Look up Grayson in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Grayson may refer to:

People[link]

Surname[link]

• Alan Grayson (born 1958), former Congressman from Florida's 8th congressional district
• Andrew Jackson Grayson (1819–1869), American ornithologist and artist
• Bette Grayson (c. 1920–1954), American actress
• Bobby Grayson (1914–1981), American football player
• Bradley Grayson (born 1993), footballer
• C. Jackson Grayson (born 1923), American businessman and head of the US Price Commission (1971-73)
• Cary Travers Grayson (1878–1938), U.S. Navy surgeon
• David Grayson (disambiguation), several persons
• Devin K. Grayson, American comic book writer
• Frances Wilson Grayson (died 1927), American flyer
• Henry Grayson (1865–1951), English shipbuilder
• Henry Joseph Grayson (1856–1918), English scientist
• G. B. Grayson (1887–1930), American old-time fiddle player
• Jack Grayson, American country music artist
• Jeffrey Grayson (1942–2009), founder and former CEO of Capital Consultants
• John B. Grayson (1806–1861), U.S. Army officer
• Kathryn Grayson (1922–2010), American singer and actress
• Kevin Grayson (born 1988), American football player
• Larry Grayson (1923–1995), British television personality and gameshow host
• Neil Grayson (born 1964), English footballer
• Paul Grayson (cricketer) (born 1971), former English cricketer
• Paul Grayson (rugby union) (born 1971), English rugby union coach
• Ralph Grayson (1921–1991), American scientist and engineer
• Richard Grayson (disambiguation), several persons
• Simon Grayson (born 1969), British football player and manager
• Trey Grayson (born 1972), Secretary of State of Kentucky
• Victor Grayson (1881–1920), British socialist politician
• Wayne Grayson (born 1974), American voice actor
• William Grayson (disambiguation), several persons

Given name[link]

• Grayson Boucher (born 1984), basketball player
• Grayson Burne, British sprint canoer
• Grayson Hall (1922–1985), actress
• Grayson Perry (born 1960), British artist

Characters[link]

• Grayson (Highlander)
• Amanda Grayson, the mother of Spock in the science fiction series Star Trek
• Debbie Grayson, a fictional character
• Dick Grayson, the civilian identity of the original Robin in comics, the current Batman
• Mark Grayson, the civilian identity of the comic book superhero Invincible

Places[link]

Canada[link]

• Grayson, Saskatchewan
• Grayson No. 184, Saskatchewan, a rural municipality

United States[link]

• Grayson, California
• Grayson, Georgia
  • Grayson High School
• Grayson, Kentucky
• Grayson, Louisiana
• Grayson, North Carolina
• Grayson, Oklahoma
• Grayson County (disambiguation)

Other uses[link]

• Grayson (film) (2004), fan film trailer
• Grayson (Honorverse), planet in David Weber's Honorverse
• Grayson County College, a community college
• Grayson Lake, a 1,500 acres (6.1 km²) reservoir
• Grayson Stadium, a stadium in Savannah, Georgia

See also[link]

• All pages beginning with "Grayson"
• All pages with titles containing "Grayson"

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Alan Grayson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 8th district
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Ric Keller
Succeeded by	Daniel Webster
Personal details
Born	Alan Mark Grayson (1958-03-13) March 13, 1958 (age 54) The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Lolita Grayson
Children	5
Residence	Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater	Harvard University
Profession	Attorney
Religion	Judaism[1][2]
Website	Grayson for Congress

Alan Mark Grayson (born March 13, 1958) is a former U.S. Representative for Florida's 8th congressional district, serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district Grayson represented lies in central Florida and includes portions of Orange Lake, Marion, and Osceola Counties. Most of Orlando is in the district, including Walt Disney World. Grayson was defeated for re-election in 2010 by Republican Daniel Webster.^[3]

Early life and education[link]

Grayson was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, United States, to a Jewish family, the son of Dorothy Ann (née Sabin) and Daniel Franklin Grayson.^[4][5] He graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1975 and worked his way through Harvard College as a janitor and nightwatchman, graduating in 1978 in the top two percent of his class, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with an A.B. in economics.^[6][7] After working two years as an economist, he returned to Harvard for graduate studies.^[2] In 1983, he earned a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and a Masters of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Additionally, he completed the course work and passed the general exams for a PhD in government.^[6][8]

Grayson wrote his masters thesis on gerontology and in 1986, he helped found the non-profit Alliance for Aging Research (AAR) in Washington, D.C., and served as an officer of the organization for more than twenty years.^[9]

Law career[link]

Grayson was employed as a law clerk at the Colorado Supreme Court in 1983,^[10] and at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals from 1984 to 1985, where he worked with two judges who later joined the U.S. Supreme Court: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia.^[2] He was an associate at the Washington D.C. firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson for five years, where he specialized in contract law.

