Explosive new charge in prison vendor lawsuit

First came allegations of illegal negotiations between Florida's prison system and a mental health care vendor. Then came a bid protest and a lawsuit charging violations of purchasing and public records laws. Now, this: the same vendor that brought the lawsuit, MHM Correctional Services, is raising the possibility that a top corrections official maneuvered to get a friend hired at the vendor being hired to replace MHM.

MHM attorney Chris Kise filed a response document in Leon County Circuit Court on Monday that says the prison system's assistant secretary for health care services, Dr. Sandeep Rahangdale, "may well have had a personal interest in contracting with CMS." Correctional Medical Services of St. Louis is the new vendor hired to take MHM's place in providing mental health care for about 18,000 inmates in South Florida's prisons.

Kise attached e-mail traffic between Rahangdale and Frank Fletcher, CMS' senior director of business development, in which the prison official writes: "Frank: Send requirements, pay range, etc. to (Rahangdale's private email address). I think I have a perfect fit for you and the state." Fletcher answers: "Thanks for the e-mail contact, I will be back in touch regarding a psychiatric director." (A previous post incorrectly said MHM got the emails from a public records request; the materials were obtained through discovery).

During that e-mail exchange, testimony in court showed, the Department of Corrections was finalizing a 120-day purchase order to begin utilizing CMS on July 1. Kise's lawsuit is asking a judge to block that purchase order award until MHM's bid protest is decided. The state had no immediate response to Kise's court filing, saying the agency had not yet seen the paperwork. 

In a statement, CMS spokesman Ken Fields called the allegation "nothing more than a desperate PR stunt that is completely baseless." He said MHM has had the e-mails "for weeks" but never raised "this false allegation in any hearing ... Instead, they have chosen to wait until the hearings are concluded and to make the assertion in the media."  

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Comments

[Who's on First?]

'Kise attached email traffic between Rahangdale and Frank Fletcher, MHM's senior director of business development, which the vendor obtained through a public records request. In it, Fletcher writes: "Thanks for the e-mail contact, I will be back in touch regarding a psychiatric director." '

You lost me there. I think you meant Fletcher works for CMS rather than MHM; makes a world of difference.

[Len]

Campaign reports are due in a few days. Look for those names in Charlie's column.

[kise please]

can we see the personal emails between kise and gov. crist and kise and lemieux?

[Scarface]

Anybody notice you never read stories about the mob anymore? Drug dealing, murdering thugs, sure. But you never read about goodfellas anymore.

[Tom]

This is getting good now. What's next for the Department of Corrections?

[Paul D. Harvill]

The case's interest becomes broader and broader.

[We're trying to keep a straight face.............]

This is getting good but so sad at the same time. How can the Department have no response because it hasn't seen the documents? That's laughable because the Department owns the emails!

[Look at the lawyer actually doing his homework.]

Chris Kise strikes again. Just when people think his happy go lucky thing means he isn't doing his homework, bam!!

[Louie the lugg]

4:52 Scarface, Sure we read news articles about the mob and the Goodfellas. They just are called legislators now a days. Legalized organized crime.

[Jean]

That's one messed up agency. Is the agency looking into the allegations? Don't they have an inspector general? What is the inspector general's response? Who cares what the spokesman has to say!

[The Late Great P.T. Barnum]

If I were still alive I would know where to go to find me some clowns. Any counselor who has the moxy to wear a bowtie should not be underestimated!

[Settlement Loans]

Legal organized crime; oh wait, nevermind, I ment the State Goverment.

Here's the funny thing. It's strictly a public relations move because Kise knew he was losing. As it is, his allegation is not material to the case and still doesn't deal with the issue that MHM failed the failed financial portion of the bity - and that, my friends, is a fact.

Rahagndale recommends one of his friends for a position. So what?

Does not a governor and his appointees recommend their own friends and associates for positions?

Do you really think that an $80 million - or whatever it was - contract was awarded so he could recommend an associate in a position?

Do you not think the same conversation would have been had with MHM?

That doesn't even pass the laugh test.

This is a non-story put out by someone on the losing side of a case.

As I said, not material, but a fun read that bashes a good man who gave up a lucrative private medical career to serve taxpayers.

[yawn]

Here's the funny thing. It's strictly a public relations move because Kise knew he was losing. As it is, his allegation is not material to the case and still doesn't deal with the issue that MHM failed the failed financial portion of the bity - and that, my friends, is a fact.

Rahagndale recommends one of his friends for a position. So what?

Does not a governor and his appointees recommend their own friends and associates for positions?

Do you really think that an $80 million - or whatever it was - contract was awarded so he could recommend an associate in a position?

Do you not think the same conversation would have been had with MHM?

That doesn't even pass the laugh test.

This is a non-story put out by someone on the losing side of a case.

As I said, not material, but a fun read that bashes a good man who gave up a lucrative private medical career to serve taxpayers.

[Let's see]

6:30, that's the kind of attitude that gets agencies in trouble. No need to repeat yourself.

[Tommy the Thug]

Y'know, a smart fella could make a whole bunch of moola on these prisons and nobody would notice - or even care about it! Waste management. Canteen. Food service. Prison industry. And now MENTAL HEALTH! (Ain't dat one rich!) All you need is somebody on the inside to pull the strings. It's tax supported so the money never runs out - and the law gives you cover so nobody gets hoit. It's better than bootleg booze! Lot of opportunity now that the state does that thing...oh what is is...oh, yeah, OUTSOURCING.

[Indeed, no need to repeat yourself.]

No one gives up a lucrative private practice to do any in state government without something waiting for them on the other side. History in Florida state government is littered with examples. Nice try at justification, Dept. of Corrections employee.

Not justifying; merely stating facts. MHM failed the financial portion of the bid, but not content with losing $80 million it hires attorney, lawyers, and pr folks to undermind a legitimate bid process.

And since they will likely lose they'll drag an innocent bystandard's name through the mud. Why? Because it's easy and plants seeds of distrust when the agency has been trying to keep the process open.

MHM on the stand couldn't show what harm was going to be caused by not getting the contract.

Indeed, MHM simply couldn't put up a good argument.

And when you can't when an argument, just slash and burn.

[?]

Spell much?

[9:34]

I assume you're one of the Department of Corrections attorneys working on the case. How did the Department keep the process open? Hasn't the Department already been found guilty of violating public records laws and negotiating in secret?

[Beyond absurd]

You know what they say about assuming, but while we're at it, I assume you're one of the paid hacks funded by MHM to trash people.

Look, MHM failed the bid process by failing the financial portion of the process. MHM didn't even challenge that and couldn't substantiate how harm would come to inmates by not getting the contract.

And when all else failed, Kise - after he has had the information all this while and did nothing with it because he knew it wasn't material to the claim released it to the media for the shock value. In addition, it was filed AFTER closing arguments and wasn't even a point.

He's just trying to trash a good man in order to score points for and with his clients. The only losers are the taxpayers who are paying for this waste of time.

[&]

The new chief of staff will save the day - just ask her.

[beyond absurd]

Bonnie Rogers is not up to this and proved it the past two months since she has been here. Rick Davis should have been the Corrections chief of staff.