republican insider with limited law enforcement experience at the time he was appointed by Scott, in 2011.<ref name="targeted"/> | On September 3, 2020, the '']'' released an investigative report into Scott-appointed Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco's "predictive policing" program, which relies on unproven algorithms.<ref name="targeted">{{cite web|url=https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2020/investigations/police-pasco-sheriff-targeted/intelligence-led-policing/|title=Targeted|first1=Kathleen|last1=McGrory|first2=Neil|last2=Bedi|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=September 3, 2020|access-date=September 17, 2020}}</ref> The program is designed to use counter-terrorism and other military "intelligence" tactics to prevent property damage.<ref name="targeted" /> Nocco was a Republican insider with limited law enforcement experience at the time he was appointed by Scott, in 2011.<ref name="targeted" /> | ||
====Redistricting amendments==== | ====Redistricting amendments==== | ||
In the 2010 elections, Florida voters passed constitutional amendments banning ] of congressional and legislative districts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Florida Voters Pass Milestone Measures to End Gerrymandering|author=Mark I. Pinsky|newspaper=Politics Daily|url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/11/03/florida-voters-pass-milestone-measures-to-end-gerrymandering|date=November 3, 2010|access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref> In February 2011, Scott withdrew a request to the ] to approve these amendments, which, according to '']'', might delay the implementation of the redistricting plan because the ] requires ] of state laws likely to affect minority representation. Scott said he wanted to make sure the redistricting was carried out properly.<ref>{{cite news|title=Scott moves to delay redistrict plan|author=Steve Bousquet|newspaper=The Miami Herald|date=January 25, 2011|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/25/2034274/scott-moves-to-delay-redistrict.html|access-date=February 24, 2016}}</ref> | In the 2010 elections, Florida voters passed constitutional amendments banning ] of congressional and legislative districts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Florida Voters Pass Milestone Measures to End Gerrymandering|author=Mark I. Pinsky|newspaper=Politics Daily|url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/11/03/florida-voters-pass-milestone-measures-to-end-gerrymandering|date=November 3, 2010|access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref> In February 2011, Scott withdrew a request to the ] to approve these amendments, which, according to '']'', might delay the implementation of the redistricting plan because the ] requires ] of state laws likely to affect minority representation. Scott said he wanted to make sure the redistricting was carried out properly.<ref>{{cite news|title=Scott moves to delay redistrict plan|author=Steve Bousquet|newspaper=The Miami Herald|date=January 25, 2011|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/25/2034274/scott-moves-to-delay-redistrict.html|access-date=February 24, 2016}}</ref> | ||
Several advocacy groups {{which|date=March 2019}} sued Scott in federal court to compel him to resubmit the acts to the Justice Department.{{clarify|date=May 2018}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Gov. Rick Scott sued over decision to halt federal review over redistricting standards|author=Mary Ellen Klas|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=February 3, 2011|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/gov-rick-scott-sued-over-decision-to-halt-federal-review-over/1149426|access-date=August 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924145624/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/gov-rick-scott-sued-over-decision-to-halt-federal-review-over/1149426 |
Several advocacy groups {{which|date=March 2019}} sued Scott in federal court to compel him to resubmit the acts to the Justice Department.{{clarify|date=May 2018}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Gov. Rick Scott sued over decision to halt federal review over redistricting standards|author=Mary Ellen Klas|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=February 3, 2011|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/gov-rick-scott-sued-over-decision-to-halt-federal-review-over/1149426|access-date=August 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924145624/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/gov-rick-scott-sued-over-decision-to-halt-federal-review-over/1149426|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><!-- RESULTS OF THESE LAWSUITS FILED BY "ADVOCACY GROUPS"?? --> | ||
====Transportation==== | ====Transportation==== | ||
Line 255: | Line 271: | ||
In March 2011, Scott moved to have the Florida Department of Transportation amend its work plan to include $77 million for dredging ] to a depth of 50 feet. Once the port is ], ]-sized vessels coming through the expanded ] could load and unload cargo there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/gov-rick-scott-promises-77-million-for-port-of-miami-project/1155251|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309141758/http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/gov-rick-scott-promises-77-million-for-port-of-miami-project/1155251|archive-date=2011-03-09|title=Gov. Rick Scott promises $77 million for Port of Miami project|author=Clark, Lesley|publisher=Tampabay.com|date=May 30, 2011|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> | In March 2011, Scott moved to have the Florida Department of Transportation amend its work plan to include $77 million for dredging ] to a depth of 50 feet. Once the port is ], ]-sized vessels coming through the expanded ] could load and unload cargo there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/gov-rick-scott-promises-77-million-for-port-of-miami-project/1155251|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309141758/http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/gov-rick-scott-promises-77-million-for-port-of-miami-project/1155251|archive-date=2011-03-09|title=Gov. Rick Scott promises $77 million for Port of Miami project|author=Clark, Lesley|publisher=Tampabay.com|date=May 30, 2011|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> | ||
In 2018, Scott reversed course and supported a high-speed rail project between Tampa and Orlando when the company ] sought to get taxpayer-backed funding from state and federal governments.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=http://amp.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article216640190.html|title=Rick Scott killed a high-speed rail plan. Then All Aboard rolled up and he bought it.|author=Klas, Mary Ellen|work=Miami Herald|date=August 16, 2018|access-date=2018-08-27}}</ref> He argued that new budget surpluses following the recession could help fund the project.<ref name=":7"/> Scott and his wife had invested at least $3 million in the parent company of All Aboard Florida, which had made donations to Scott's political campaigns.<ref name=":7"/> | In 2018, Scott reversed course and supported a high-speed rail project between Tampa and Orlando when the company ] sought to get taxpayer-backed funding from state and federal governments.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=http://amp.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article216640190.html|title=Rick Scott killed a high-speed rail plan. Then All Aboard rolled up and he bought it.|author=Klas, Mary Ellen|work=Miami Herald|date=August 16, 2018|access-date=2018-08-27}}</ref> He argued that new budget surpluses following the recession could help fund the project.<ref name=":7"/> Scott and his wife had invested at least $3 million in the parent company of All Aboard Florida, which had made donations to Scott's political campaigns.<ref name=":7"/> | ||
====Voting rights==== | ====Voting rights==== | ||
Scott frequently sought to implement voter IDs as governor, with numerous courts ruling against him in voting rights cases.<ref name=":0"/><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/07/25/a-day-after-judge-rules-counties-seek-to-hold-early-voting-on-campus/|title=A day after judge blasts state, counties act fast to hold early voting on campus|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-07-25}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/07/24/judge-faults-state-and-approves-early-voting-on-college-university-campuses|title=Judge: Florida's early voting-on-campus ban shows 'stark pattern of discrimination'|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-07-25}}</ref> He signed into law bills that created barriers to registering new voters, limited early voting, ended early voting on the Sunday before Election Day (known as "souls to the polls" in African-American churches), and restricted the ability of ex-felons to restore their voting rights. In 2012, Scott attempted to purge non-citizens from voter rolls just before the election; a court stopped him from doing so, and it was revealed that legitimate voters were on the voter rolls. ''The Tampa Bay Times'' noted that under Scott's tenure, Florida had the longest voting lines of any state in the 2012 election.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article209235744.html|title=Rick Scott has made enemies over voting rights – now it's an issue in his Senate race|author=Bousquet, Steve|work=Miami Herald|date=April 18, 2018|access-date=2018-04-19}}</ref> After harsh criticism, he expanded early voting hours, and allowed early voting on the Sunday before Election Day.<ref name=":0"/> | Scott frequently sought to implement voter IDs as governor, with numerous courts ruling against him in voting rights cases.<ref name=":0"/><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/07/25/a-day-after-judge-rules-counties-seek-to-hold-early-voting-on-campus/|title=A day after judge blasts state, counties act fast to hold early voting on campus|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-07-25}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/07/24/judge-faults-state-and-approves-early-voting-on-college-university-campuses|title=Judge: Florida's early voting-on-campus ban shows 'stark pattern of discrimination'|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-07-25}}</ref> He signed into law bills that created barriers to registering new voters, limited ], ended early voting on the Sunday before Election Day (known as "souls to the polls" in African-American churches), and restricted the ability of ex-felons to restore their voting rights. In 2012, Scott attempted to purge non-citizens from voter rolls just before the election; a court stopped him from doing so, and it was revealed that legitimate voters were on the voter rolls. ''The Tampa Bay Times'' noted that under Scott's tenure, Florida had the longest voting lines of any state in the 2012 election.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article209235744.html|title=Rick Scott has made enemies over voting rights – now it's an issue in his Senate race|author=Bousquet, Steve|work=Miami Herald|date=April 18, 2018|access-date=2018-04-19}}</ref> After harsh criticism, he expanded early voting hours, and allowed early voting on the Sunday before Election Day.<ref name=":0"/> | ||
In 2016, Scott refused to extend registration deadlines after ordering evacuations due to Hurricane Matthew; courts ultimately extended the deadline. He signed legislation into law that rejected mail ballots where signatures on the ballot envelope did not match signatures in files; in 2016 a court struck down the law.<ref name=":0"/> In 2014, Scott blocked a request by the city of Gainesville to use a facility at the ] as a site for early voting.<ref name=":0"/> In July 2018, a judge ruled against Scott's prohibition of early voting on campus, saying the ban showed a "stark pattern of discrimination."<ref name=":2"/><ref name=":6"/> In 2013, Scott ordered Pinellas County to close down sites where voters could submit mail ballots. In 2012, a court ruled that Scott could not place heavy fines on groups that registered voters but failed to submit the registrations within 48 hours.<ref name=":0"/> | In 2016, Scott refused to extend registration deadlines after ordering evacuations due to ]; courts ultimately extended the deadline. He signed legislation into law that rejected mail ballots where signatures on the ballot envelope did not match signatures in files; in 2016 a court struck down the law.<ref name=":0"/> In 2014, Scott blocked a request by the city of Gainesville to use a facility at the ] as a site for early voting.<ref name=":0"/> In July 2018, a judge ruled against Scott's prohibition of early voting on campus, saying the ban showed a "stark pattern of discrimination."<ref name=":2"/><ref name=":6"/> In 2013, Scott ordered Pinellas County to close down sites where voters could submit mail ballots. In 2012, a court ruled that Scott could not place heavy fines on groups that registered voters but failed to submit the registrations within 48 hours.<ref name=":0"/> | ||
Scott rolled back automatic restoration of rights for nonviolent crimes, giving former felons a five- to six-year waiting period before they can apply for a restoration of voting rights.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.courthousenews.com/in-florida-long-fight-for-restored-vote-often-ends-in-minutes/|title=In Florida, Long Fight for Restored Vote Often Ends in Minutes|author=Pickett, Alex|work=Courthouse News Service|date=2018-05-31|access-date=2018-06-02|language=en-US}}</ref> Of the approximately 30,000 applications from former felons to have their voting rights restored during his tenure, Scott approved approximately 3,000.<ref name=":1"/> A 2018 investigation by the '']'' found that during his governorship, Scott restored the voting rights of three times as many white men as black men, and that blacks accounted only for 27% of those granted voting rights despite blacks being 43% of those released from state prisons in the past 20 years.<ref name=":19">{{Cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20181025/florida-felon-voting-rights-who-got-theirs-back-under-scott|title=Florida felon voting rights: Who got theirs back under Scott?|last=Ramadan|first=Lulu|work=The Palm Beach Post|access-date=2018-10-25}}</ref> The percentage of blacks among those whose voting rights were restored was the lowest in more than 50 years, and Scott restored a higher share of Republican voting rights than |
Scott rolled back automatic restoration of rights for nonviolent crimes, giving former felons a five- to six-year waiting period before they can apply for a restoration of voting rights.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.courthousenews.com/in-florida-long-fight-for-restored-vote-often-ends-in-minutes/|title=In Florida, Long Fight for Restored Vote Often Ends in Minutes|author=Pickett, Alex|work=Courthouse News Service|date=2018-05-31|access-date=2018-06-02|language=en-US}}</ref> Of the approximately 30,000 applications from former felons to have their voting rights restored during his tenure, Scott approved approximately 3,000.<ref name=":1"/> A 2018 investigation by the '']'' found that during his governorship, Scott restored the voting rights of three times as many white men as black men, and that blacks accounted only for 27% of those granted voting rights despite blacks being 43% of those released from state prisons in the past 20 years.<ref name=":19">{{Cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20181025/florida-felon-voting-rights-who-got-theirs-back-under-scott|title=Florida felon voting rights: Who got theirs back under Scott?|last=Ramadan|first=Lulu|work=The Palm Beach Post|access-date=2018-10-25}}</ref> The percentage of blacks among those whose voting rights were restored was the lowest in more than 50 years, and Scott restored a higher share of Republican voting rights than Democratic voting rights than in almost 50 years.<ref name=":19"/> A clemency board set up by Scott held hearings on applications, but there were no standards on how to judge the worthiness of individual applications. In March 2017, seven former felons filed a class action lawsuit arguing that the clemency board's decisions were inconsistent, vague and political.<ref name=":1"/> | ||
In February 2018, a U.S. District Court described Scott's process as arbitrary and unconstitutional, and ruled that he had to create a new process to restore felons' voting rights.<ref name=":0"/><ref name=":1"/> The ruling said that Scott and his clemency board had "unfettered discretion" to deny voting rights "for any reason," and that "to vote again, disenfranchised citizens must kowtow before a panel of high-level government officials over which Florida's governor has absolute veto authority. No standards guide the panel. Its members alone must be satisfied that these citizens deserve restoration."<ref name=":1"/> ] described the clemency rules issued by Scott in 2011 as among the most restrictive in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/voting-rights-restoration-efforts-florida|title=Voting Rights Restoration Efforts in Florida {{!}} Brennan Center for Justice|website=brennancenter.org|language=en|access-date=2018-06-20}}</ref> | In February 2018, a U.S. District Court described Scott's process as arbitrary and unconstitutional, and ruled that he had to create a new process to restore felons' voting rights.<ref name=":0"/><ref name=":1"/> The ruling said that Scott and his clemency board had "unfettered discretion" to deny voting rights "for any reason," and that "to vote again, disenfranchised citizens must kowtow before a panel of high-level government officials over which Florida's governor has absolute veto authority. No standards guide the panel. Its members alone must be satisfied that these citizens deserve restoration."<ref name=":1"/> ] described the clemency rules issued by Scott in 2011 as among the most restrictive in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/voting-rights-restoration-efforts-florida|title=Voting Rights Restoration Efforts in Florida {{!}} Brennan Center for Justice|website=brennancenter.org|language=en|access-date=2018-06-20}}</ref> | ||
==U.S. Senate== | |||
====2018 election==== | |||
=== Elections === | |||
====2018 ==== | |||
{{Main|2018 United States Senate election in Florida}} | {{Main|2018 United States Senate election in Florida}} | ||
After months of speculation about a potential run, Scott officially announced on April 9, 2018, that he would challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator ] in the 2018 election.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pathe|first1=Simone|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott Announces Senate Campaign|url=https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/florida-gov-rick-scott-announces-senate-campaign|access-date=13 April 2018|publisher=Roll Call|date=April 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Mazzei|first1=Patricia|title=Rick Scott Senate Run Returns Florida to Battleground|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/us/florida-rick-scott-senate.html|access-date=13 April 2018|newspaper=New York Times|date=April 9, 2018}}</ref> | After months of speculation about a potential run, Scott officially announced on April 9, 2018, that he would challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator ] in the 2018 election.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pathe|first1=Simone|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott Announces Senate Campaign|url=https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/florida-gov-rick-scott-announces-senate-campaign|access-date=13 April 2018|publisher=Roll Call|date=April 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Mazzei|first1=Patricia|title=Rick Scott Senate Run Returns Florida to Battleground|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/us/florida-rick-scott-senate.html|access-date=13 April 2018|newspaper=New York Times|date=April 9, 2018}}</ref> | ||
Scott defeated ] in the Republican primary.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/28/us/elections/florida-primary-elections.html|title=Florida Primary Election Results|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 30, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/08/28/scott-senate-republican-primary-florida/1000053002/|title=Rick Scott wins GOP primary for Florida's U.S. Senate seat; faces Bill Nelson Nov. 6|author=Fineout, Gary|work=TCPalm|access-date=November 8, 2018}}</ref> In the general election, Scott's involvement in a large Medicare fraud case stirred controversy.<ref name="fungus"/><ref name=":17">{{cite web|url=http://floridapolitics.com/archives/275845-rick-scotts-campaign-out-ad-rebuts-democrats-on-medicare-fraud-scandal|title=Rick Scott's campaign ad rebuts Democrats on Medicare fraud scandal|author=Powers, Scott|website=floridapolitics.com|date=September 26, 2018|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-29}}</ref> Scott responded with ads accusing Nelson of having cut Medicare benefits and stolen from Medicare; fact-checkers found that both of Scott's assertions were false.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2018/aug/16/rick-scott/nelson-wasnt-paying-payroll-taxes-because-he-didnt|title=Nelson didn't pay payroll taxes. He didn't have to.|author=Akin, Katie|work=Politifact|date=August 16, 2018|access-date=2018-09-29|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":17"/> During the campaign, Scott called Nelson a "socialist", an assertion PolitiFact described as "pants-on-fire" false.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2018/sep/27/rick-scott/gov-rick-scotts-ridiculous-statement-sen-bill-nels/|title=Gov. Rick Scott wrongly calls Sen. Bill Nelson a socialist|author=Sherman, Amy|work=Politifact|date=September 27, 2018|access-date=2018-09-29}}</ref> |
