BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – The Broward Health public healthcare system, which runs Broward Health Medical Center and four other hospitals, is under federal and state criminal investigation. A Broward County commissioner is also under fire for his role in allegedly pushing a $70 million no-bid advertising contract and threatening the late Broward Health CEO, who has since committed suicide.
"This is an unfactual allegation. It's a lie," commissioner Chip LaMarca told Local 10 News.
LaMarca is fighting back against accusations that he improperly lobbied the Broward Health district on behalf of his recent employer, Zimmerman Advertising, for a no-bid contract worth tens of millions of dollars.
He is also accused of threatening the late Broward Health CEO Nabil El Sanadi with his job if he didn't go along with it at a meeting at a Fort Lauderdale Waffle House last August that was also attended by Broward Health Vice President Doris Peek.
"I wouldn't threaten a friend," LaMarca said.
Peek reported to district attorneys that LaMarca was pushing for expanding the Zimmerman contract at the meeting.
"He invited me to the meeting at the Waffle House," LaMarca said.
Peek said LaMarca threatened El Sanadi at the meeting by saying, "I put you here. I can take you out."
"First of all, it's patently false. It's a lie. That did not happen. Nabil was a friend," LaMarca said.
El Sanadi shocked Broward County when he committed suicide in January.
While LaMarca admitted to speaking regularly with El Sanadi and then-Broward Health chairman David DiPietro, his very close friend and fellow GOP heavyweight, and attending a behind-closed-doors meeting at Broward Health regarding expanding the Zimmerman contract, he denied that he violated a county ethics rule that forbids him from lobbying local governments.
"I don't think I have any influence at Broward Health on the members," LaMarca said.
"But you're the best friend of the chairman of the board," Local 10 News investigative reporter Bob Norman said. "This looks like a political insider deal. Isn't your presence in a sense lobbying -- exerting influence politically?"
"Absolutely not," LaMarca said. "Categorically false. My job was community relations, and that's what did. I had no pull."
LaMarca no longer works for Zimmerman. He said he quit so he could cooperate with the investigation at Broward Health.
Peek refused refused to comment to Local 10 News about the investigation.