In 1991 he founded the law firm Grayson, Kubli which concentrated on government contract law. He was a lecturer at the George Washington University government contracts program and a frequent speaker on the topic.^[8] In the 2000s, he worked as a plaintiffs' attorney specializing in whistleblower fraud cases aimed at Iraq war contractors. One contractor, Custer Battles, employed individuals who were found guilty of making fraudulent statements and submitting fraudulent invoices on two contracts the company had with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.^[11][12] On behalf of his clients, Grayson filed suit under the False Claims Act and its qui tam provisions.^[11] The jury verdict was more than $13 million, which was upheld on appeal in April 2009. The case remains the only successful prosecution of those who profited illegally from the war in Iraq. The Iraq war contractor fraud case brought Grayson his first national attention.^[13] In 2006, a Wall Street Journal reporter described Grayson as "waging a one-man war against contractor fraud in Iraq" and as a "fierce critic of the war in Iraq" whose car displayed bumper stickers such as "Bush lied, people died".^[14]

President of IDT Corp.[link]

Grayson made his fortune as the first president of IDT Corporation (International Discount Telecom), which pioneered competition and discount pricing in the long-distance telecommunications industry and became a $2-billion-a-year Fortune 1000 company.^[9][15]

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Grayson is considered a progressive Democrat and he represented a district that was historically Republican. He supported Barack Obama in 2008. He was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, of which he was vice-chairman.^[16]

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
• Committee on Science and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

Legislation head sponsored by Grayson[link]

• Pay for Performance Act (H.R. 1664)
• Public Option Act (H.R. 4789)
• War Is Making You Poor Act (H.R. 5353)
• Shareholder Protection Act (H.R. 4790)
• Paid Vacation Act of 2009 (H.R. 2564)

Political positions[link]

Federal Reserve transparency[link]

During his first term in office, Grayson supported Ron Paul's Audit the Fed legislation.^[17] Grayson gained attention for exchanges with Federal Reserve System Vice Chairman Donald Kohn and Inspector General Elizabeth A. Coleman.^[18] The 5-minute examination of Coleman in the House Financial Services Committee was posted on the Grayson's official YouTube page. As of December 2010, it has been viewed more than 4 million times.^[19]

Following the AIG bonus payments controversy, Grayson joined with fellow freshman Democrat Jim Himes of Connecticut to introduce the Grayson-Himes Pay for Performance Act, legislation to require that all bonuses paid by companies that had received funds under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 be "based on performance".^[20] The bill was co-sponsored by eight other members of the House. On March 26, the bill was approved by the House Financial Services Committee by a vote of 38–22 and on April 1, the bill was passed by the full House of Representatives by a vote of 247–171.^[21]

Grayson was a co-sponsor of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009, which would provide additional provisions to audit the Federal Reserve, including removing several key exemptions.^[22]

Economic stimulus[link]

Grayson made it a priority to increase the amount of federal money coming back to the 8th Congressional District. He often said that people in the 8th District have been "exporting taxes and importing debt." During his first year in office, the amount of federal grant dollars returning to the district nearly doubled (98 percent increase).^[23][24] Grayson established a grant notification system that notifies subscribers immediately when a federal grant opportunity in their areas of interest becomes available. He also hired a full-time grants coordinator who focused solely on helping people navigate the federal grants process.

Grayson twice broke ranks with Democratic leadership and joined Republicans to oppose the raising of the federal debt limit (Roll no. 46, 2/4/10, Roll no. 988 12/16/09). He said at the time of the February vote, "We need to live within our means. We need to eliminate wasteful spending. If we did those two simple things, we would not need to raise the debt limit."^[25]

Grayson supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and has been outspoken in favor of extending unemployment benefits for Americans who have lost their jobs. Grayson argues that the government has never cut off unemployment insurance when the unemployment rate was higher than eight percent. Grayson also voted for the FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products, which gives the FDA power to regulate tobacco products.