Scott defeated ] in the Republican primary.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/28/us/elections/florida-primary-elections.html|title=Florida Primary Election Results|work=The New York Times|date=August 28, 2018 |access-date=August 30, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/08/28/scott-senate-republican-primary-florida/1000053002/|title=Rick Scott wins GOP primary for Florida's U.S. Senate seat; faces Bill Nelson Nov. 6|author=Fineout, Gary|work=TCPalm|access-date=November 8, 2018}}</ref> In the general election, Scott's involvement in a large Medicare fraud case stirred controversy.<ref name="fungus"/><ref name=":17">{{cite web|url=http://floridapolitics.com/archives/275845-rick-scotts-campaign-out-ad-rebuts-democrats-on-medicare-fraud-scandal|title=Rick Scott's campaign ad rebuts Democrats on Medicare fraud scandal|author=Powers, Scott|website=floridapolitics.com|date=September 26, 2018|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-29}}</ref> Scott responded with ads accusing Nelson of having cut Medicare benefits and stolen from Medicare; fact-checkers found that both of Scott's assertions were false.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2018/aug/16/rick-scott/nelson-wasnt-paying-payroll-taxes-because-he-didnt|title=Nelson didn't pay payroll taxes. He didn't have to.|author=Akin, Katie|work=Politifact|date=August 16, 2018|access-date=2018-09-29|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":17"/> During the campaign, Scott called Nelson a "socialist", an assertion PolitiFact described as "pants-on-fire" false.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2018/sep/27/rick-scott/gov-rick-scotts-ridiculous-statement-sen-bill-nels/|title=Gov. Rick Scott wrongly calls Sen. Bill Nelson a socialist|author=Sherman, Amy|work=Politifact|date=September 27, 2018|access-date=2018-09-29}}</ref> Scott sought to avoid mentioning Trump and at times criticized or distanced himself from actions of the Trump administration, whereas in the past he had used his friendship with Trump to boost his profile and had been an early and vocal supporter of Trump in 2016.<ref name=":9" /> Trump endorsed Scott for Senate.<ref name=":10" /> | ||
The initial election results showed Scott leading Nelson by 12,562 votes, or 0.15% of the vote. Under Florida law, a manual recount is triggered if election results show a margin of less than 0.5% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/1459298/recount-florida-has-5-days-to-tally-more-than-8-million-ballots/|title=Recount: Florida has five days to tally more than 8 million ballots|first=Ephrat|last=Livni|website=Quartz|access-date=June 7, 2019}}</ref> Both candidates filed lawsuits in connection with the recount. After the recount, Florida elections officials announced on November 18, 2018, that Scott had prevailed. Scott received 50.05% of the vote to Nelson's 49.93%; the margin of victory was 10,033 votes out of 8.19 million votes cast. Nelson then conceded.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-florida-senate-idUSKCN1NN0QC|title=Republican Scott secures Florida U.S. Senate seat after recount|work=Reuters|author=Woodall, Bernie|date=November 18, 2018|access-date=2018-11-18}}</ref> It was the most expensive Senate race in the nation in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/11/18/668704045/republican-rick-scott-wins-florida-senate-race-as-recount-comes-to-an-end|title=Republican Rick Scott Wins Florida Senate Seat Over Incumbent Bill Nelson|author=Taylor, Jessica|website=NPR.org|date=November 18, 2018|access-date=June 7, 2019}}</ref> After the race, Scott's ], New Republican PAC, received criticism from across the political spectrum for its aggressive practices and was the subject of several FEC complaints for multiple violations of federal election law;<ref>{{Cite web|last= |
The initial election results showed Scott leading Nelson by 12,562 votes, or 0.15% of the vote. Under Florida law, a manual recount is triggered if election results show a margin of less than 0.5% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/1459298/recount-florida-has-5-days-to-tally-more-than-8-million-ballots/|title=Recount: Florida has five days to tally more than 8 million ballots|first=Ephrat|last=Livni|website=Quartz|date=November 10, 2018 |access-date=June 7, 2019}}</ref> Both candidates filed lawsuits in connection with the recount. After the recount, Florida elections officials announced on November 18, 2018, that Scott had prevailed. Scott received 50.05% of the vote to Nelson's 49.93%; the margin of victory was 10,033 votes out of 8.19 million votes cast. Nelson then conceded.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-florida-senate-idUSKCN1NN0QC|title=Republican Scott secures Florida U.S. Senate seat after recount|work=Reuters|author=Woodall, Bernie|date=November 18, 2018|access-date=2018-11-18}}</ref> It was the most expensive Senate race in the nation in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/11/18/668704045/republican-rick-scott-wins-florida-senate-race-as-recount-comes-to-an-end|title=Republican Rick Scott Wins Florida Senate Seat Over Incumbent Bill Nelson|author=Taylor, Jessica|website=NPR.org|date=November 18, 2018|access-date=June 7, 2019}}</ref> After the race, Scott's ], New Republican PAC, received criticism from across the political spectrum for its aggressive practices and was the subject of several FEC complaints for multiple violations of federal election law;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leary |first=Alex |date=23 August 2018 |title=Rick Scott's involvement with super PAC shows blurred lines |url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/08/23/rick-scotts-involvement-with-super-pac-shows-blurred-lines/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-09-10|title=New elections complaint for Rick Scott 'New Republican' PAC|url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/274358-new-elections-complaint-for-rick-scott-new-republican-pac/|access-date=2021-04-18|website=]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-26|title=Ethics group files complaint against pro-Rick Scott PAC|url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/269895-ethics-group-rick-scott-pac/|access-date=2021-04-18|website=]|language=en-US}}</ref> the Super PAC's finances are chaired by hedge fund billionaire ], who personally donated at least $10 million to the PAC.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dixon|first=Matt|title=Super PAC backing Scott's Senate effort raises $7M|url=https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/10/17/super-pac-backing-scotts-senate-effort-raises-7m-655366|access-date=2021-04-18|website=Politico PRO|date=October 17, 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=RobertsJune 7|first1=Ray|last2=Pm|first2=2018 at 12:47|date=2018-06-07|title=Chicago billionaire Ken Griffin named finance chair for Rick Scott's super PAC|url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/265653-chicago-billionaire-ken-griffin-named-finance-director-for-rick-scotts-super-pac/|access-date=2021-04-18|website=]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Organizations Disclosing Donations to New Republican PAC, 2018 {{!}} OpenSecrets|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib_all.php?cmte=C00544544&type=A&cycle=2018|access-date=2021-04-18|website=www.opensecrets.org}}</ref> | ||
==== |
====2024 ==== | ||
{{Main|2024 United States Senate election in Florida}} | |||
The Senate term for the ] began on January 3, 2019, but Scott's term as governor ended on January 8. On December 4, 2018, Scott's office announced that he would finish his term as governor and not resign early.<ref name="swearing in delay"/> Scott attended the ceremonial swearing-in of his successor as governor, ], on the morning of January 8, 2019, in front of Florida's historic Old Capitol.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/republican-desantis-to-be-sworn-in-as-floridas-new-governor/2019/01/08/648bf8ae-130b-11e9-ab79-30cd4f7926f2_story.html|title=Republican DeSantis sworn in as Florida's new governor|authors=Brendan Farrington and Gary Fineout|agency=Associated Press|date=January 8, 2019}}</ref> Scott left the ceremony early to fly to Washington, D.C., and was sworn in to the Senate by ] ] later that afternoon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/floridas-rick-scott-sworn-in-as-senator/2019/01/08/6a386498-1385-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html|title=Florida's Rick Scott sworn in as senator|author=Felicia Sonmez|work=]|date=January 8, 2019}}</ref><ref name="swearing in delay"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wptv.com/news/state/rick-scott-sworn-in-as-florida-senator|title=Rick Scott sworn in as Florida Senator|date=January 8, 2019|website=WPTV}}</ref> | |||
Scott ran for a second Senate term.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Caputo |first1=Marc |title=Sen. Rick Scott is running for re-election pushing his controversial 'Rescue' plan |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/rick-scott-running-re-election-senate-rcna67094 |website=NBC News |access-date=26 January 2023}}</ref> He defeated Democratic nominee ], a former congresswoman.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dixon |first1=Matt |title=Sen. Rick Scott picks up a Democratic challenger for 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/rep-debbie-mucarsel-powell-challening-rick-scott-senate-2024-rcna101023 |website=NBC News |access-date=22 August 2023}}</ref>{{update after|2024|11|9}} | |||
<!-- apparently involved in politicking, ff the election, for Senate leadership position(s) --> | |||
===Tenure=== | |||
In January 2019, Scott encouraged Trump to declare a national emergency to build a border wall if Congress would not give him the funds to do so.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://floridapolitics.com/archives/287019-rick-scott-to-donald-trump-should-use-executive-power-on-border|title=Rick Scott: Donald Trump should use executive power on border|last=Powers|first=Scott|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref> In February 2019, when Trump declared a national emergency, Scott applauded the decision.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/288465-rick-scott-applauds-donald-trumps-decision-to-declare-national-emergency-democrats-rail|title=Rick Scott applauds Donald Trump's decision to declare national emergency; Democrats rail|last=Powers|first=Scott|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref> | |||
The Senate term for the ] began on January 3, 2019, but Scott's term as governor ended on January 8. On December 4, 2018, Scott's office announced that he would finish his term as governor and not resign early.<ref name="swearing in delay" /> Scott attended the ceremonial swearing-in of his successor as governor, ], on the morning of January 8, 2019, in front of Florida's historic Old Capitol.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/republican-desantis-to-be-sworn-in-as-floridas-new-governor/2019/01/08/648bf8ae-130b-11e9-ab79-30cd4f7926f2_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108090853/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/republican-desantis-to-be-sworn-in-as-floridas-new-governor/2019/01/08/648bf8ae-130b-11e9-ab79-30cd4f7926f2_story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 8, 2019|title=Republican DeSantis sworn in as Florida's new governor|author1=Brendan Farrington |author2=Gary Fineout |agency=Associated Press|date=January 8, 2019}}</ref> Scott left the ceremony early to fly to Washington, D.C., and was sworn in to the Senate by ] ] later that afternoon.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/floridas-rick-scott-sworn-in-as-senator/2019/01/08/6a386498-1385-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html|title=Florida's Rick Scott sworn in as senator|author=Felicia Sonmez|newspaper=]|date=January 8, 2019}}</ref><ref name="swearing in delay"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wptv.com/news/state/rick-scott-sworn-in-as-florida-senator|title=Rick Scott sworn in as Florida Senator|date=January 8, 2019|website=WPTV}}</ref> | |||
==== Trump administration ==== | |||
], and Senator ] aboard ] in 2019.]] | |||
In January 2019, Scott encouraged Trump to declare a national emergency to build a border wall if Congress would not give him the funds to do so.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://floridapolitics.com/archives/287019-rick-scott-to-donald-trump-should-use-executive-power-on-border|title=Rick Scott: Donald Trump should use executive power on border|last=Powers|first=Scott|date=January 31, 2019|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref> In February 2019, when Trump declared a national emergency, Scott applauded the decision.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/288465-rick-scott-applauds-donald-trumps-decision-to-declare-national-emergency-democrats-rail|title=Rick Scott applauds Donald Trump's decision to declare national emergency; Democrats rail|last=Powers|first=Scott|date=February 15, 2019|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref> | |||
In April 2019, amid calls for an American military intervention in ], Scott said that the ] regime was perpetrating a "genocide" and that the U.S. was "not aggressive enough" about the situation. Fact-checkers and experts described Scott's assertion of a genocide as false and misguided.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article230230569.html|title=Rick Scott is using a word to describe Venezuela that no one else is. Is he right?|last=By|website=miamiherald|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2019/may/16/rick-scott/problem-using-word-genocide-describe-venezuela/|title=The problem with calling Venezuela's crisis under Maduro a genocide|website=Politifact|first1=Louis|last1=Jacobson|first2=Amy|last2=Sherman|language=en|date=May 16, 2019|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> Scott called on the U.S. to position its military assets to be prepared to respond to events in Venezuela.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-30/venezuela-us-military-scott|title=Florida Senator on Venezuela: Time to Position U.S. Military|author=Levin, Jonathan|work=Bloomberg|date=2019-05-17|access-date=2019-05-17|language=en}}</ref> | In April 2019, amid calls for an American military intervention in ], Scott said that the ] regime was perpetrating a "genocide" and that the U.S. was "not aggressive enough" about the situation. Fact-checkers and experts described Scott's assertion of a genocide as false and misguided.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article230230569.html|title=Rick Scott is using a word to describe Venezuela that no one else is. Is he right?|last=By|website=miamiherald|language=en|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2019/may/16/rick-scott/problem-using-word-genocide-describe-venezuela/|title=The problem with calling Venezuela's crisis under Maduro a genocide|website=Politifact|first1=Louis|last1=Jacobson|first2=Amy|last2=Sherman|language=en|date=May 16, 2019|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref> Scott called on the U.S. to position its military assets to be prepared to respond to events in Venezuela.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-30/venezuela-us-military-scott|title=Florida Senator on Venezuela: Time to Position U.S. Military|author=Levin, Jonathan|work=Bloomberg|date=2019-05-17|access-date=2019-05-17|language=en}}</ref> | ||
In May 2020, Scott voted for an amendment co-sponsored by Senators ] and ] that would have required federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies to obtain federal court warrants when collecting ] data from American citizens, nationals, or residents under the ] (FISA).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2018/01/20/surveillance-bill-fisa-section-702-donald-trump/|title=Senate Democrats Defend Voting In Line with Donald Trump on NSA Surveillance Bill |website=www.theintercept.com|access-date=May 1, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=2&vote=00089|title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 116th Congress - 2nd Session|website=www.senate.gov|access-date=May 1, 2021}}</ref> | In May 2020, Scott voted for an amendment co-sponsored by Senators ] and ] that would have required federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies to obtain federal court warrants when collecting ] data from American citizens, nationals, or residents under the ] (FISA).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2018/01/20/surveillance-bill-fisa-section-702-donald-trump/|title=Senate Democrats Defend Voting In Line with Donald Trump on NSA Surveillance Bill |website=www.theintercept.com|date=January 20, 2018 |access-date=May 1, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=2&vote=00089|title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 116th Congress - 2nd Session|website=www.senate.gov|access-date=May 1, 2021}}</ref> | ||
After ] Justice ] died on September 18, 2020, Scott sided with Senator ] and called on her replacement to be voted on before ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article245850675.html|title=Rick Scott wants a vote for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's replacement before Election Day|work=]|first=Alex|last=Daugherty|date=September 18, 2020|access-date=September 19, 2020}}</ref> | After ] Justice ] died on September 18, 2020, Scott sided with Senator ] and called on her replacement to be voted on before ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article245850675.html|title=Rick Scott wants a vote for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's replacement before Election Day|work=]|first=Alex|last=Daugherty|date=September 18, 2020|access-date=September 19, 2020}}</ref> | ||
After Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election while making false claims of fraud, Scott voted to object to seating the electors from Pennsylvania but voted against the other objection raised for seating the electors from Arizona. Both objections were rejected by the Senate |
After Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election while making false claims of fraud, Scott ] to seating the electors from Pennsylvania but voted against the other objection raised for seating the electors from Arizona. Both objections were rejected by the Senate, 92–7 and 93–6, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 1st Session|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=117&session=1&vote=00002|access-date=2021-01-08|website=www.senate.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 1st Session|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=117&session=1&vote=00001|access-date=2021-01-08|website=www.senate.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Baitinger|first=Anthony Man, Brooke|title=Florida Sen. Rick Scott votes to uphold objection to Pennsylvania results; Marco Rubio rejects objection there and in Arizona|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/fl-ne-congress-electoral-college-rubio-scott-flordia-delegation-20210106-fwj7rabi65bddjlraivhu6vrnm-story.html|access-date=2021-01-12|website=sun-sentinel.com|date=January 7, 2021 }}</ref> | ||
==== Biden administration ==== | |||
In 2021, Scott voted against the ], and called upon Florida and other states to reject federal assistance from the package.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fineout|first=Gary|title='Doesn't make any sense': DeSantis rejects Rick Scott's call to return stimulus money|url=https://politi.co/38K2lJt|access-date=2021-03-17|website=Politico PRO|language=en}}</ref> | |||
In April 2021, Scott ran unopposed for the chairmanship of the ] and was formally selected on November 10, 2020, succeeding Senator ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rollcall.com/2020/11/10/senate-gop-picks-floridas-rick-scott-as-nrsc-chairman/|title=Senate GOP picks Florida's Rick Scott as NRSC chairman|first=Bridget|last=Bowman|work=]|date=November 10, 2020|access-date=November 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cockburn |title=Lizard man loses national conservatives |url=https://spectatorworld.com/topic/lizard-man-loses-national-conservatives/ |work=spectatorworld.com |publisher=Press Holdings |date=September 12, 2022 |issn=0038-6952 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912203529/https://spectatorworld.com/topic/lizard-man-loses-national-conservatives/ |archive-date=September 12, 2022 |location=London |oclc=1766325}}</ref> | |||
'''Committee assignments''' | |||
In March 2021, Scott voted against the ]; after it passed, he called upon Florida and other states to reject federal assistance from the package.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fineout|first=Gary|title='Doesn't make any sense': DeSantis rejects Rick Scott's call to return stimulus money|url=https://politi.co/38K2lJt|access-date=2021-03-17|website=Politico PRO|date=March 16, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> | |||
Scott serves on the following committees:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/12/21/here-are-rick-scotts-committee-assignments-when-he-goes-to-washington/|title=Here are Rick Scott's committee assignments when he goes to Washington|first=Steve|last=Contorno|website=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref> | |||
] ] surveying damage in ] after ]]] | |||
* ] | |||
** Subcommittee on Airland | |||
In May 2021, Scott voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the ].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Washington Post |date=May 28, 2021 |title=Which senators supported a Jan. 6 Capitol riot commission |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/january6-commission-senators-vote/}}</ref> | |||
** Subcommittee on Cybersecurity | |||
** Subcommittee on Personnel | |||
On March 10, 2022, Scott was one of 31 Republicans to vote against a $1.5 trillion spending bill that included $13.6 billion in military assistance for Ukraine's defense, arguing that it was filled with lawmakers' "pet" projects. On March 17, he was one of more than two dozen Senate Republicans who demanded that President Biden send Ukraine more support.<ref>Alfaro, Mariana; Scott, Eugene (March 17, 2022). . ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved March 17, 2022.</ref> | |||
