FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Local 10 News reporter Bob Norman spoke with newly-minted Broward Health CEO Beverly Capasso Thursday outside the public health system's corporate offices.
Capasso was named the health system’s CEO after she and several other Broward Health officials were indicted last month.
"Considering that you're under indictment, do you think it's proper that you should be the CEO of Broward Health?" Norman asked.
"So really, it's abundantly clear that I've done nothing wrong," Capasso said.
Capasso, who previously served as interim CEO, is under criminal indictment for violation of the state's Sunshine Laws after she allegedly secretly conspired with her co-defendants, Broward Health Chairman Rocky Rodriguez, General Counsel Lynn Barrett, Board Member Christopher Ure and former Board Member Linda Robison, to fire the previous CEO, Pauline Grant.
Capasso was then named interim CEO in a move in which Capasso voted for herself.
Despite the criminal charges, the board voted to make Capasso the permanent CEO after rejecting all the finalists in a national search.
Rodriguez cast the lone "no" vote, but the indicted Ure voted in favor of his co-defendant.
"Everyone in the community really knows that this was a sham from the beginning," former Broward Health Commissioner Joe Cobo said.
Cobo said the blame now falls on Gov. Rick Scott, who appoints the board and who decided not to suspend the indicted officials from office.
"They don't care," Cobo said. "They really don't care. They're above the law, and that's what they think -- they're above the law."
Capasso, who is currently making $650,000 a year, is set to negotiate her new contract in the coming days.
"I'm going to continue to run Broward Health (and) provide quality care for our patients while lessening our dependence on taxpayer subsidy," Capasso told Norman.
"What if you're convicted?" Norman asked.
Capasso did not respond to his final question.
Broward Health is funded with about $150 million in tax dollars a year.