On a September 2009 Alex Jones Show segment, Grayson criticized Federal Reserve Chair Bernanke's senior adviser Linda Robertson, saying "Here I am the only member of Congress who actually worked as an economist, this lobbyist, this K-Street whore, is trying to teach me about economics!"^[26][27] Robertson had previously worked as a lobbyist for Enron.^[28] Grayson's language was widely criticized as inappropriate,^[29] and Grayson apologized.^[28]

Health care reform[link]

In response to Republican arguments that the Obama administration's preferred health care bill was too long and complicated, Grayson on March 9, 2010, introduced H.R. 4789, the Public Option Act (sometimes called the Medicare You Can Buy Into Act), a short four-page bill which would allow all citizens and permanent residents of the United States to buy into the public Medicare program at cost.^[30] The bill attracted 82 co-sponsors and was referred to the Ways and Means Committee.

Grayson later voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act^[31] and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.^[32] He voted in support of Eliminating Adjustments of Medicare Rates of Payment. He also voted against Republican substitutes for the health care amendment and insurance law amendments.^[33]

Civil rights[link]

Grayson voted in support of the Hate Crimes Expansion Act, which expands the definition of hate crimes and strengthens enforcement of hate crime laws. He also voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Grayson supported the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that allows victims of wage discrimination to sue for punitive damages.^[33]

Environment[link]

Grayson voted for the House's 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act (also known as the Cap and Trade Bill). The bill would provide for a $50 million "Hurricane Research Center" in Central Florida, and Grayson claimed it would immediately generate new jobs.^[34] Grayson noted after the passage of the ACES Act his concern about our dependence on foreign oil, the need to promote green technologies and renewable energy sources, and the job creation from the bill (an estimated 95,000 jobs in Florida). "This bill unleashes American ingenuity to solve the energy crisis. It lets us solve our problems by being Americans and thinking our way out of it. We will become an international energy power," he said in a news release.

The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico affected Florida's number one industry, which is tourism. The lack of a relief well prevented company officials from shutting down the leak immediately. Instead, it took months to drill a new relief well, while millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf each week.^[35] In response, Grayson introduced the Emergency Relief Well Act (H.R. 5666). It requires that an emergency relief well be drilled at the same time as any new exploratory well.

Defense[link]

Grayson has been an outspoken critic of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In May 2010, he introduced the "War Is Making You Poor Act" (H.R. 5353). The bill requires the President to fund the wars from the Department of Defense's FY '11 base budget of $550 billion. It uses the $159 billion in "supplemental funding" to eliminate federal income taxes for everyone's first $35,000 a year. The bill does not necessitate an end to the wars or mandate a cut-off date. In addition to the tax cuts, the bill cuts the federal deficit by $15.9 billion.^[36]

Grayson has tried to combat wasteful spending by government defense contractors by introducing his "Gold Plating Amendment." The amendment requires that cost or price account for half of the evaluation of bids for defense contracts. The law at the time allowed for cost to account for only one percent of the evaluation. The amendment passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647) in June 2009. However, the language was stripped from the final bill during the conference committee between Senate and House leaders. Grayson worked successfully to get the amendment inserted into the IMPROVE Acquisition Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on April 28, 2010.^[37]

Grayson voted for the 2009–2010 Defense Appropriations, which authorizes $681 billion of appropriations for the Department of Defense.^[38] He also supported the 2009–2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations, which provided $46.18 billion in appropriations for 2009–2010.^[39]

Combating federal waste, fraud, and abuse[link]

Grayson has worked to combat federal waste, fraud, and abuse. In the September 6, 2009 edition of The New York Times, columnist Gretchen Morgenson thanked Grayson for uncovering the fact that, due to the federal bailout of mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae, taxpayer money had been funding the legal defense fees for former top executives at the institution. Grayson requested information about these legal costs after a June 2009 hearing of the House Financial Services Committee. Grayson's work uncovered that, between September 6, 2008 and July 21, 2009, taxpayers spent $6.3 million defending Fannie Mae executives Franklin Raines, J. Timothy Howard, and Leanne Spencer. Taxpayers paid an additional $16.8 million to cover legal expenses of workers at the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Fannie’s former regulator.^[40]

In September 2009, Grayson used a parliamentary maneuver called an “extension of remarks” to provide crucial instruction on H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, a bill that, among other things, included a provision that prohibited funding for ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). Grayson’s extension of remarks directed that the legislation defund any organization that cheats the federal government, not just ACORN. The defunding measure passed the House with a final vote of 253–171.^[37] Grayson also encouraged the public to report companies covered by the bill and set up a method to report offending companies via his Congressional web site.^[41]

“Teach the Constitution Week”[link]