* ] | |||
** Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet | |||
Scott supported the ] in June 2022, saying that ''Roe v. Wade'' was "flawed legal reasoning" and that the Supreme Court had defended "human dignity" and ].<ref name="PressRelease6242022">{{cite web |title=Sen. Rick Scott: SCOTUS is Right to Protect Life, Respect Federalism & Reverse Roe |url=https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2022/6/sen-rick-scott-scotus-is-right-to-protect-life-respect-federalism-reverse-roe |website=U.S. Senator Rick Scott |access-date=24 June 2022 |language=en |date=24 June 2022}}</ref> | |||
** Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather | |||
** Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety | |||
In August 2022, Scott published an open letter encouraging job seekers not to apply for ] at the IRS, vowing that Republicans, if they took control of Congress in January 2023, would quickly "defund" those jobs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pengelly |first=Martin |date=2022-08-18 |title=Rick Scott: don't apply for IRS jobs because Republicans will defund them |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/18/rick-scott-defund-irs-jobs-republicans-democrats |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> The letter to job seekers included the statement, "The IRS is making it very clear that you not only need to be ready to audit and investigate your fellow hardworking Americans, your neighbors and friends, you need to be ready and, to use the IRS’s words, willing, to kill them."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-16 |title=Sen. Rick Scott Pens Open Letter to Job Seekers: Don't Work for Biden's IRS Army |url=https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2022/8/sen-rick-scott-pens-open-letter-to-job-seekers-don-t-work-for-biden-s-irs-army |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=U.S. Senator Rick Scott |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kapur |first=Sahil |date=August 17, 2022 |title=Republicans escalate IRS rhetoric as senator warns Americans not to apply for new jobs |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-escalate-irs-rhetoric-senator-warns-americans-not-apply-ne-rcna43411 |access-date=2022-08-25 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> | |||
** Subcommittee on Security | |||
* ] | |||
In August 2022, ] found that Scott had violated the ], a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law that requires members of Congress to report certain types of financial transactions within 45 days, after Scott and his wife sold stock in Emida Corporation worth up to $450,000 in September 2021 and Scott did not report it until August 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Madison |last2=Levinthal |first2=Dave |date=2022-08-16 |title=2 Republicans in Congress just violated a federal conflict-of-interest and transparency law |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-act-congress-republican-rick-scott-brian-mast-2022-8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330094304/https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-act-congress-republican-rick-scott-brian-mast-2022-8 |archive-date=2023-03-30 |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Levinthal |first1=Dave |last2=Hall |first2=Madison |date=2023-01-03 |title=78 members of Congress have violated a law designed to prevent insider trading and stop conflicts-of-interest |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-senate-house-trading-2021-9#sen-rick-scott-a-republican-from-florida-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710231256/https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-senate-house-trading-2021-9 |archive-date=2024-07-10 |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
** Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management | |||
On November 14, 2022, Scott announced he would attempt to challenge incumbent ] for the position of ] in the ], the first challenge McConnell had faced for the position since winning it in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zhou |first=Li |date=2022-11-16 |title=Why some Republican senators are revolting against Mitch McConnell |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/11/16/23462250/mitch-mcconnell-rick-scott-leadership-race-senate-republicans |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> Scott said, "the status quo is broken and big change is needed" and that Senate Republican leadership needed "to listen to calls for action and start governing in Washington like we campaign back at home", in the wake of the party's failure to gain Senate seats in that year's elections.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Quinn |first1=Melissa |last2=Turman |first2=Jack |date=2022-11-15 |title=Florida Sen. Rick Scott challenges Mitch McConnell for Senate GOP leader |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rick-scott-mitch-mcconnell-senate-republican-leader/ |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> Scott received 10 votes to McConnell's 37, with one senator voting "present".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Susan |last2=Bustillo |first2=Ximena |last3=Schapitl |first3=Lexie |last4=Swartz |first4=Katherine |date=2022-11-16 |title=McConnell wins leadership race but GOP infighting continues |work=] |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/11/16/1137104129/mitch-mcconnell-wins-minority-leader-rick-scott-senate-republicans |access-date=2023-01-12}}</ref> The vote was held by ]; senators who publicly confirmed voting for Scott included ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Everett |first=Burgess |date=2022-11-16 |title='Nothing to negotiate': McConnell crushes Scott's right-flank rebellion |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/16/senate-gop-reelects-mcconnell-as-leader-00067541 |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> | |||
In March 2023, Scott voted against repealing the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 118th Congress - 1st Session |url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00077.htm |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=www.senate.gov}}</ref> | |||
Scott was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4031302-here-are-the-senators-who-voted-against-the-bill-to-raise-the-debt-ceiling/|title=Here are the senators who voted against the bill to raise the debt ceiling|first=Aris|last=Folley|date=June 1, 2023|access-date=June 17, 2023|work=]}}</ref> | |||
Notable Senate bills that Scott has sponsored or co-sponsored include the ], which makes ] permanent;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rubio Reintroduces Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent |url=https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2023/3/rubio-reintroduces-bill-to-make-daylight-saving-time-permanent |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=U.S. Senator for Florida, Marco Rubio |language=en}}</ref> the ], which cuts federal funding to schools that allow students to change their ] and keep their sexual orientation from their parents;<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-06 |title=Sens. Rick Scott, Tim Scott Reintroduce Bill to Protect Parental Rights, Combat Indoctrination in Schools |url=https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2023/2/sens.%20rick%20scott,%20tim%20scott%20reintroduce%20bill%20to%20protect%20parental%20rights,%20combat%20indoctrination%20in%20schools |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=U.S. Senator Rick Scott |language=en}}</ref> the ];<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-15 |title=Sen. Rick Scott Celebrates NDAA Passage, Big Wins for Florida's Military Bases |url=https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2022/12/sen-rick-scott-celebrates-ndaa-passage-big-wins-for-florida-s-military-bases |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=U.S. Senator Rick Scott |language=en}}</ref> and the ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-15 |title=Sen. Rick Scott's Bipartisan END FENTANYL Act to Help Border Patrol Stop Drug Smuggling Unanimously Passes in Senate |url=https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2022/12/sen-rick-scott-s-bipartisan-end-fentanyl-act-to-help-border-patrol-stop-drug-smuggling-unanimously-passes-in-senate |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=U.S. Senator Rick Scott |language=en}}</ref> Scott also expressed support for "automatic" capital punishment of school shooters in the wake of the ] in Nashville.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mueller |first=Julia |date=2023-03-28 |title=Rick Scott calls for 'automatic death penalty' for school shooters |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3921670-rick-scott-calls-for-automatic-death-penalty-for-school-shooters/ |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
In January 2024, Scott voted against a resolution proposed by Senator ] that would have applied the ] provisions of the ] to ]. The proposal was defeated, 72 to 11.<ref>{{cite news |title=Senate Kills Measure to Scrutinize Israeli Human Rights Record as Condition for Aid |url=https://theintercept.com/2024/01/16/senate-israel-human-rights-condition-aid/ |work=The Intercept |date=January 16, 2024}}</ref> | |||
==== ''Plan to Rescue America'' ==== | |||
On February 22, 2022, Scott released his controversial ''11-Point Plan to Rescue America'' in response to Democratic criticism that Republicans were unwilling to provide any kind of agenda should they win the House and/or Senate that year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cillizza |first=Chris |date=2022-02-23 |title=Analysis: 26 things Rick Scott's 'rescue' plan for America would do |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/politics/rick-scott-rescue-america-plan-gop/index.html |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Morgan |first=David |date=2022-02-27 |title=U.S. senator says Republicans only deserve to govern if they adopt his agenda |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senator-says-republicans-only-deserve-govern-if-they-adopt-his-agenda-2022-02-26/ |access-date=2022-08-07}}</ref> Particularly singled out were a proposal that would force all Americans to pay at least some income tax "to have skin in the game" and one that would make all federal legislation sunset within five years. While the latter proposal did not mention any specific legislation, ] and ] were singled out elsewhere as programs that could be affected. Other proposals in the plan included closing the ], punishing universities that practice ], stripping all funding from ], completing the ], reducing the size of the federal government and its workforce, mandatory ], increasing police funding and ], mandating the ] in schools, allowing legal action against social media platforms for ], ], banning the supposed teaching of ], expanding ], and various attacks on "]ness" and ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Rick |date=2022-02-22 |title=An 11 Point Plan to Rescue America |url=https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000017f-1cf5-d281-a7ff-3ffd5f4a0000 |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=Politico}}</ref> | |||
Democrats, including President Biden, strongly attacked the plan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Samuels |first=Brett |date=2022-04-18 |title=White House targets Rick Scott plan on Tax Day |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3271832-white-house-targets-rick-scott-plan-on-tax-day/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Benen |first=Steve |author-link=Steve Benen |date=2022-05-11 |title=Scott offers ugly response as Biden hits his plan like a piñata |url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/scott-offers-ugly-response-biden-hits-plan-pinata-rcna28285 |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=MSNBC |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gancarski |first=A. G. |date=2022-03-31 |title=Democrats continue assault on Rick Scott's 'Rescue America' plan |url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/512933-democrats-continue-assault-on-rick-scotts-rescue-america-plan/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=Florida Politics |language=en-US}}</ref> The Republican response was mixed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lesniewski |first=Niels |date=2022-05-12 |title=New senior-focused ads from Democrats hit Scott's plans for Medicare, Social Security |url=https://www.rollcall.com/2022/05/12/new-senior-focused-ads-from-democrats-focus-on-scotts-plans-for-medicare-social-security/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=Roll Call |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Weisman |first=Jonathan |date=2022-03-31 |title=Income Taxes for All? Rick Scott Has a Plan, and That's a Problem. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/us/politics/rick-scott.html |access-date=2022-08-07 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Senate Minority Leader ] criticized the provisions on income tax and sunsetting federal legislation, and Senator ] said the plan "is not an approach embraced by the entire Republican conference" and not something that should be focused on until after the election.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Everett |first1=Burgess |last2=Levine |first2=Marianne |date=2022-03-01 |title=McConnell clashes with Rick Scott over Republican agenda |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/01/mcconnell-rick-scott-gop-agenda-00012840 |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref> Senator ] said he supported Scott for releasing his platform and agreed with most of it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=D.L. |date=2022-03-18 |title=Ron Johnson has not endorsed plan to phase out of Social Security, Medicare |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/mar/18/alex-lasry/ron-johnson-has-not-endorsed-plan-phase-out-social/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=PolitiFact |language=en-US}}</ref> Senators ] and ] also praised the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=D.L. |date=2022-06-15 |title=Democrats still exaggerating GOP backing of Scott's plan on Social Security, Medicare, taxes |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/jun/15/state-democratic-party-wisconsin/democrats-still-exaggerating-gop-backing-scotts-pl/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=PolitiFact |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
On June 8, 2022, Scott released a revision of the plan that replaced the income tax proposal with a proposal not to provide government assistance to "able-bodied Americans under 60 young children or incapacitated dependents" who are not working. He also added a 12th point containing various tax proposals and clarifying that the plan "cuts taxes",<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-08 |title=12. Cutting Taxes - Rescue America |url=https://rescueamerica.com/steps/12-cutting-taxes/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |language=en-US}}</ref> in response to Biden's criticisms of his income tax proposal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maloney |first=Emily L. |date=2022-06-09 |title=Rick Scott revises plan for more people to pay income tax after bipartisan criticism |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/06/09/rick-scott-revises-plan-for-more-people-to-pay-income-tax-after-bipartisan-criticism/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref> | |||
====Senate Majority Leader election==== | |||
After the November ], in which Republicans carried the Senate, Scott was one of three announced candidates to be the next ] in a race to replace the retiring ]. The others were ] and ].<ref name=nbc20241107>{{cite news |title=Trump's victory scrambles a three-way race for Senate Republican leader |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republican-leader-election-trump-thune-cornyn-scott-rcna179180 |work=] |date=7 November 2024 |access-date=10 November 2024}}</ref><ref name=nw20241109>{{cite news |title=Could Rick Scott Replace Mitch McConnell? Senate GOP Leader Race Heats Up |url=https://www.newsweek.com/rick-scott-replace-mitch-mcconnell-senate-gop-leader-race-1983273 |work=] |date=9 November 2024 |access-date=10 November 2024}}</ref> Senator ] hosted a candidate forum on November 12. The election was held on November 13 by secret ballot. Scott was eliminated on the first ballot with 13 votes, and Thune won on the second with 29.<ref name="nbc20241107" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bolton |first=Alexander |date=2024-11-13 |title=John Thune elected as Senate majority leader, succeeds Mitch McConnell |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4987959-senator-john-thune-elected/ |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
=== Committee assignments === | |||
] at a ] hearing, March 2023]] | |||
Scott has served or is serving on the following committees:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/12/21/here-are-rick-scotts-committee-assignments-when-he-goes-to-washington/|title=Here are Rick Scott's committee assignments when he goes to Washington|first=Steve|last=Contorno|website=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref> | |||
==== Current ==== | |||
* ] | |||
** ] | |||
** ] (Ranking Member) | |||
**] | |||
* ] | |||
**] | |||
**] | |||
** Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management | ** Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
'''Caucus''' | |||
==== Previous ==== | |||
*] | |||
* ] (served until February 2023) | |||
==Net worth and investments== | ==Net worth and investments== | ||
Scott's net worth was estimated at {{US$|219{{nbsp}}million|link=yes}} in 2010, $84 million in 2012, and $133 million in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url= |
Scott's net worth was estimated at {{US$|219{{nbsp}}million|link=yes}} in 2010, $84 million in 2012, and $133 million in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/rick-scott-is-worth-838m-reports-show/2129470/|title=Rick Scott is worth $83.8M, report shows|author=Bousquet, Steve|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=July 2, 2013|access-date=October 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wesh.com/politics/documents-reveal-gov-rick-scott-net-worth-at-1327-million/26521412|title=Documents reveal Gov. Rick Scott net worth at least $132.7 million|work=wesh.com|date=June 17, 2014|access-date=October 23, 2014}}</ref> On July 1, 2015, it was reported that Scott's net worth had grown to $147 million,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2015/07/gov-rick-scotts-net-worth-grows-to-147-million.html|title=Rick Scott's net worth grows to $147 million|work=Miami Herald|author=Bousquet, Steve|date=July 1, 2015|access-date=September 17, 2020}}</ref> $149 million on December 31, 2016,<ref name="worth nearly">{{cite news|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott Worth Nearly $150 Million|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/florida/articles/2017-06-30/florida-gov-rick-scott-worth-nearly-150-million|agency=Associated Press|first=Gary|last=Fineout|date=June 30, 2017}}</ref> and $232 million on December 31, 2017.<ref name="worth soared">{{cite web|title=Rick Scott's new worth tops $232 million|url=http://floridapolitics.com/archives/267754-rick-scotts-new-worth-tops-232-million|publisher=Florida Politics|first=Peter|last=Schorsch|date=June 30, 2018|access-date=June 30, 2018}}</ref> For August 2018, his net worth was estimated at $255 million.<ref name="Bousquet">{{cite news |last1=Bousquet |first1=Steve |last2=Klas |first2=Mary Ellen |title=Rick Scott reveals highest-ever family assets of at least $255 million |url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/07/27/rick-scott-reveals-highest-ever-family-assets-of-at-least-255-million/ |access-date=7 October 2021 |work=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref> Based on financial disclosure reports covering 2020, ] reports that Scott has a minimum net worth of just over $200 million, making him the wealthiest member of Congress.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Madison |last2=Wang |first2=Angela |date=December 14, 2021 |title=Meet the 25 wealthiest members of Congress |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/wealthiest-members-congress-house-senate-finances-2021-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710070624/https://www.businessinsider.com/wealthiest-members-congress-house-senate-finances-2021-12 |archive-date=2024-07-10 |access-date=October 16, 2022 |website=] |language=en}}</ref> | ||
===Creation of "blind trust"=== | ===Creation of "blind trust"=== | ||
Early in his gubernatorial tenure, Scott said he created a blind trust for his holdings to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. In October 2018, ''The New York Times'' reported that the |
Early in his gubernatorial tenure, Scott said he created a blind trust for his holdings to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. In October 2018, ''The New York Times'' reported that the trust in question was blind in name only, and that there were various ways in which Scott could know what his precise holdings were. The holdings in question included investments in companies and funds that Scott could have had an impact on through his administration's policies.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/17/us/rick-scott-conflicts-blind-trust.html|title=To Avoid Conflicts, Rick Scott Created a Trust Blind in Name Only|first1=Kevin|last1=Sack|first2=Patricia|last2=Mazzell|work=The New York Times|date=October 17, 2018|access-date=2018-10-17|language=en}}</ref> The trust in question was managed by one of Scott's former personal assistants from before he became governor.<ref name=":18">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/10/19/revealed-rick-scotts-financial-link-to-botched-sunpass-contract|title=Revealed: Rick Scott's financial link to botched SunPass contract|last=Bousquet|first=Steve|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2018-10-24}}</ref> | ||
In February 2019, Scott announced that he would no longer keep his holdings in a |
In February 2019, Scott announced that he would no longer keep his holdings in a trust.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/02/11/rick-scott-wont-put-his-wealth-in-a-blind-trust-anymore/|title=Rick Scott won't put his wealth in a blind trust anymore|last=Contorno|first=Steve|website=Tampa Bay Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-13}}</ref> | ||
===Controversial investments=== | ===Controversial investments=== | ||
In 2017, Scott and his wife held stocks in firms that did business with the Maduro |
In 2017, Scott and his wife held stocks in firms that did business with the Maduro government in Venezuela and a shipping firm with close ties to Russia.<ref name="bousquet"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article215916110.html|title=Florida Gov. Rick Scott's trust held investment linked to Putin|author=Bousquet, Steve|work=Miami Herald|date=August 1, 2018|access-date=2018-08-28}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/08/07/rick-scott-invested-in-firms-that-did-business-with-venezuelan-regime/|title=Rick Scott told Florida not to invest in companies linked to Venezuela, but he did.|work=Tampa Bay Times|author=Bousquet, Steve|date=August 7, 2018|access-date=2018-08-28}}</ref> Scott had been a harsh critic of the Maduro regime and chastised companies that invested in Venezuela, saying, "Any organization that does business with the Maduro regime cannot do business with the state of Florida."<ref name=":12"/> By 2018, Scott and his wife no longer held stocks in the firms with links to Russia or Venezuela.<ref name=bousquet/> | ||
In a July 2018 financial disclosure statement, Scott and his wife reported earnings of at least $2.9 million in hedge funds registered in the ], a well-known ]. The financial statement said that the assets were held in a ] and a 2018 campaign spokesperson said Scott did not have a role in selecting particular investments.<ref name=bousquet>{{cite news |last1=Bousquet |first1=Steve|title=Rick and Ann Scott's financial trail leads to Cayman Islands tax haven|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article217391445.html|access-date=August 29, 2018|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=August 27, 2018}}</ref> | In a July 2018 financial disclosure statement, Scott and his wife reported earnings of at least $2.9 million in hedge funds registered in the ], a well-known ]. The financial statement said that the assets were held in a ] and a 2018 campaign spokesperson said Scott did not have a role in selecting particular investments.<ref name=bousquet>{{cite news |last1=Bousquet |first1=Steve|title=Rick and Ann Scott's financial trail leads to Cayman Islands tax haven|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article217391445.html|access-date=August 29, 2018|newspaper=Miami Herald|date=August 27, 2018}}</ref> | ||
Line 329: | Line 389: | ||
== Personal life == | == Personal life == | ||
] | ]]] | ||
On April 20, 1972, Scott, then aged 19, married his high school sweetheart, Frances Annette Holland (born |
On April 20, 1972, Scott, then aged 19, married his high school sweetheart, ] (born May 11, 1952), who was also 19 years old. The couple has two daughters and six grandsons.<ref name="JBJ-17Apr06" /> They live in ], and are founding members of Naples Community Church.<ref name="biopage"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111019232510/http://www.rickscottforflorida.com/about/|date=October 19, 2011}}, rickscottforflorida.com; accessed June 7, 2014.</ref> | ||
=== Swatting === | |||
On November 20, 2020, Scott announced he tested positive for ] and was experiencing mild symptoms.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pellegrino |first=Joey |url=https://www.winknews.com/2020/11/20/sen-rick-scott-tests-positive-for-covid-19/ |title=Sen. Rick Scott tests positive for COVID-19 |work=] |date=2020-11-20 |access-date=2020-11-20 }}</ref> | |||
Scott was ] in December as part of the ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-29 |title=Sen. Rick Scott says Naples home was 'swatted' while at dinner with his wife |url=https://www.wptv.com/news/political/sen-rick-scott-says-naples-home-was-swatted-while-at-dinner-with-his-wife |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm |language=en}}</ref> | |||
==Electoral history== | ==Electoral history== | ||
Line 366: | Line 427: | ||
{{Election box winning candidate with party link | {{Election box winning candidate with party link | ||
|party = Republican Party (United States) | |party = Republican Party (United States) | ||
|candidate = |
|candidate = Rick Scott / ] | ||
|votes = 2,619,335 | |votes = 2,619,335 | ||
|percentage = 48.87% | |percentage = 48.87% | ||
|change = |
|change = −3.31% | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Election box candidate with party link | {{Election box candidate with party link | ||
Line 394: | Line 455: | ||
{{Election box candidate with party link | {{Election box candidate with party link | ||
|party = Independent politician | |party = Independent politician | ||
|candidate = Michael E. Arth | |candidate = {{interlanguage link|Michael E. Arth|de|Michael Edward Arth|es||fr||ja|マイケル・アース|zh|米高·亞瑟}} | ||
|votes = 18,644 | |votes = 18,644 | ||
|percentage = 0.35% | |percentage = 0.35% | ||
Line 421: | Line 482: | ||
|votes = 61,550 | |votes = 61,550 | ||
|percentage = 1.15% | |percentage = 1.15% | ||
|change = |
|change = −5.92% | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Election box total | {{Election box total | ||
Line 466: | Line 527: | ||
|candidate = {{nowrap|Rick Scott / ] (incumbent)}} | |candidate = {{nowrap|Rick Scott / ] (incumbent)}} | ||
|votes = 2,865,343 | |votes = 2,865,343 | ||
|percentage = 48.14% |
|percentage = 48.14% | ||
|change = |
|change = −0.73% | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Election box candidate with party link | {{Election box candidate with party link | ||
Line 474: | Line 535: | ||
|votes = 2,801,198 | |votes = 2,801,198 | ||
|percentage = 47.07% | |percentage = 47.07% | ||
|change = |
|change = −0.65% | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Election box candidate with party link | {{Election box candidate with party link | ||
Line 515: | Line 576: | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | ||
| candidate = |
| candidate = Rick Scott | ||
| party = Republican Party (United States) | | party = Republican Party (United States) | ||
| votes = 1,456,187 | | votes = 1,456,187 | ||
Line 536: | Line 597: | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Election box winning candidate with party link | {{Election box winning candidate with party link | ||
| candidate = |
| candidate = Rick Scott | ||
| party = Republican Party (United States) | | party = Republican Party (United States) | ||
| votes = 4,099,505 | | votes = 4,099,505 | ||
Line 547: | Line 608: | ||
| votes = 4,089,472 | | votes = 4,089,472 | ||
| percentage = 49.93% | | percentage = 49.93% | ||
| change = |
| change = −5.30% | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{Election box write-in with party link | {{Election box write-in with party link | ||
Line 566: | Line 627: | ||
==Awards and honors== | ==Awards and honors== | ||
* '']'' magazine, America's 25 Most Influential People, June 1996<ref name="Time25">{{cite magazine |
* '']'' magazine, America's 25 Most Influential People, June 1996<ref name="Time25">{{cite magazine |date=June 17, 1996 |title=Time 25: They range in age from 31 to 67 |url=https://time.com/archive/6729155/time-25-they-range-in-age-from-31-to-67/ |access-date=August 23, 2024 |magazine=]}}</ref> | ||
* ''Financial World'' magazine, silver award for the CEO of the Year, 1995<ref name="Columbia award"/> | * ''Financial World'' magazine, silver award for the CEO of the Year, 1995<ref name="Columbia award"/> | ||
* ], Second Century Award for Excellence in Health Care (1995)<ref name="Columbia award">{{cite news|url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/record/archives/vol21/vol21_iss7/record2107.17.html|title=Health Plan Exec Honored by Nursing School|access-date=April 5, 2009|publisher=Columbia University|work=Columbia University Record|date=October 20, 1995}}</ref> | * ], Second Century Award for Excellence in Health Care (1995)<ref name="Columbia award">{{cite news|url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/record/archives/vol21/vol21_iss7/record2107.17.html|title=Health Plan Exec Honored by Nursing School|access-date=April 5, 2009|publisher=Columbia University|work=Columbia University Record|date=October 20, 1995}}</ref> | ||
* ], "Pioneers for Prosperity" Award, 2024<ref>{{Cite web |last=jfrontz |date=2024-09-27 |title=Members of Congress Show Their Support for Americans for Prosperity During Annual Capitol Conference |url=https://americansforprosperity.org/press-release/members-of-congress-show-their-support-for-americans-for-prosperity-during-annual-capitol-conference/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Americans for Prosperity |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
Line 581: | Line 643: | ||
* | * | ||
* | * | ||
* {{C-SPAN|33129}} | |||
* {{Dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Florida/Government/Executive_Branch/Governor_Rick_Scott}} | |||
* {{C-SPAN|Richard Scott}} | |||
* {{CongLinks | congbio=S001217 | votesmart=124204 | fec=S8FL00273 | congress=rick-scott/S001217 }} | * {{CongLinks | congbio=S001217 | votesmart=124204 | fec=S8FL00273 | congress=rick-scott/S001217 }} | ||
Line 588: | Line 649: | ||
{{s-ppo}} | {{s-ppo}} | ||
{{s-bef|before=]}} | {{s-bef|before=]}} | ||
{{s-ttl|title=] nominee for ]|years=], ]}} | {{s-ttl|title=] nominee for ]|years=], ]}} | ||
{{s-aft|after=]}} | {{s-aft|after=]}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
{{s-bef|before=]}} | {{s-bef|before=]}} | ||
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|] nominee for ] from ]}}<br>(])|years=]}} | {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|] nominee for ] from ]}}<br>(])|years=], ]}} | ||
{{s-inc|recent}} | {{s-inc|recent}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
{{s-bef|before=]}} | {{s-bef|before=]}} | ||
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the ]|years= |
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the ]|years=2021–2023}} | ||
{{s-aft|after=]}} | |||
{{s-inc}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
{{s-off}} | {{s-off}} | ||
{{s-bef|before=]}} | {{s-bef|before=]}} | ||
{{s-ttl|title=]|years=2011–2019}} | {{s-ttl|title=]|years=2011–2019}} | ||
{{s-aft|after=]}} | {{s-aft|after=]}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
{{s-par|us-sen}} | {{s-par|us-sen}} | ||
{{s-bef|before=]}} | {{s-bef|before=]}} | ||
{{s-ttl|title=]|years=2019–present|alongside=]}} | {{s-ttl|title=]|years=2019–present|alongside=]<!-- , TBD -->}} | ||
{{s-inc}} | {{s-inc}} | ||
|- | |||
{{s-bef|before=]}} | |||
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the ]|years=Taking office 2025<!-- –present -->}} | |||
{{s-non|reason=Designate}}<!-- {{s-inc}} --> | |||
|- | |- | ||
{{s-prec|usa}} | {{s-prec|usa}} | ||
{{s-bef|before=]}} | {{s-bef|rows=2|before=]}} | ||
{{s-ttl|title=]|years= |
{{s-ttl|title=] <br>''{{small|as United States Senator}}''|years=}} | ||
{{s-aft|after=]}} | |||
|- | |||
{{s-ttl|title=]|years=80th}} | |||
{{s-aft|after=]}} | {{s-aft|after=]}} | ||
{{s-end}} | {{s-end}} | ||
<!-- {{USSenChairs}} --> | |||
{{US Senate leaders}} | |||
{{Current Florida statewide political officials}} | |||
{{FL-FedRep}} | {{FL-FedRep}} | ||
{{Current U.S. Senators}} | {{Current U.S. Senators}} | ||
{{USSenFL}} | |||
{{Current Florida statewide political officials}} | |||
{{NRSC Chairs}} | {{NRSC Chairs}} | ||
{{ |
{{USSenFL}} | ||
{{Governors of Florida}} | {{Governors of Florida}} | ||
{{RepNomFlGov}} | |||
{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 116th-present ]es |state=]}} | |||
{{USCongRep-start |congresses=116th-present ]es |state=]}} | |||
{{USCongRep/FL/116}} | {{USCongRep/FL/116}} | ||
{{USCongRep/FL/117}} | {{USCongRep/FL/117}} | ||
{{USCongRep/FL/118}} | |||
{{USCongRep-end}} | {{USCongRep-end}} | ||
{{Portal bar|Biography|Business and economics|Florida|Politics}} | |||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Rick}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Rick}} | ||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
Line 642: | Line 712: | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
] | ] | ||
] | |||
] | ] |
Latest revision as of 15:21, 21 December 2024
American politician (born 1952) This article is about the American politician and businessman. For other people with similar names, see Richard Scott (disambiguation).
Rick Scott | |
---|---|
Chair of the Senate Aging Committee | |
Designate | |
Assuming office January 3, 2025 | |
Succeeding | Bob Casey Jr. |
Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee | |
In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 | |
Leader | Mitch McConnell |
Preceded by | Todd Young |
Succeeded by | Steve Daines |
United States Senator from Florida | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office January 8, 2019Serving with Marco Rubio | |
Preceded by | Bill Nelson |
45th Governor of Florida | |
In office January 4, 2011 – January 7, 2019 | |
Lieutenant | Jennifer Carroll Carlos Lopez-Cantera |
Preceded by | Charlie Crist |
Succeeded by | Ron DeSantis |
Personal details | |
Born | Richard Lynn Myers (1952-12-01) December 1, 1952 (age 72) Bloomington, Illinois, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Ann Holland (m. 1972) |
Children | 2 |
Education | |
Signature | |
Website | Senate website |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Navy |
Years of service | c. 1971–1974 |
Rank | Petty officer third class |
Unit | USS Glover (FF-1098) |
Scott's voice
Scott opposing student debt relief Recorded September 14, 2022 | |
Richard Lynn Scott (né Myers; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who has been the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served two terms as the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019.
Scott is a graduate of the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. In 1987, after serving in the U.S. Navy and becoming a law firm partner, he co-founded Columbia Hospital Corporation. Columbia later merged with another corporation to form Columbia/HCA, which eventually became the nation's largest for-profit health care company. Scott was pressured to resign as chief executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997. During his tenure as chief executive, the company defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs. The U.S. Department of Justice won 14 felony convictions against the company, which was fined $1.7 billion in what was at the time the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history. Following his departure from Columbia/HCA, Scott became a venture capitalist and pursued other business interests.
Scott ran for governor of Florida in 2010. He defeated Bill McCollum in a vigorously contested Republican primary election, and then defeated Democratic nominee Alex Sink by just over one point in the general election. Scott was reelected in 2014, again by just over one point, against former governor Charlie Crist. He was barred by term limits from running for reelection in 2018, and instead ran for the U.S. Senate.
Scott won the 2018 U.S. Senate election, defeating Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. The initial election results were so close that they triggered a mandatory recount. The recount showed that Scott had won by 10,033 votes; Nelson then conceded the race. Scott took office following the expiration of his term as governor of Florida on January 8, 2019. He won reelection in 2024, defeating Democratic nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by over 12 points. Scott is expected to become Florida's senior senator when Marco Rubio resigns to become secretary of state in the second cabinet of Donald Trump.
Early life and education
Rick Scott was born Richard Lynn Myers in Bloomington, Illinois, on December 1, 1952. Scott never met his biological father, Gordon William Myers, who was described by Scott's mother, Esther J. Scott (née Fry; 1928–2012), as an abusive alcoholic. Scott's parents divorced in his infancy.
In 1954, Esther married Orba George Scott Jr. (died 2006), a truck driver. Orba adopted Rick, who took his stepfather's surname and became known as Richard Lynn Scott. Scott was raised in North Kansas City, Missouri, the second of five children. His family was lower-middle-class and struggled financially; Esther Scott worked as a clerk at J. C. Penney, among other jobs.
Scott graduated from North Kansas City High School in 1970. He attended community college for a year, and then enlisted in the United States Navy. In 1972, he married Ann Holland, whom he met in high school, at a Baptist church in Kansas City. Scott had completed naval bootcamp just before the wedding. Afterward, he was sent to a naval posting in Newport, Rhode Island, where he and his wife lived for 15 months. He served there as a radarman on the USS Glover (FF-1098), which during his enlistment spent time dry docked in Boston and sailed to ports in Bermuda and Puerto Rico. Scott was in the Navy for 29 months, including training.
After the Navy, Scott and his wife moved to Kansas City, where he attended college on the G.I. Bill. He graduated in 1975 from the University of Missouri–Kansas City with a bachelor of business administration. He earned a juris doctor degree by working his way through Southern Methodist University. The Texas Bar licensed him to practice law in 1978.
Career
Scott made his first foray into business while working his way through college and law school, initially buying and reviving a failing doughnut shop (the Flavor Maid Do-Nut) by adding workplace delivery instead of relying on foot traffic. He later bought and revived another doughnut shop. After graduating from law school, Scott worked as an attorney at the law firm of Johnson & Swanson in Dallas, Texas.
Columbia Hospital Corporation
In 1988, Scott and Richard Rainwater, a financier from Fort Worth, each put up $125,000 in working capital in their new company, Columbia Hospital Corporation; they borrowed the remaining money needed to purchase two struggling hospitals in El Paso for $60 million. Then they acquired a neighboring hospital and shut it down. Within a year, the remaining two were doing much better. By the end of 1989, Columbia Hospital Corporation owned four hospitals with a total of 833 beds.
In 1992, Columbia made a stock purchase of Basic American Medical, which owned eight hospitals, primarily in Southwestern Florida. In September 1993, Columbia did another stock purchase, worth $3.4 billion, of Galen Healthcare, which had been spun off by Humana Inc. several months earlier. At the time, Galen had approximately 90 hospitals. After the purchase, Galen stockholders had 82% of the stock in the combined company, with Scott still running the company.
Columbia/HCA
In April 1987, Scott made his first attempt to buy the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). While still a partner at Johnson & Swanson, Scott formed the HCA Acquisition Company with two former executives of Republic Health Corporation, Charles Miller and Richard Ragsdale. With financing from Citicorp conditional on acquisition of HCA, the proposed holding company offered $3.85 billion for 80 million shares at $47 each, intending to assume an additional $1.2 billion in debt, for a total $5 billion deal. After HCA declined the offer, the bid was withdrawn.
In 1994, Columbia Hospital Corporation merged with HCA, "forming the single largest for-profit health care company in the country." Scott became CEO of Columbia/HCA. According to The New York Times, " less than a decade, Mr. Scott had built a company he founded with two small hospitals in El Paso into the world's largest health care company – a $20 billion giant with about 350 hospitals, 550 home health care offices and scores of other medical businesses in 38 states."
Fraud investigation and settlement
On March 19, 1997, investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Health and Human Services served search warrants at Columbia/HCA facilities in El Paso and on dozens of doctors with suspected ties to the company. Eight days after the initial raid, Scott signed his last SEC report as a hospital executive. Four months later, the board of directors pressured him to resign as chairman and CEO. He was succeeded by Thomas F. Frist Jr. Scott was paid $9.88 million in a settlement, and left owning 10 million shares of stock then worth more than $350 million. The directors had been warned in the company's annual public reports to stockholders that incentives Columbia/HCA offered doctors could run afoul of a federal anti-kickback law passed in order to limit or eliminate instances of conflicts of interest in Medicare and Medicaid.
During Scott's 2000 deposition, he pleaded the Fifth Amendment 75 times. In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA pleaded guilty to 14 felonies and agreed to a $600+ million fine in what was at the time the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history. Columbia/HCA admitted systematically overcharging the government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, by striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and by filing false data about use of hospital space. It also admitted to fraudulently billing Medicare and other health programs by inflating the seriousness of diagnoses and to giving doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA. It filed false cost reports, fraudulently billed Medicare for home health care workers, and paid kickbacks in the sale of home health agencies and to doctors to refer patients. In addition, it gave doctors "loans" never intending to be repaid, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies.
In late 2002, HCA agreed to pay the United States government $631 million, plus interest, and $17.5 million to state Medicaid agencies, in addition to $250 million paid up to that point to resolve outstanding Medicare expense claims. In all, civil lawsuits cost HCA more than $2 billion to settle; at the time, this was the largest fraud settlement in U.S. history.
Venture capitalist
After leaving Columbia/HCA in 1997, Scott launched Richard L. Scott Investments, based in Naples, Florida (originally in Stamford, Connecticut), which has stakes in health care, manufacturing and technology companies. Between 1998 and 2001, he purchased 50% of CyberGuard Corporation for approximately $10 million. Among his investors was Metro Nashville finance director David Manning.
In 2006, CyberGuard was sold to Secure Computing for more than $300 million. In February 2005, Scott purchased Continental Structural Plastics, Inc. (CSP) in Detroit, Michigan. In July 2006, CSP purchased Budd Plastics from ThyssenKrupp, making CSP the largest industrial composites molder in North America.
In 2005–2006, Scott provided the initial round of funding of $3 million to Alijor.com (named for the first three letters of his two daughters' names), which offered hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers the opportunity to post information about their prices, hours, locations, insurance accepted, and personal backgrounds online. Scott co-founded the company with his daughter Allison.
In 2008, Alijor was sold to HealthGrades. In May 2008, Scott purchased Drives, one of the world's leading independent designers and manufacturers of heavy-duty drive chain-based products and assemblies for industrial and agricultural applications and precision-engineered augers for agricultural, material handling, construction and related applications. Scott reportedly has an interest in a chain of family fun centers/bowling alleys, S&S Family Entertainment, in Kentucky and Tennessee led by Larry Schmittou, a minor league baseball team owner.
America's Health Network (AHN)
In July 1997, Columbia/HCA Healthcare purchased a controlling interest in America's Health Network (AHN), the first 24-hour health care cable channel. They pulled out of the deal on the day of the closing because Scott and Vandewater were terminated, causing the immediate layoffs of more than 250 people in Orlando. Later that same year, Scott became majority owner of AHN.
In 1998, Scott and Vandewater led a group of investors who gave AHN a major infusion of cash so that the company could continue to operate. By early 1999, the network was available in 9.5 million American homes.
In mid-1999 AHN merged with Fit TV, a subsidiary of Fox; the combination was renamed The Health Network. Later that year, in a deal between News Corp. and WebMD, the latter received half-ownership of The Health Network. WebMD planned to relaunch The Health Network as WebMD Television in the fall of 2000, with new programming, but that company announced cutbacks and restructuring in September 2000, and, in January 2001, News Corp. regained 100% ownership. In September 2001, Fox Cable Networks Group sold The Health Network to its main rival, the Discovery Health Channel, for $155 million in cash plus a 10% equity stake in Discovery Health.
Solantic
Solantic, based in Jacksonville, Florida, was co-founded in 2001 by Scott and Karen Bowling, a former television anchor Scott met after Columbia bought what is now Memorial Hospital in 1995.
Solantic opened its first urgent care center in 2002. It provides urgent care services, immunizations, physicals, drug screening, and care for injured workers. The corporation attracts patients who do not have insurance, cannot get appointments with their primary care physicians, or do not have primary care physicians. Solantic is an alternative to the emergency department care that these types of patients often seek, or for not seeing a doctor at all. In 2006, Scott said that his plans for Solantic were to establish a national brand of medical clinics.
In August 2007, the company received a $40 million investment from a private equity firm and said that it expected to open 35 clinics by the end of 2009, with annual revenues of $100 million once all these clinics were open, compared to $20 million at the time. As of March 2009, Solantic had 24 centers, all in Florida.
Solantic was the target of an employment discrimination suit that claimed that there had been a policy to not hire elderly or obese applicants, preferring "mainstream" candidates. It was settled for an undisclosed sum on May 23, 2007. Scott responded to Salon regarding the claims of discrimination pointing out that "currently 53 percent of Solantic's employees are white, 20 percent black and 17 percent Hispanic."
Pharmaca
In 2003, Scott invested $5.5 million in Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacies, which operates drugstores/pharmacies in the Western United States that offer vitamins, herbal medicine, skin products, homeopathic medicines, and prescriptions.
Other work
In the 1990s, Scott was a partner of George W. Bush as co-owner of the Texas Rangers.
Early political career
Conservatives for Patients' Rights
Main article: Conservatives for Patients' RightsIn February 2009, Scott founded Conservatives for Patients' Rights (CPR), which he said was intended to put pressure on Democrats to enact health care legislation based on free-market principles. As of March 2009, he had given about $5 million for a planned $20 million ad campaign by CPR.
Governor of Florida
Elections
2010
Main article: 2010 Florida gubernatorial electionOn April 9, 2010, Scott announced his candidacy for the 2010 Republican Party nomination for governor of Florida. He ran against Democratic nominee Alex Sink.
Susie Wiles, former communications chief to Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, was Scott's campaign manager, and Tony Fabrizio was his chief pollster. It was reported on May 7 that Scott's campaign had already spent $4.7 million on television and radio ads. His first video advertisement was released to YouTube on April 13.
During the primary campaign, Scott's opponent, Bill McCollum, made an issue of Scott's role at Columbia/HCA. Scott countered that the FBI had never targeted him. Marc Caputo of the Miami Herald contended that a 1998 bill sponsored by McCollum would have made it more difficult to prosecute Medicare fraud cases, and was counter to his current views and allegations. Scott won the August primary with approximately 46.4% percent of the vote to McCollum's 43.4% By the date of the Tampa debate between Scott and Sink (October 25, 2010), Scott had spent $60 million of his own money on the campaign compared to Sink's reported $28 million. Scott campaigned as part of the Tea Party movement.
The Fort Myers News-Press quoted Scott as saying he spent roughly $78 million of his own money on the campaign, although other figures indicate he spent slightly over $75 million. He won the general election, defeating Sink by around 68,000 votes, or 1.29%. He took office as the 45th governor of Florida on January 4, 2011.
2014
Main article: 2014 Florida gubernatorial electionIn October 2011, Scott announced that he would run for reelection in 2014. His political funding committee, Let's Get to Work, had raised $28 million for his campaign as of May 2014.
As of early June 2014, Scott had spent almost $13 million since March on television advertisements attacking former governor Charlie Crist, who then appeared to be the likely Democratic nominee, and who was eventually nominated. The ads resulted in a tightening of the race, mainly due to a decline in Crist's favorability ratings, while Scott's favorability ratings did not increase.
By late September 2014, Scott's television ad spending had exceeded $35 million and in mid-October reached $56.5 million, compared to $26.5 million by Crist. On October 22 it was reported that Scott's total spending had exceeded $83 million and he announced that, having previously said he would not do so, he would invest his own money into the campaign, speculated to be as much as $22 million.
Crist hoped to draw strong support from Florida's more than 1.6 million registered black voters, an effort that was challenging given his previous political career as a Republican. A September 2014 Quinnipiac University poll revealed his support among black voters was 72%, well below the 90% analysts believed he needed to defeat Scott.
Scott and Crist met in an October 15 debate held by the Florida Press Association at Broward College. Scott refused to take the stage for seven minutes because Crist had a small electric fan under his lectern. The incident was dubbed "fangate" by media sources such as Politico. On November 4, 2014, Scott and Carlos Lopez-Cantera won the general election against Crist and Annette Taddeo-Goldstein by 64,000 votes. The Libertarian candidates, Adrian Wyllie and Greg Roe, received 223,356 votes.
Scott's gubernatorial portraits during his first (left) and second (right) termTenure
During Hurricane Irma, Scott led Florida through the largest mass evacuation in U.S. history. He signed a repeal of Florida's 1985 growth management laws, reduced funding for water management districts, reduced oversight at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and supported increased funding for Everglades restoration. Scott supported permanent tax cuts and "focused on job numbers rather than on running state agencies or making sweeping policy changes".
Scott had a 26 percent approval rating in December 2011, the lowest among U.S. governors, but it steadily increased during the rest of his governorship. It stood at 45 percent in August 2015, and at 57 percent in April 2017. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma later that year, Scott's approval rating saw a high of 61 percent. Shortly before he left office, his ratings had fallen to 47 percent approving and 41 percent disapproving.
Death penalty
In 2013, Scott signed the Timely Justice Act (HB 7101) to overhaul the processes for capital punishment in Florida. The Supreme Court of the United States struck down part of this law in January 2016 in Hurst v. Florida, declaring, in an 8–1 decision, that a judge determining the aggravating facts to be used in considering a death sentence with only a non-binding recommendation from the jury based on a majority vote was insufficient and violated the Sixth Amendment guarantee of a jury trial.
The Florida Legislature passed a new statute to comply with Hurst v. Florida, changing the sentencing method to require a 10-juror supermajority for a sentence of death with a life sentence as the alternative. In October 2016 this new sentencing scheme was struck down by the Florida Supreme Court in a 5–2 ruling, which held that a death sentence must be issued by a unanimous jury. The Florida Supreme Court ruled the law "cannot be applied to pending prosecutions" which means that until the Florida legislature acts, there is no procedure or law allowing a prosecutor to seek the death penalty; but it leaves open the status of sentences passed under the twice-struck down provisions, also left open by the January 2016 United States Supreme Court Hurst decision. The Court granted Hurst a new sentencing hearing after the same Supreme Court decision.
During Scott's tenure, Florida executed more inmates (28) than had been executed under any other governor in the state's history.
Donald Trump
In the 2016 Republican primaries, Scott endorsed Trump after Trump won the Florida primary. Scott chaired a pro-Trump super PAC in the 2016 election. Unlike many other establishment Republicans, Scott praised Trump as tough on terrorism and as an outsider during the 2016 Republican convention.
When Trump "sparred with the Muslim father of a slain U.S. soldier", Scott said "I'm never going to agree with every candidate on what they're going to say". When the Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape was publicized, in which Trump spoke of grabbing women "by the pussy", Scott rebuked Trump, saying, "I'm not following politics closely right now, but this is terrible. I don't agree with anyone talking like this about anyone, ever."
Drug testing for welfare recipients
In June 2011, Scott signed a bill requiring those seeking welfare under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to submit to drug screenings. Applicants who fail a drug test may name another person to receive benefits for their children.
In an interview with CNN host Don Lemon, Scott said, "Studies show that people that are on welfare are higher users of drugs than people not on welfare" and "the bottom line is, if they're not using drugs, it's not an issue". PolitiFact said this comment was "half true". Government researchers in 1999–2000 reported "that 9.6 percent of people in families receiving some type of government assistance reported recent drug use, compared to 6.8 percent among people in families receiving no government assistance at all."
Preliminary figures from Florida's program showed that 2.5% of applicants tested positive for drugs, with 2% declining to take the test, while the Justice Department estimated that around 6% of Americans use drugs overall. The law was declared unconstitutional, with the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upholding that ruling in December 2014. The Scott administration declined to appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court.
Economy
In Scott's 2010 gubernatorial campaign, he promised to "run the state like you run a business". In his gubernatorial platform, he pledged to create 700,000 jobs in the state; PolitiFact ruled in 2018 that Scott's job creation pledge was a "Promise Kept".
Under Scott, Florida's job creation far outpaced the rest of the nation, while wages were below-average and poverty rates were above-average. During his tenure as governor, Florida employers created nearly 1.5 million jobs, and the state's employment grew 20.3%, compared to 12.5% growth for the U.S. as a whole. Florida's household income is lower than the national average, with a widening gap. At 15.8%, the state's poverty rate is slightly above the national rate of 14.7%.
Education
In his 2010 gubernatorial campaign, Scott vowed to expand school choice. PolitiFact rated this a "Promise Kept" due to Scott's push to expand school choice as governor. School choice legislation signed by Scott includes the creation of the Hope Scholarship Program, which subsidizes the cost of private school or allows a transfer to another public school for students who were bullied.
In December 2012, Scott announced a plan to encourage students to pursue majors in engineering and science by reducing tuition for some majors.
In 2016, Scott signed a bill allowing parents to pick any public school in the state for their children, regardless of traditional attendance lines or county boundaries.
In 2017, Scott signed a $419 million public school bill that included charter school expansion. The bill was supported by House Republicans, school choice proponents, and conservative political groups and it was opposed by superintendents, school boards, parent groups, and teachers unions.
During the summer of 2017, Scott signed a bill (HB 989 and SB 1210) that would allow any Florida resident to "challenge the use or adoption of instructional materials" in public schools. Proponents of the bill argued that it would allow parents to be more proactive in their child's education. Opponents of the bill argued that it would allow more censorship, especially for scientific topics like global warming and evolution.
Environment
Scott rejects the scientific consensus on climate change, saying "I'm not a scientist". The quote or paraphrases thereof became talking points for some Republican political candidates in the 2014 election campaigns.
When questioned by the press on March 9, 2015, in Hialeah, Florida, Scott did not say whether he believes global warming is a problem or whether Florida's Department of Environmental Protection has made or is making preparations for its potential consequences.
In March 2015, accusations were made that Scott's administration had instructed Department of Environmental Protection officials to avoid the terms "climate change" or "global warming" in official communications. Scott denied that his administration had banned the terms.
Scott cut $700 million from Florida's water management districts over his tenure as governor. The cuts stirred controversy in 2018 when Florida faced a water contamination crisis.
Financial disclosures
In 2017, Donald Hinkle, a Democratic activist and lawyer, filed a lawsuit claiming that Scott had not disclosed sufficient information about his wealth and holdings and may have underestimated his net worth. Scott appealed to a three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court granted a writ of prohibition barring the circuit judge from taking any further action in the case. The five-page ruling agreed with Scott that only the Commission on Ethics "has constitutional authority to investigate Mr. Hinkle's complaint."
Gun laws
As of February 2018, Scott had an A+ rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF), indicating a record of supporting gun rights. The NRA-PVF endorsed Scott in 2010 and 2014, stating in 2014 that he had "signed more pro-gun bills into law–in one term–than any other governor in Florida history".
In 2011, Scott signed the Firearm Owners' Privacy Act (informally called "Docs vs. Glocks"), which made it illegal for doctors and mental health professionals to ask patients about their gun ownership unless they believed "that this information is relevant to the patient's medical care or safety, or the safety of others." Provisions of the law, including the part forbidding doctors from asking about a patient's gun ownership, were struck down as unconstitutional in 2017 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
On June 9, 2017, Scott signed an expanded version of Florida's stand-your-ground law into law.
In February 2018, after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, Scott stated his support for raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21; at the time of the shooting, 21 was the minimum age to buy a handgun, but rifles could be purchased at age 18. He also announced his support of a ban on bump stocks. Scott said, "I want to make it virtually impossible for anyone who has mental issues to use a gun", requesting $500 million in funds for mental health and school safety programs. In March 2018, the Florida Legislature passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which incorporated many of the measures Scott supported. It raised the minimum age for buying firearms to 21, established waiting periods and background checks, provided a program for the arming of some teachers and the hiring of school police, banned bump stocks, and barred potentially violent or mentally unhealthy people arrested under certain laws from possessing guns. In all, it allocated around $400 million. Scott signed the bill into law on March 9. That same day, the National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the law's provision banning gun sales to people under 21. NRA spokesperson Marion Hammer said, "We filed a lawsuit against the state for violating the constitutional rights of 18- to 21-year-olds."
In 2022, Scott voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun reform bill introduced following a deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The bill enhanced background checks for firearm purchasers under the age of 21, provided funding for school-based mental health services, and partially closed the gun show loophole and boyfriend loophole.
Health care
Scott has been a harsh critic of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), but in his 2018 Senate campaign stopped harshly criticizing the bill. In 2017, he said that people with preexisting conditions should be protected. In June 2018, when the Trump administration sought to remove provisions of Obamacare protecting people with preexisting conditions, Scott declined to criticize the administration, saying he did not know enough about it to comment.
Scott has taken a number of positions on Medicaid expansion. For much of his first term as governor, he opposed Medicaid expansion in Florida, saying it was too costly. In 2013, he came out in support of Medicaid expansion, and reiterated his support in 2014 when he was up for reelection. After being reelected, Scott reversed his position and adamantly fought against efforts by the Florida Senate to pass Medicaid expansion in 2015. Scott rejected the Medicaid expansion because of his renewed fiscal concerns, saying it is "hard to understand how the state could take on even more federal programs." Scott voted against the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which allows Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.
Scott has been accused of having fueled an HIV epidemic while governor, by ensuring that Florida returned $54 million in unspent federal HIV-prevention grants and blocking $16 million in CDC grants to Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The effect of this rejection of federal funds combined with Scott's stance on Medicaid expansion has been described as "helping explain why the state’s HIV epidemic became almost peerlessly severe during Scott’s time in office", with the state accounting for 13% of the country's HIV diagnoses in 2017. Scott has opposed most federal grants due to his fiscal conservatism.
Hurricane Irma
Scott's handling of Hurricane Irma boosted his profile in advance of his U.S. Senate campaign, with The Hill writing that his "aggressive approach to Irma, which saw him order an extensive evacuation ahead of the storm and coordinate disaster relief efforts as the storm came ashore, has sent his political stock even higher".
An investigation by WFOR-TV found that after Hurricane Irma, Scott ignored existing debris removal contracts and instead issued emergency contracts for hurricane clean-up efforts. Florida state officials sent an email to several companies on September 11 inviting them to hand in bids for debris clean-up by the next day. State officials believed new contracts were needed to speed up the removal process given the severity of Hurricane Irma. On September 13, state officials decided to use the services of MCM and Community Asphalt, firms owned by contributors to the Republican Party and Scott's campaigns. According to the television station, the emergency contracts cost $28 to $30 million more than the existing contracts.
Immigration and refugees
In 2010, Scott ran for governor as an immigration hard-liner. At the time, he favored similar laws as Arizona's controversial Arizona SB 1070 which targeted illegal immigrants, and criticized Florida lawmakers for not being tougher on illegal immigrants. Scott called for police to check individuals' immigration status. By 2014, PolitiFact wrote that Scott had "abandoned promises to get tough on illegal immigration." Over time, he moderated his views on immigration.
In 2011, Scott opposed giving in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, but reversed course in 2014 and signed a bill giving DREAMers in-state tuition in an effort to place limits on how much state institutions can raise tuition each year. In 2013, Scott vetoed legislation that would have given DACA-eligible immigrants the ability to obtain temporary driving licenses. By 2018, he spoke in favor of giving DREAMers a path to citizenship.
In June 2018, Scott opposed the Trump administration family separation policy, which involved separating children from their parents, relatives, or other adults who accompanied them in crossing the border, sending the parents to federal jails and placing children and infants under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In a letter to United States secretary of health and human services Alex Azar, Scott wrote: "I have been very clear that I absolutely do not agree with the practice of separating children from their families. This practice needs to stop now."
Scott's administration awarded Comprehensive Health Services, Inc. (CHSi) a tax incentive package of $600,000 to expand in Cape Canaveral, Florida. CHSi runs the Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children which detains minor migrants, including those separated from families at the border.
LGBTQ rights
In 2022, Scott voted against the Respect for Marriage Act.
Medical marijuana
After voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana, Scott signed a bill passed by the legislature which allowed the use of medical marijuana but not smokeable medical marijuana. A judge ruled the ban on smokeable medical marijuana unconstitutional. Scott appealed the decision.
Predictive policing
On September 3, 2020, the Tampa Bay Times released an investigative report into Scott-appointed Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco's "predictive policing" program, which relies on unproven algorithms. The program is designed to use counter-terrorism and other military "intelligence" tactics to prevent property damage. Nocco was a Republican insider with limited law enforcement experience at the time he was appointed by Scott, in 2011.
Redistricting amendments
In the 2010 elections, Florida voters passed constitutional amendments banning gerrymandering of congressional and legislative districts. In February 2011, Scott withdrew a request to the United States Department of Justice to approve these amendments, which, according to The Miami Herald, might delay the implementation of the redistricting plan because the Voting Rights Act requires preclearance of state laws likely to affect minority representation. Scott said he wanted to make sure the redistricting was carried out properly.
Several advocacy groups sued Scott in federal court to compel him to resubmit the acts to the Justice Department.
Transportation
On February 16, 2011, Scott rejected $2.3 billion in federal funding to develop high-speed rail between Tampa and Orlando. He cited California's experience with high-speed rail, namely much lower than expected ridership and cost overruns that doubled the final price. In response, a veto-proof majority in the Florida Senate approved a letter rebuking Scott and asking the Department of Transportation to continue funding. On March 1, 2011, two Florida state senators filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court to compel Scott to accept the rail funds on the grounds that he lacked constitutional authority to reject funds that had been approved by a prior legislature. On March 4, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Scott's rejection of the rail funds did not violate the Constitution of Florida.
In March 2011, Scott moved to have the Florida Department of Transportation amend its work plan to include $77 million for dredging PortMiami to a depth of 50 feet. Once the port is dredged, Panamax-sized vessels coming through the expanded Panama Canal could load and unload cargo there.
In 2018, Scott reversed course and supported a high-speed rail project between Tampa and Orlando when the company All Aboard Florida sought to get taxpayer-backed funding from state and federal governments. He argued that new budget surpluses following the recession could help fund the project. Scott and his wife had invested at least $3 million in the parent company of All Aboard Florida, which had made donations to Scott's political campaigns.
Voting rights
Scott frequently sought to implement voter IDs as governor, with numerous courts ruling against him in voting rights cases. He signed into law bills that created barriers to registering new voters, limited early voting, ended early voting on the Sunday before Election Day (known as "souls to the polls" in African-American churches), and restricted the ability of ex-felons to restore their voting rights. In 2012, Scott attempted to purge non-citizens from voter rolls just before the election; a court stopped him from doing so, and it was revealed that legitimate voters were on the voter rolls. The Tampa Bay Times noted that under Scott's tenure, Florida had the longest voting lines of any state in the 2012 election. After harsh criticism, he expanded early voting hours, and allowed early voting on the Sunday before Election Day.
In 2016, Scott refused to extend registration deadlines after ordering evacuations due to Hurricane Matthew; courts ultimately extended the deadline. He signed legislation into law that rejected mail ballots where signatures on the ballot envelope did not match signatures in files; in 2016 a court struck down the law. In 2014, Scott blocked a request by the city of Gainesville to use a facility at the University of Florida as a site for early voting. In July 2018, a judge ruled against Scott's prohibition of early voting on campus, saying the ban showed a "stark pattern of discrimination." In 2013, Scott ordered Pinellas County to close down sites where voters could submit mail ballots. In 2012, a court ruled that Scott could not place heavy fines on groups that registered voters but failed to submit the registrations within 48 hours.
Scott rolled back automatic restoration of rights for nonviolent crimes, giving former felons a five- to six-year waiting period before they can apply for a restoration of voting rights. Of the approximately 30,000 applications from former felons to have their voting rights restored during his tenure, Scott approved approximately 3,000. A 2018 investigation by the Palm Beach Post found that during his governorship, Scott restored the voting rights of three times as many white men as black men, and that blacks accounted only for 27% of those granted voting rights despite blacks being 43% of those released from state prisons in the past 20 years. The percentage of blacks among those whose voting rights were restored was the lowest in more than 50 years, and Scott restored a higher share of Republican voting rights than Democratic voting rights than in almost 50 years. A clemency board set up by Scott held hearings on applications, but there were no standards on how to judge the worthiness of individual applications. In March 2017, seven former felons filed a class action lawsuit arguing that the clemency board's decisions were inconsistent, vague and political.
In February 2018, a U.S. District Court described Scott's process as arbitrary and unconstitutional, and ruled that he had to create a new process to restore felons' voting rights. The ruling said that Scott and his clemency board had "unfettered discretion" to deny voting rights "for any reason," and that "to vote again, disenfranchised citizens must kowtow before a panel of high-level government officials over which Florida's governor has absolute veto authority. No standards guide the panel. Its members alone must be satisfied that these citizens deserve restoration." The Brennan Center for Justice described the clemency rules issued by Scott in 2011 as among the most restrictive in the country.
U.S. Senate
Elections
2018
Main article: 2018 United States Senate election in FloridaAfter months of speculation about a potential run, Scott officially announced on April 9, 2018, that he would challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson in the 2018 election.
Scott defeated Rocky De La Fuente in the Republican primary. In the general election, Scott's involvement in a large Medicare fraud case stirred controversy. Scott responded with ads accusing Nelson of having cut Medicare benefits and stolen from Medicare; fact-checkers found that both of Scott's assertions were false. During the campaign, Scott called Nelson a "socialist", an assertion PolitiFact described as "pants-on-fire" false. Scott sought to avoid mentioning Trump and at times criticized or distanced himself from actions of the Trump administration, whereas in the past he had used his friendship with Trump to boost his profile and had been an early and vocal supporter of Trump in 2016. Trump endorsed Scott for Senate.
The initial election results showed Scott leading Nelson by 12,562 votes, or 0.15% of the vote. Under Florida law, a manual recount is triggered if election results show a margin of less than 0.5% of the vote. Both candidates filed lawsuits in connection with the recount. After the recount, Florida elections officials announced on November 18, 2018, that Scott had prevailed. Scott received 50.05% of the vote to Nelson's 49.93%; the margin of victory was 10,033 votes out of 8.19 million votes cast. Nelson then conceded. It was the most expensive Senate race in the nation in 2018. After the race, Scott's Super PAC, New Republican PAC, received criticism from across the political spectrum for its aggressive practices and was the subject of several FEC complaints for multiple violations of federal election law; the Super PAC's finances are chaired by hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin, who personally donated at least $10 million to the PAC.
2024
Main article: 2024 United States Senate election in FloridaScott ran for a second Senate term. He defeated Democratic nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former congresswoman.
Tenure
The Senate term for the 116th Congress began on January 3, 2019, but Scott's term as governor ended on January 8. On December 4, 2018, Scott's office announced that he would finish his term as governor and not resign early. Scott attended the ceremonial swearing-in of his successor as governor, Ron DeSantis, on the morning of January 8, 2019, in front of Florida's historic Old Capitol. Scott left the ceremony early to fly to Washington, D.C., and was sworn in to the Senate by Vice President Mike Pence later that afternoon.
Trump administration
In January 2019, Scott encouraged Trump to declare a national emergency to build a border wall if Congress would not give him the funds to do so. In February 2019, when Trump declared a national emergency, Scott applauded the decision.
In April 2019, amid calls for an American military intervention in Venezuela, Scott said that the Maduro regime was perpetrating a "genocide" and that the U.S. was "not aggressive enough" about the situation. Fact-checkers and experts described Scott's assertion of a genocide as false and misguided. Scott called on the U.S. to position its military assets to be prepared to respond to events in Venezuela.
In May 2020, Scott voted for an amendment co-sponsored by Senators Steve Daines and Ron Wyden that would have required federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies to obtain federal court warrants when collecting web search engine data from American citizens, nationals, or residents under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
After Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020, Scott sided with Senator Mitch McConnell and called on her replacement to be voted on before that year's presidential election.
After Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election while making false claims of fraud, Scott voted to object to seating the electors from Pennsylvania but voted against the other objection raised for seating the electors from Arizona. Both objections were rejected by the Senate, 92–7 and 93–6, respectively.
Biden administration
In April 2021, Scott ran unopposed for the chairmanship of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and was formally selected on November 10, 2020, succeeding Senator Todd Young.
In March 2021, Scott voted against the American Rescue Plan Act; after it passed, he called upon Florida and other states to reject federal assistance from the package.
In May 2021, Scott voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
On March 10, 2022, Scott was one of 31 Republicans to vote against a $1.5 trillion spending bill that included $13.6 billion in military assistance for Ukraine's defense, arguing that it was filled with lawmakers' "pet" projects. On March 17, he was one of more than two dozen Senate Republicans who demanded that President Biden send Ukraine more support.
Scott supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, saying that Roe v. Wade was "flawed legal reasoning" and that the Supreme Court had defended "human dignity" and federalism.
In August 2022, Scott published an open letter encouraging job seekers not to apply for newly funded positions at the IRS, vowing that Republicans, if they took control of Congress in January 2023, would quickly "defund" those jobs. The letter to job seekers included the statement, "The IRS is making it very clear that you not only need to be ready to audit and investigate your fellow hardworking Americans, your neighbors and friends, you need to be ready and, to use the IRS’s words, willing, to kill them."
In August 2022, Business Insider found that Scott had violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law that requires members of Congress to report certain types of financial transactions within 45 days, after Scott and his wife sold stock in Emida Corporation worth up to $450,000 in September 2021 and Scott did not report it until August 2022.
On November 14, 2022, Scott announced he would attempt to challenge incumbent Mitch McConnell for the position of Senate Minority Leader in the 118th United States Congress, the first challenge McConnell had faced for the position since winning it in 2006. Scott said, "the status quo is broken and big change is needed" and that Senate Republican leadership needed "to listen to calls for action and start governing in Washington like we campaign back at home", in the wake of the party's failure to gain Senate seats in that year's elections. Scott received 10 votes to McConnell's 37, with one senator voting "present". The vote was held by secret ballot; senators who publicly confirmed voting for Scott included Mike Braun, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, and Lindsey Graham.
In March 2023, Scott voted against repealing the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq.
Scott was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
Notable Senate bills that Scott has sponsored or co-sponsored include the Sunshine Protection Act, which makes daylight saving time in the United States permanent; the PROTECT Kids Act, which cuts federal funding to schools that allow students to change their preferred pronouns and keep their sexual orientation from their parents; the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022; and the END FENTANYL Act. Scott also expressed support for "automatic" capital punishment of school shooters in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville.
In January 2024, Scott voted against a resolution proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders that would have applied the human rights provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act to U.S. military aid to Israel. The proposal was defeated, 72 to 11.
Plan to Rescue America
On February 22, 2022, Scott released his controversial 11-Point Plan to Rescue America in response to Democratic criticism that Republicans were unwilling to provide any kind of agenda should they win the House and/or Senate that year. Particularly singled out were a proposal that would force all Americans to pay at least some income tax "to have skin in the game" and one that would make all federal legislation sunset within five years. While the latter proposal did not mention any specific legislation, Social Security and Medicare were singled out elsewhere as programs that could be affected. Other proposals in the plan included closing the United States Department of Education, punishing universities that practice affirmative action, stripping all funding from sanctuary cities, completing the Trump wall, reducing the size of the federal government and its workforce, mandatory voter ID, increasing police funding and law and order policies, mandating the Pledge of Allegiance in schools, allowing legal action against social media platforms for deplatforming, banning transgender women from participating in women's sports, banning the supposed teaching of critical race theory, expanding religious freedom, and various attacks on "wokeness" and diversity training.
Democrats, including President Biden, strongly attacked the plan. The Republican response was mixed. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the provisions on income tax and sunsetting federal legislation, and Senator John Cornyn said the plan "is not an approach embraced by the entire Republican conference" and not something that should be focused on until after the election. Senator Ron Johnson said he supported Scott for releasing his platform and agreed with most of it. Senators Mike Braun and Tommy Tuberville also praised the platform.
On June 8, 2022, Scott released a revision of the plan that replaced the income tax proposal with a proposal not to provide government assistance to "able-bodied Americans under 60 young children or incapacitated dependents" who are not working. He also added a 12th point containing various tax proposals and clarifying that the plan "cuts taxes", in response to Biden's criticisms of his income tax proposal.
Senate Majority Leader election
After the November 2024 U.S. elections, in which Republicans carried the Senate, Scott was one of three announced candidates to be the next Senate Majority Leader in a race to replace the retiring Mitch McConnell. The others were John Thune and John Cornyn. Senator Mike Lee hosted a candidate forum on November 12. The election was held on November 13 by secret ballot. Scott was eliminated on the first ballot with 13 votes, and Thune won on the second with 29.
Committee assignments
Scott has served or is serving on the following committees:
Current
- Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Airland
- Subcommittee on Personnel (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Seapower
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight
- Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
- Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management
- Committee on the Budget
- Special Committee on Aging
Previous
- Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (served until February 2023)
Net worth and investments
Scott's net worth was estimated at US$219 million in 2010, $84 million in 2012, and $133 million in 2013. On July 1, 2015, it was reported that Scott's net worth had grown to $147 million, $149 million on December 31, 2016, and $232 million on December 31, 2017. For August 2018, his net worth was estimated at $255 million. Based on financial disclosure reports covering 2020, Business Insider reports that Scott has a minimum net worth of just over $200 million, making him the wealthiest member of Congress.
Creation of "blind trust"
Early in his gubernatorial tenure, Scott said he created a blind trust for his holdings to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. In October 2018, The New York Times reported that the trust in question was blind in name only, and that there were various ways in which Scott could know what his precise holdings were. The holdings in question included investments in companies and funds that Scott could have had an impact on through his administration's policies. The trust in question was managed by one of Scott's former personal assistants from before he became governor.
In February 2019, Scott announced that he would no longer keep his holdings in a trust.
Controversial investments
In 2017, Scott and his wife held stocks in firms that did business with the Maduro government in Venezuela and a shipping firm with close ties to Russia. Scott had been a harsh critic of the Maduro regime and chastised companies that invested in Venezuela, saying, "Any organization that does business with the Maduro regime cannot do business with the state of Florida." By 2018, Scott and his wife no longer held stocks in the firms with links to Russia or Venezuela.
In a July 2018 financial disclosure statement, Scott and his wife reported earnings of at least $2.9 million in hedge funds registered in the Cayman Islands, a well-known tax haven. The financial statement said that the assets were held in a blind trust and a 2018 campaign spokesperson said Scott did not have a role in selecting particular investments.
Scott and his wife invested at least $3 million in the parent company of All Aboard Florida, a rail investment company that proposed to build high-speed rail between Orlando and Tampa. In 2018, Scott supported the efforts of the company to build the rail and get taxpayer-financing. He had previously, early in his tenure as governor, rejected $2.3 billion in federal funding to develop high-speed rail between Tampa and Orlando. Scott stated the original project was fiscally irresponsible given the recession, and he supported a public-private partnership approach when the state's finances were in order.
Scott was an investor in the firm Conduent Inc., which was awarded a $287 million Florida contract in 2015 to manage SunPass, the toll program in the state of Florida. Due to glitches in SunPass, motorists were charged bank fees and overdraft charges, and the Florida Department of Transportation was criticized for failing to take action. Scott, a Conduent investor, defended the department's handling of the SunPass controversy.
Personal life
On April 20, 1972, Scott, then aged 19, married his high school sweetheart, Frances Annette Holland (born May 11, 1952), who was also 19 years old. The couple has two daughters and six grandsons. They live in Naples, Florida, and are founding members of Naples Community Church.
Swatting
Scott was swatted in December as part of the 2023 swatting of American politicians.
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Rick Scott | 595,474 | 46.4% | |
Republican | Bill McCollum | 557,427 | 43.4% | |
Republican | Mike McCalister | 130,056 | 10.1% | |
Total votes | 1,282,957 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Rick Scott / Jennifer Carroll | 2,619,335 | 48.87% | −3.31% | |
Democratic | Alex Sink / Rod Smith | 2,557,785 | 47.72% | +2.62% | |
Independence | Peter Allen | 123,831 | 2.31% | N/A | |
Independent | C. C. Reed | 18,842 | 0.35% | N/A | |
Independent | Michael E. Arth [de; es; fr; ja; zh] | 18,644 | 0.35% | N/A | |
Independent | Daniel Imperato | 13,690 | 0.26% | N/A | |
Independent | Farid Khavari | 7,487 | 0.14% | N/A | |
Write-in | 121 | 0.00% | N/A | ||
Plurality | 61,550 | 1.15% | −5.92% | ||
Total votes | 5,359,735 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
Republican gain from Independent |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Rick Scott (Incumbent) | 831,887 | 87.65% | |
Republican | Elizabeth Cuevas-Neunder | 100,496 | 10.59% | |
Republican | Yinka Adeshina | 16,761 | 1.77% | |
Total votes | 949,144 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Rick Scott / Carlos López-Cantera (incumbent) | 2,865,343 | 48.14% | −0.73% | |
Democratic | Charlie Crist / Annette Taddeo | 2,801,198 | 47.07% | −0.65% | |
Libertarian | Adrian Wyllie / Greg Roe | 223,356 | 3.75% | N/A | |
Independent | Glenn Burkett / Jose Augusto Matos | 41,341 | 0.70% | N/A | |
Independent | Farid Khavari / Lateresa A. Jones | 20,186 | 0.34% | +0.20% | |
Write-in | 137 | 0.00% | 0.00% | ||
Total votes | 5,951,571 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
Republican hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Rick Scott | 1,456,187 | 88.61% | |
Republican | Rocky De La Fuente | 187,209 | 11.39% | |
Total votes | 1,643,396 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Rick Scott | 4,099,505 | 50.06% | +7.82% | |
Democratic | Bill Nelson (incumbent) | 4,089,472 | 49.93% | −5.30% | |
Write-in | 607 | <0.01% | N/A | ||
Total votes | 8,190,005 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
Republican gain from Democratic |
Awards and honors
- Time magazine, America's 25 Most Influential People, June 1996
- Financial World magazine, silver award for the CEO of the Year, 1995
- Columbia University School of Nursing, Second Century Award for Excellence in Health Care (1995)
- Americans for Prosperity, "Pioneers for Prosperity" Award, 2024
Notes
- Because Ron DeSantis and Jeannette Núñez took their oaths of office ahead of time, they became governor and lieutenant governor at midnight on January 8, rather than waiting for the inaugural ceremony. Thus, Scott's and Lopez-Cantera's terms ended at the end of January 7.
References
- ^ Parker, Betty (February 2014). "What You Don't Know About Ann Scott". Gulfshore Life. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014.
- "Summary of Information on Rick Scott". Thepoliticalguide.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - "Oh, if only Florida had a governor who liked businesspeople". Blogs.orlandosentinel.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- "DeSantis already governor when ceremony begins". Tampa Bay Times. January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- "Rick Scott sworn in as Florida's newest U.S. senator". WJXT. January 8, 2019.
- ^ Greenwood, Max (December 4, 2018). "Rick Scott delays Senate swearing-in ceremony". The Hill. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- "Hospital Corporation of America: Learning from Past Mistakes?" (PDF). Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, University of New Mexico. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
- ^ Sherman, Amy (March 3, 2014). "Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud' in U.S. history, Florida Democratic Party says". Politifact. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ Glorioso, Alexandra; Caputo, Marc (August 30, 2018). "Democrats: Medicare fraud is 'fungus' Scott will never get rid of". Politico. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
- Smith, Ben (April 13, 2010). "Health Care Figure Running for Florida Governor". Politico. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
- Gans, Jared (November 5, 2024). "Scott wins Florida Senate race, fending off Democratic challenge". The Hill. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ Smolenyak, Megan (September 17, 2018). "One Less Secret for Rick Scott". Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Williams, Roger (July 9, 2014). "Rick Scott: A political outsider works hard to stay inside the governor's office". Florida Weekly -- Fort Meyer's Edition.
- "Rick Scott the TV image well known, Rick Scott the man is not" Archived April 30, 2013, at the Wayback Machine; accessed March 8, 2014.
- ^ M.C. Moewe (April 17, 2006). "Ex-Columbia chief helps grow Solantic". Jacksonville Business Journal. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Obituary for Esther Scott; accessed March 8, 2014.
- Cindy Richardson, Dale McEowen, ed. (1970). Purgold: North Kansas City High School Yearbook 1970. Vol. XLIII. North Kansas City High School. p. 130.
- "UM-System; President's Office; James C. Olson Papers; Speeches and related Materials". muarchives.missouri.edu. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
FF 54 - North Kansas City High School Commencement Address, 5/28/1970
- "Missouri native now a national leader: Florida -- Rick Scott '75, Governor of Florida". Perspectives: University of Missouri-Kansas City Alumni Magazine. November 16, 2016.
- Montgomery, Ben. "Young Rick Scott recalled as driven, frugal, studious, focused". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
- Anderson, Zac (June 15, 2014). "Ann Scott hopes she can help husband get re-elected". The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023.
- Sanders, Katie (January 24, 2013). "Ann Scott: Florida's reluctant first lady". Miami Herald.
- Lewis, Kira (May 10, 2014). "A friendly first lady". News-Press.
I got married one day and moved 1,500 miles the next.
- Kallestad, Brent (July 29, 2011). "Revamping vets Hall of Fame". St. Augustine Record.
- Chrystal Hayes (October 13, 2018). "Florida Governor Rick Scott's Navy Hat Under Attack". USA Today.
- ^ "Time 25: They range in age from 31 to 67". Time. June 17, 1996. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- 1975: Fortieth Annual Commencement. University of Missouri, Kansas City. May 10, 1975. p. 45.
- "Rick Scott's Biography". vote smart.
- "U.S. Senator Rick Scott was sworn in to the Senate in January 2019". senate.gov.
- Profile, State Bar of Texas website; accessed June 7, 2014.
- Bousquet, Steve. "Rick Scott, the TV image is well known, Rick Scott, the man, is not". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
- Leary, Alex. "Rick Scott raising money in Texas". tampabay.com. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- Milt Freudenheim (October 4, 1993). "Largest Publicly Held Hospital Chain Is Planned". The New York Times.
- ^ Floyd Norris (October 6, 1994). "Efficiencies of scale are taken to the nth degree at Columbia". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Kathryn Jones (November 21, 1993). "A Hospital Giant Comes to Town, Bringing Change". The New York Times.
- "Hospital Corp. Bid Is Dropped". The New York Times. April 22, 1987.
- Milt Freudenheim (October 5, 1993). "The Hospital World's Hard-Driving Money Man". The New York Times.
- "HCA Board Takes No Action on $3.85 Billion Takeover Bid". Associated Press. April 17, 1987.
- Kelman, Brett (August 16, 2018). "HCA: From single hospital to health care behemoth". Tennessean.com. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
- Eichenwald, Kurt (July 26, 1997). "2 Leaders Are Out at Health Giant as Inquiry Goes On". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
- Kurt Eichenwald (March 21, 1997). "U.S. Expands Search of Columbia/HCA in Texas". The New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- Eichenwald, Kurt (July 26, 1997). "2 Leaders are out at health giant as inquiry goes on". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- ^ "Columbia/HCA reports warned Rick Scott of potential legal problems". TampaBay. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- Korten, Tristram (September 30, 2009). "Rick Scott profits off the uninsured". Salon. Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- "Hospital Firm Ousts Its Founder; Columbia/Hca Tries To Stop Slide". Thefreelibrary.com. July 26, 1997. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- Moewe, M.C. (April 17, 2006). "Ex-Columbia chief helps grow Solantic".
- Amy Sherman (June 17, 2014). "Rick Scott took the 5th Amendment 75 times, Democratic party ad says". Politifact.com. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
- Ackman, Dan. "Disaster Of The Day: HCA". Forbes. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
- Julie Appleby (December 18, 2002). "HCA to settle more allegations for $631M". USA Today.
- "Accomplishments of the Department of Justice 2001–09" (PDF). Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- Sherman, Amy. "Rick Scott 'oversaw the largest Medicare fraud in the nation's history', Florida Democratic Party says". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
- ^ Drew Ruble, "Great Scott" Archived August 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, businesstn.com, July 2006; retrieved June 23, 2009.
- LLC, Richard L. Scott Investments. "Richard L. Scott Investments Completes Acquisition of ThyssenKrupp Budd Company's Plastics Division with Portfolio Company Continental Structural Plastics". prnewswire.com. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- Lisa Sibley (July 28, 2008). "Alijor's online directory of providers growing". San Jose Business Journal. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- "25 Emerging Companies", NashvillePost.com, December 1, 2002; retrieved June 23, 2009.
- "Former Columbia/HCA official gains $9.9 million in severances". Oklahoma City Journal Record. November 14, 1997. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Lisa Napoli (February 22, 1999). "Where Dr. Spock Meets 'E.R.' on Line". The New York Times. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- Jill Krueger (June 4, 1999). "AHN getting 'fit' with Fox TV; Cable start-up gets backing, distribution muscle with network merger". Orlando Business Journal.
- Linda Moss (January 8, 2001). "News Corp. Gets All of Health Network". Multichannel News. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- "Discovery snaps up rival health network". Media Life Magazine. September 4, 2001.
- Urvaksh Karkaria (August 15, 2007). "Solantic to expand well beyond state: The urgent-care center is planning to open 35 more clinics by the end of 2009". Jacksonville Times-Union. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Phil Galewitz (April 1, 2009). "Bethesda hospital, Solantic to open urgent care center". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Tristram Korten (October 10, 2009). "A healthcare reform foe's alleged history of discrimination". Salon.com. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- "Pharmaca Completes $5.5 Million Equity Financing With Richard L. Scott to Open New Pharmaca Locations". New Hope Network. September 29, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- Dan Eggen, "Ex-Hospital CEO Battles Reform Effort", Washington Post, May 11, 2009.
- Mullins, Brody; Kilman, Scott (February 26, 2009). "Lobbyists Line Up to Torpedo Speech Proposals". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- Edward Lee Pitts (March 28, 2009). "Conservatives worry that the cost of a government health plan can go in only one direction". World Magazine.
- Sharockman, Aaron (April 22, 2010). "Is Rick Scott the top Republican governor candidate on Facebook?". Politifact. St. Petersburg Times, Miami Herald. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- Catherine Whittenburg (August 24, 2010). "Scott claims victory in Republican governor's race". The Tampa Tribune.
- Smith, Adam C. (May 7, 2010). "Rick Scott, multimillionaire political rookie, gunning to be governor of Florida". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on July 12, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- Scott for Florida (April 13, 2010). "Accountable". YouTube. Archived from the original on June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- Caputo, Marc. "Bill McCollum's attacks on rival Rick Scott clash with record". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Deslatte, Aaron (October 26, 2010). "Governor's race: Rick Scott, Alex Sink save harshest words for last debate". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- ^ CNBC (April 9, 2018). "Florida Gov. Rick Scott is running for Senate". CNBC. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- Florida Governor race for 2010, Florida Election Watch webpage; accessed August 16, 2015.
- "Gov. Scott: I'll run again in 2014". Ocala.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- "Scott campaign, committee collect $1.3M". Clearwater Gazette. May 15, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- "Let's Get to Work: Campaign Finance Activity". Florida Division of Elections. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- Aaron Deslatte (June 8, 2014). "Gov. Scott's ad blitz aims to hit Crist early". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- Gary Fineout (September 1, 2014). "Florida Gov. Rick Scott and ex-Gov. Charlie Crist bash each other as campaigns kick into gear". The Republic. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- Marc Caputo (September 21, 2014). "With $50 million in TV ad spending, Rick Scott-Charlie Crist race is one big marketing campaign". Miami Herald. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- Marc Caputo (October 22, 2014). "Scott says he will write his campaign a personal check, after all, but won't say how much". Miami Herald. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- Stein, Letitia (July 30, 2014). "In Florida governor's race, Democrat woos crucial black vote". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- "The race for the governor of florida". Before You Vote. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- Parti, Tarini (October 16, 2014). "Rick Scott faces the 'Fangate' heat". Politico. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- ^ "Florida Department of State - Election Results". results.elections.myflorida.com.
- ^ Bousquet, Steve (January 4, 2018). "Solitary man: What Rick Scott's legacy as governor will look like". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- "Sinking G.O.P. Poll Numbers May Put Florida in Play". New York Times. June 27, 2011.
- "Florida Governor Rick Scott's Popularity Plunges To Record Low". HuffPost. December 6, 2011.
- "Poll: Scott Approval Rating Falls To 31%". CBS. June 9, 2012.
- "Rick Scott, America's eighth least popular Governor". Tallahassee Democrat. November 20, 2015.
- "Gov. Scott Approval Rating Up". CBS. June 18, 2013.
- "Scott approval rating improves". Port Charlotte Sun. August 26, 2015.
- Henderson, Joe (April 16, 2017). "Rick Scott's approval: Economy trumps all". Port Charlotte Sun.
- "Poll: Scott's favorability rising". The News-Press. December 3, 2017.
- "Gubernatorial approval ratings (2015-2019)". BallotPedia.
- "HB 7101". Flsenate.gov. Florida State Senate. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- Klas, Mary Ellen (June 14, 2016). "Gov. Rick Scott signs bill to speed up executions in Florida". Miami Herald. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- Liptak, Adam (January 12, 2016). "Supreme Court Strikes Down Part of Florida Death Penalty". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- Alvarez, Lizette (February 2, 2016). "Supreme Court Ruling Has Florida Scrambling to Fix Death Penalty Law". The New York Times. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- Berman, Mark (March 7, 2016). "Florida death penalty officially revamped after the Supreme Court struck it down". Washington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- Klas, Mary Ellen; Ovalle, David (October 14, 2016). "Court again tosses state death penalty; ruling raises bar on capital punishment". Miami Herald. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- ^ Farias, Cristian (October 25, 2016). "Florida's Death Penalty Law Is Ruled Unconstitutional – Again". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
- De Jesus, Roy. "Florida Governors and the Death Penalty: Could DeSantis Pass Rick Scott?". www.baynews9.com.
- ^ Leary, Alex. "Once eager to tout Trump friendship, Rick Scott now plays it down". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ Verhovek, John; Rodriguez, Lissette (August 26, 2018). "In Florida Senate race, Rick Scott treads carefully around Trump". ABC News. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- Caputo, Marc; Lima, Cristiano (October 7, 2016). "Scott, Rubio rebuke Trump". Politico. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- "Florida governor signs welfare drug-screen measure". CNN.com. June 1, 2011. Archived from the original on September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- "Rick Scott says welfare recipients are more likely to use illicit drugs". PolitiFact.com. June 9, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- "Florida: Few Drug Users Among Welfare Applicants". The New York Times. Associated Press. September 28, 2011.
- "Florida drops bid to require drug tests for welfare applicants". CBSnews.com. March 5, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
- Allen, Greg (January 6, 2011). "Gov. Scott, Ex-CEO, Aims To Run Fla. Like A Business". NPR. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- Graves, Allison (April 10, 2018). "Create over 700,000 jobs". Scott-O-Meter. PolitiFact. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- Ostrowski, Jeff (January 9, 2018). "Florida economy in Rick Scott era: Success story or disappointment?". Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- Ellenbogen, Romy (April 24, 2018). "Expand school options for parents". Scott-O-Meter. PolitiFact. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- Alvarez, Lizette (December 9, 2012). "To Steer Students Toward Jobs, Florida May Cut Tuition for Select Major". The New York Times. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- Postal, Leslie (April 14, 2016). "Gov. Scott signs education bill that allows transfers to any school". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- Clark, Kristen; Gurney, Kyra (June 15, 2017). "Governor signs controversial schools bill into law". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- Postal, Leslie (June 15, 2017). "Gov. Scott signs controversial education bill at Orlando ceremony". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- "House Bill 989 (2017) – The Florida Senate". flsenate.gov. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- Kaplan, Sarah (July 1, 2017). "New Florida law lets any resident challenge what's taught in science classes". Washington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
- Caputo, Marc (May 27, 2014). "Rick Scott won't say if he thinks man-made climate-change is real, significant". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- Kruse, Michael (September 3, 2014). "Cut short by Gov. Rick Scott, climate scientist finishes his thought". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- Davenport, Coral (October 30, 2014). "Why Republicans Keep Telling Everyone They're Not Scientists". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- Goode, Darren (March 29, 2014). "Republicans on climate science: Don't ask us". Politico.com. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
- Mazzei, Patricia (March 9, 2015). "Florida Gov. Rick Scott won't say if global warming is a problem". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- Clines, Francis X. (March 12, 2015). "The Political Art of Not Being a Scientist". New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Mazzei, Patricia (March 9, 2015). "Florida governor denies environmental agency banned term 'climate change'". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- Allen, Greg (March 11, 2015). "Florida Gov. Scott Denies Banning Phrase 'Climate Change'". NPR. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- Bosquet, Steve (March 20, 2015). "More 'climate change' silence from Florida Gov. Rick Scott's administration". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Rohrer, Gray (March 19, 2015). "Scott official avoids 'climate change' in Senate hearing". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- ^ Geng, Lucia. "Did Rick Scott cut $700 million from water management?". Politifact. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- Florida, News Service of. "Gov. Scott declares emergency over toxic algae outbreaks". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- Fineout, Gary (November 9, 2017). "Gov. Rick Scott sued over wealth disclosure". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- Jim Saunders (November 30, 2018). "Court Blocks Lawsuit Wanting Scott to Disclose More about His Assets". Sunshine State News. News Service of Florida. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018.
- Mower, Lawrence (February 20, 2018). "Scott hasn't declared Senate candidacy, but his support of gun lobby draws attack ad". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- "NRA Endorses Rick Scott for Governor in Florida". nrapvf.org. NRA-PVF. September 18, 2014. Archived from the original on September 23, 2014.
- Hammer, Marion M. (June 23, 2014). "ALERT: Governor Rick Scott Makes History Signing 5 Pro-gun Bills". NRA-ILA. National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018..
- ^ Sherman, Amy (February 22, 2018). "Florida Gov. Rick Scott made it illegal for doctors to talk to patients about guns, TV ad says". Politifact. Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- Bowden, John (June 9, 2017). "Florida governor signs strengthened 'stand your ground' bill into law". The Hill. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- Mazzei, Patricia (February 23, 2018). "Defying N.R.A., Florida Lawmakers Back Raising Age Limits on Assault Rifles". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- Sweeney, Dan (March 7, 2018). "Florida House sends Stoneman Douglas gun and school bill to Gov. Scott". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- Sanchez, Ray; Yan, Holly (March 9, 2018). "Florida Gov. Rick Scott signs gun bill". CNN. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
- Schweers, Jeffrey (March 9, 2018). "NRA sues Florida over gun bill same day Gov. Scott signed it into law". Tallahassee Democrat. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
- "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 2nd Session". www.senate.gov. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- Sherman, Amy (April 4, 2014). "Rick Scott wants to go back to denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, Charlie Crist says". PolitiFact. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ Leary, Alex. "Pre-existing conditions latest flashpoint in Nelson-Scott battle". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ Glorioso, Alexandra; Caputo, Marc (June 11, 2018). "Scott mum on Trump's attack on pre-existing condition provision". Politico. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ Sexton, Christine. "Gov. Rick Scott won't talk about Florida's part in Obamacare lawsuit". Orlando Weekly. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ Greenberg, Jon (April 7, 2015). "Gov. Rick Scott shifts again on Medicaid expansion". PolitiFact. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 2nd Session". www.senate.gov. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Benjamin (September 11, 2019). "'Rick Scott had us on lockdown': how Florida said no to $70m for HIV crisis". The Guardian. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
- Henry, Devin (September 13, 2017). "Rick Scott's hurricane response boosts potential Senate run". The Hill. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- ^ DeFede, Jim (June 12, 2018). "Exclusive: Rick Scott's 'Rookie Mistake' May Have Cost Taxpayers Millions". CBS Miami. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- ^ Bousquet, Steve. "Rick Scott appears to support Curbelo's immigration plan, but how would he vote?". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- ^ Alvarez, Lizette (May 5, 2011). "Florida Republicans Unite to Pass Immigration Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- Gillin, Joshua; Drobnic Holan, Angie; Sherman, Amy. "Rating Gov. Rick Scott on his 2010 campaign promises". PolitiFact Florida. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- "Rick Scott on Immigration". www.ontheissues.org. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ Fox, Lauren (June 9, 2014). "Florida Gov. Rick Scott Signs In-State Tuition Bill for 'Dreamers'". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- Fabian, Jordan (June 5, 2013). "License Bill Vetoed Despite Support". ABC News. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- Caputo, Marc; Glorioso, Alexandra (June 19, 2018). "Scott slams Trump family separation policy, demands answers from HHS". Politico. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- Bousquet, Steve; Leary, Alex (June 19, 2018). "Florida Republicans split on detaining children. Some stay with Trump, others object". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- Iannelli, Jerry (January 27, 2019). "Here's a List of Companies Making Money From Miami's Child-Migrant Detention Camp". Miami New Times. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- Mourtoupalas and Blanco (November 29, 2022). "Here's which senators voted for or against the Respect for Marriage Act". The Washington Post.
- Reedy, Joe. "Lawyer: Florida governor should end medical marijuana appeal". Associated Press. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- McAuliffe, Danny (June 13, 2018). "Rick Scott talks pot, Donald Trump". Florida Politics. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- Koh, Elizabeth. "John Morgan tells Gov. Scott: Drop appeal in smokeable medical marijuana case". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- Bousquet, Steve. "Battle rages between Rick Scott, John Morgan over smokable medical marijuana". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ McGrory, Kathleen; Bedi, Neil (September 3, 2020). "Targeted". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- Mark I. Pinsky (November 3, 2010). "Florida Voters Pass Milestone Measures to End Gerrymandering". Politics Daily. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- Steve Bousquet (January 25, 2011). "Scott moves to delay redistrict plan". The Miami Herald. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
- Mary Ellen Klas (February 3, 2011). "Gov. Rick Scott sued over decision to halt federal review over redistricting standards". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- Williams, Timothy. "Florida's Governor Rejects High-Speed Rail Line, Fearing Cost to Taxpayers", The New York Times, February 16, 2011; retrieved February 19, 2011.
- Tracy, Dan; Schlueb, Mark (March 1, 2011). "Two lawmakers ask high court to force Scott to take high-speed rail money". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
- Kastenbaum, Steve. "Florida high-speed train project derailed; Court rules for Scott", cnn.com, March 4, 2011; retrieved February 24, 2016.
- Clark, Lesley (May 30, 2011). "Gov. Rick Scott promises $77 million for Port of Miami project". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ Klas, Mary Ellen (August 16, 2018). "Rick Scott killed a high-speed rail plan. Then All Aboard rolled up and he bought it". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ Bousquet, Steve (April 18, 2018). "Rick Scott has made enemies over voting rights – now it's an issue in his Senate race". Miami Herald. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ Bousquet, Steve. "A day after judge blasts state, counties act fast to hold early voting on campus". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
- ^ Bousquet, Steve. "Judge: Florida's early voting-on-campus ban shows 'stark pattern of discrimination'". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
- ^ Pickett, Alex (May 31, 2018). "In Florida, Long Fight for Restored Vote Often Ends in Minutes". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
- ^ Ramadan, Lulu. "Florida felon voting rights: Who got theirs back under Scott?". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- "Voting Rights Restoration Efforts in Florida | Brennan Center for Justice". brennancenter.org. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- Pathe, Simone (April 9, 2018). "Florida Gov. Rick Scott Announces Senate Campaign". Roll Call. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- Mazzei, Patricia (April 9, 2018). "Rick Scott Senate Run Returns Florida to Battleground". New York Times. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- "Florida Primary Election Results". The New York Times. August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- Fineout, Gary. "Rick Scott wins GOP primary for Florida's U.S. Senate seat; faces Bill Nelson Nov. 6". TCPalm. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Powers, Scott (September 26, 2018). "Rick Scott's campaign ad rebuts Democrats on Medicare fraud scandal". floridapolitics.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- Akin, Katie (August 16, 2018). "Nelson didn't pay payroll taxes. He didn't have to". Politifact. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- Sherman, Amy (September 27, 2018). "Gov. Rick Scott wrongly calls Sen. Bill Nelson a socialist". Politifact. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- Livni, Ephrat (November 10, 2018). "Recount: Florida has five days to tally more than 8 million ballots". Quartz. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- Woodall, Bernie (November 18, 2018). "Republican Scott secures Florida U.S. Senate seat after recount". Reuters. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
- Taylor, Jessica (November 18, 2018). "Republican Rick Scott Wins Florida Senate Seat Over Incumbent Bill Nelson". NPR.org. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- Leary, Alex (August 23, 2018). "Rick Scott's involvement with super PAC shows blurred lines". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- "New elections complaint for Rick Scott 'New Republican' PAC". Florida Politics. September 10, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- "Ethics group files complaint against pro-Rick Scott PAC". Florida Politics. July 26, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- Dixon, Matt (October 17, 2018). "Super PAC backing Scott's Senate effort raises $7M". Politico PRO. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- RobertsJune 7, Ray; Pm, 2018 at 12:47 (June 7, 2018). "Chicago billionaire Ken Griffin named finance chair for Rick Scott's super PAC". Florida Politics. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - "Organizations Disclosing Donations to New Republican PAC, 2018 | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- Caputo, Marc. "Sen. Rick Scott is running for re-election pushing his controversial 'Rescue' plan". NBC News. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- Dixon, Matt. "Sen. Rick Scott picks up a Democratic challenger for 2024". NBC News. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- Brendan Farrington; Gary Fineout (January 8, 2019). "Republican DeSantis sworn in as Florida's new governor". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019.
- Felicia Sonmez (January 8, 2019). "Florida's Rick Scott sworn in as senator". The Washington Post.
- "Rick Scott sworn in as Florida Senator". WPTV. January 8, 2019.
- Powers, Scott (January 31, 2019). "Rick Scott: Donald Trump should use executive power on border". Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- Powers, Scott (February 15, 2019). "Rick Scott applauds Donald Trump's decision to declare national emergency; Democrats rail". Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- By. "Rick Scott is using a word to describe Venezuela that no one else is. Is he right?". miamiherald. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- Jacobson, Louis; Sherman, Amy (May 16, 2019). "The problem with calling Venezuela's crisis under Maduro a genocide". Politifact. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- Levin, Jonathan (May 17, 2019). "Florida Senator on Venezuela: Time to Position U.S. Military". Bloomberg. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
- "Senate Democrats Defend Voting In Line with Donald Trump on NSA Surveillance Bill". www.theintercept.com. January 20, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 116th Congress - 2nd Session". www.senate.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- Daugherty, Alex (September 18, 2020). "Rick Scott wants a vote for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's replacement before Election Day". Miami Herald. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
- "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 1st Session". www.senate.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 1st Session". www.senate.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- Baitinger, Anthony Man, Brooke (January 7, 2021). "Florida Sen. Rick Scott votes to uphold objection to Pennsylvania results; Marco Rubio rejects objection there and in Arizona". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Bowman, Bridget (November 10, 2020). "Senate GOP picks Florida's Rick Scott as NRSC chairman". Roll Call. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- Cockburn (September 12, 2022). "Lizard man loses national conservatives". spectatorworld.com. London: Press Holdings. ISSN 0038-6952. OCLC 1766325. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022.
- Fineout, Gary (March 16, 2021). "'Doesn't make any sense': DeSantis rejects Rick Scott's call to return stimulus money". Politico PRO. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- "Which senators supported a Jan. 6 Capitol riot commission". Washington Post. May 28, 2021.
- Alfaro, Mariana; Scott, Eugene (March 17, 2022). "More than two dozen Senate Republicans demand Biden do more for Ukraine after voting against $13.6 billion for Ukraine". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
- "Sen. Rick Scott: SCOTUS is Right to Protect Life, Respect Federalism & Reverse Roe". U.S. Senator Rick Scott. June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- Pengelly, Martin (August 18, 2022). "Rick Scott: don't apply for IRS jobs because Republicans will defund them". the Guardian. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- "Sen. Rick Scott Pens Open Letter to Job Seekers: Don't Work for Biden's IRS Army". U.S. Senator Rick Scott. August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- Kapur, Sahil (August 17, 2022). "Republicans escalate IRS rhetoric as senator warns Americans not to apply for new jobs". NBC News. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
- Hall, Madison; Levinthal, Dave (August 16, 2022). "2 Republicans in Congress just violated a federal conflict-of-interest and transparency law". Business Insider. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- Levinthal, Dave; Hall, Madison (January 3, 2023). "78 members of Congress have violated a law designed to prevent insider trading and stop conflicts-of-interest". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- Zhou, Li (November 16, 2022). "Why some Republican senators are revolting against Mitch McConnell". Vox. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- Quinn, Melissa; Turman, Jack (November 15, 2022). "Florida Sen. Rick Scott challenges Mitch McConnell for Senate GOP leader". CBS News. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- Davis, Susan; Bustillo, Ximena; Schapitl, Lexie; Swartz, Katherine (November 16, 2022). "McConnell wins leadership race but GOP infighting continues". NPR. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- Everett, Burgess (November 16, 2022). "'Nothing to negotiate': McConnell crushes Scott's right-flank rebellion". Politico. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 118th Congress - 1st Session". www.senate.gov. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- Folley, Aris (June 1, 2023). "Here are the senators who voted against the bill to raise the debt ceiling". The Hill. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- "Rubio Reintroduces Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent". U.S. Senator for Florida, Marco Rubio. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- "Sens. Rick Scott, Tim Scott Reintroduce Bill to Protect Parental Rights, Combat Indoctrination in Schools". U.S. Senator Rick Scott. February 6, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- "Sen. Rick Scott Celebrates NDAA Passage, Big Wins for Florida's Military Bases". U.S. Senator Rick Scott. December 15, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- "Sen. Rick Scott's Bipartisan END FENTANYL Act to Help Border Patrol Stop Drug Smuggling Unanimously Passes in Senate". U.S. Senator Rick Scott. December 15, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- Mueller, Julia (March 28, 2023). "Rick Scott calls for 'automatic death penalty' for school shooters". The Hill. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
- "Senate Kills Measure to Scrutinize Israeli Human Rights Record as Condition for Aid". The Intercept. January 16, 2024.
- Cillizza, Chris (February 23, 2022). "Analysis: 26 things Rick Scott's 'rescue' plan for America would do". CNN. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Morgan, David (February 27, 2022). "U.S. senator says Republicans only deserve to govern if they adopt his agenda". Reuters. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Scott, Rick (February 22, 2022). "An 11 Point Plan to Rescue America". Politico. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Samuels, Brett (April 18, 2022). "White House targets Rick Scott plan on Tax Day". The Hill. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Benen, Steve (May 11, 2022). "Scott offers ugly response as Biden hits his plan like a piñata". MSNBC. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Gancarski, A. G. (March 31, 2022). "Democrats continue assault on Rick Scott's 'Rescue America' plan". Florida Politics. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Lesniewski, Niels (May 12, 2022). "New senior-focused ads from Democrats hit Scott's plans for Medicare, Social Security". Roll Call. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Weisman, Jonathan (March 31, 2022). "Income Taxes for All? Rick Scott Has a Plan, and That's a Problem". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Everett, Burgess; Levine, Marianne (March 1, 2022). "McConnell clashes with Rick Scott over Republican agenda". POLITICO. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Davis, D.L. (March 18, 2022). "Ron Johnson has not endorsed plan to phase out of Social Security, Medicare". PolitiFact. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Davis, D.L. (June 15, 2022). "Democrats still exaggerating GOP backing of Scott's plan on Social Security, Medicare, taxes". PolitiFact. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- "12. Cutting Taxes - Rescue America". June 8, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- Maloney, Emily L. (June 9, 2022). "Rick Scott revises plan for more people to pay income tax after bipartisan criticism". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ^ "Trump's victory scrambles a three-way race for Senate Republican leader". NBC News. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- "Could Rick Scott Replace Mitch McConnell? Senate GOP Leader Race Heats Up". Newsweek. November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- Bolton, Alexander (November 13, 2024). "John Thune elected as Senate majority leader, succeeds Mitch McConnell". The Hill. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- Contorno, Steve. "Here are Rick Scott's committee assignments when he goes to Washington". Tampa Bay Times.
- Bousquet, Steve (July 2, 2013). "Rick Scott is worth $83.8M, report shows". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- "Documents reveal Gov. Rick Scott net worth at least $132.7 million". wesh.com. June 17, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- Bousquet, Steve (July 1, 2015). "Rick Scott's net worth grows to $147 million". Miami Herald. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- Fineout, Gary (June 30, 2017). "Florida Gov. Rick Scott Worth Nearly $150 Million". Associated Press.
- Schorsch, Peter (June 30, 2018). "Rick Scott's new worth tops $232 million". Florida Politics. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
- Bousquet, Steve; Klas, Mary Ellen. "Rick Scott reveals highest-ever family assets of at least $255 million". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- Hall, Madison; Wang, Angela (December 14, 2021). "Meet the 25 wealthiest members of Congress". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 10, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- Sack, Kevin; Mazzell, Patricia (October 17, 2018). "To Avoid Conflicts, Rick Scott Created a Trust Blind in Name Only". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
- ^ Bousquet, Steve. "Revealed: Rick Scott's financial link to botched SunPass contract". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- Contorno, Steve. "Rick Scott won't put his wealth in a blind trust anymore". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- ^ Bousquet, Steve (August 27, 2018). "Rick and Ann Scott's financial trail leads to Cayman Islands tax haven". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
- Bousquet, Steve (August 1, 2018). "Florida Gov. Rick Scott's trust held investment linked to Putin". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ Bousquet, Steve (August 7, 2018). "Rick Scott told Florida not to invest in companies linked to Venezuela, but he did". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- "Rick and Ann Scott's financial trail leads to Cayman Islands tax haven". miamiherald. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- Rick Scott biography Archived October 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, rickscottforflorida.com; accessed June 7, 2014.
- "Sen. Rick Scott says Naples home was 'swatted' while at dinner with his wife". WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- "The 2010 Results Maps". POLITICO.
- "Florida Department of State - Election Results". Archived from the original on October 3, 2011.
- "Governor". Florida Election Watch. Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
- "2018 Florida primary election results". Florida Department of State.
- "Florida Election Watch – US Senator". floridaelectionwatch.gov.
- ^ "Health Plan Exec Honored by Nursing School". Columbia University Record. Columbia University. October 20, 1995. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
- jfrontz (September 27, 2024). "Members of Congress Show Their Support for Americans for Prosperity During Annual Capitol Conference". Americans for Prosperity. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
External links
- U.S. Senate website
- Campaign website
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
Party political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded byCharlie Crist | Republican nominee for Governor of Florida 2010, 2014 |
Succeeded byRon DeSantis |
Preceded byConnie Mack IV | Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Florida (Class 1) 2018, 2024 |
Most recent |
Preceded byTodd Young | Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee 2021–2023 |
Succeeded bySteve Daines |
Political offices | ||
Preceded byCharlie Crist | Governor of Florida 2011–2019 |
Succeeded byRon DeSantis |
U.S. Senate | ||
Preceded byBill Nelson | U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Florida 2019–present Served alongside: Marco Rubio |
Incumbent |
Preceded byBob Casey Jr. | Chair of the Senate Aging Committee Taking office 2025 |
Designate |
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
Preceded byJosh Hawley | Order of precedence of the United States as United States Senator |
Succeeded byJacky Rosen |
United States senators by seniority 80th |
Succeeded byMark Kelly |
Statewide political officials of Florida | ||
---|---|---|
U.S. senators | ||
State government | ||
Senate |
| |
House |
| |
Supreme Court (appointed) |
|
Florida's current delegation to the United States Congress | |
---|---|
Senators |
|
Representatives (ordered by district) |
|
Current United States senators | ||
---|---|---|
President: ▌ Kamala Harris (D) ‧ President pro tempore: ▌ Patty Murray (D) | ||
| ||
|
United States senators from Florida | ||
---|---|---|
Class 1 | ||
Class 3 |
Governors of Florida | ||
---|---|---|
Military (1821) | ||
Territorial (1822–1845) | ||
State (since 1845) |
|
Republican Party nominees for governor of Florida (since 1953) | ||
---|---|---|
- 1952 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- 21st-century American businesspeople
- 21st-century Florida politicians
- 21st-century United States senators
- American adoptees
- American Christians
- American health care chief executives
- American venture capitalists
- Businesspeople from Florida
- Businesspeople from Kansas City, Missouri
- Dedman School of Law alumni
- Florida lawyers
- Florida Republicans
- HCA Healthcare people
- People from Naples, Florida
- People from North Kansas City, Missouri
- Politicians from Kansas City, Missouri
- Republican Party governors of Florida
- Republican Party United States senators from Florida
- Texas lawyers
- United States Navy sailors
- University of Missouri–Kansas City alumni