On September 14, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Grayson’s “Teach the Constitution Week” resolution (H.Res. 686). The bill urged high schools to spend one week each September teaching the United States Constitution to high school seniors and also encouraged students to petition the government on an issue of personal importance to them to demonstrate their understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States. The non-partisan resolution was passed by a voice vote and featured 222 co-sponsors.^[37][42][43]

New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act[link]

On the 40th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Grayson’s New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2009 (H.R. 2245). The bill asked the President to present Congress’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, to Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins, as well as John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Only about 200 medals have ever been awarded in the country’s history. The New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2009 passed the House unanimously on July 20, 2009.^[44][45]

Controversial public remarks[link]

Grayson quickly gained a reputation as an elected official who was "not shy about his opinions."^[46] He was unrestrained in his criticism of right-wing positions, politicians, and pundits, particularly those employed by and/or frequently appearing on Fox News Channel.^[13] His sharp characterizations in public remarks earned him national attention both positive and negative.

Health care[link]

In September 2009, during the debates leading to the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act by the House in November, Grayson summed up the "Republican health care plan" as "'Don't get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly.'"^[47] His remarks were widely condemned by Republican politicians but, according to Grayson, were well received by his constituents. Grayson reported that his comments resulted in over 5,000 campaign contributions and that the positive emails he received outnumbered the negative ones by a four-to-one margin;^{[48][49][50][51]} the comments also generated funds from the Democratic National Committee towards his upcoming 2010 campaign race.^[51][52] Grayson raised $347,000 for his reelection campaign during the third quarter, much of it attributed to his remarks.^[53][54]

He defended his comment and in a House Floor speech stated, “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America." Grayson, who is Jewish, apologized to the Anti-defamation League for those offended by his generic use of "holocaust".^[55][56][57] He also maintained that Congressional Republicans have failed to offer a feasible plan.^[58][59] In October 2009 he launched www.NamesOfTheDead.com, a website to "memorialize Americans who die because they don’t have health insurance." He subsequently read stories of the dead submitted through the Names of the Dead site on the House floor.^[60]

Political campaigns[link]

Grayson is the second Democrat to represent this district since its formation after the 1970 census (it was the 5th District from 1973 to 1993 and has been the 8th District since 1993). The only other Democrat to represent this district, Bill Gunter, gave it up after only one term to run for the United States Senate in 1974.

2006[link]

In 2006, Grayson first entered into electoral politics, losing the 2006 Democratic primary for Florida's 8th Congressional District to Charlie Stuart, a prominent local businessman and center-right Democrat.^[61] Stuart went on to lose the general election to incumbent Republican Ric Keller.^[62] In late 2007, Grayson announced that he would run again for the 8th District seat, and again faced Stuart in the primary. During the primary, his campaign retained the services of Bill Hillsman.

2008[link]

In the August 26, 2008 Democratic primary, Grayson prevailed, receiving 48.5 percent of the vote. Stuart trailed with 27.5 percent, with three other candidates splitting the remaining 24 percent.^[63] During the general election campaign, Grayson maintained a consistent lead over Keller, who had barely eked out renomination in the Republican primary over attorney Todd Long. On Election Day, Grayson received 172,854 votes, or 52 percent, to Keller's 159,490 votes, or 48 percent.^[64] Although Keller won three out of four counties in the district, Grayson won by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent in Orange County, home to Orlando and by far the largest county in the district. Grayson was also helped by a massive voter registration drive by the Democratic Party in the 8th District that gave Democrats a slight edge in registered voters.

2010[link]

Grayson was challenged by Republican nominee Daniel Webster, Florida TEA Party nominee Peg Dunmire, Independent candidate George Metcalfe, and write-in Florida Whig Party candidate Steve Gerritzen.^[65]

Grayson ran a September 2010, commercial calling Webster a "draft-dodger,"^[66] (Webster had received student deferments and a draft classification as medically unfit for service),^[67] and a later 30-second commercial calling Webster "Taliban Dan" and warning viewers that "Religious fanatics try to take away our freedom, in Afghanistan, in Iran and right here in Central Florida."^[68] Grayson's ads were criticized for editing video mid-sentence to make Webster appear to be saying things he did not say.^[69][70] Grayson released a toned-down version without the edited video or Taliban references in early October.^[71][72]

Grayson was targeted by conservatives and conservative groups in commercials and the media, and on the Internet. On Glenn Beck's radio show, Sarah Palin agreed with a co-host's remark, "It’s okay if the Republicans lose every seat in the Senate and the House except for one. As long as that one is Alan Grayson losing."^[73] Conservative Newsweek columnist George Will called Grayson "America's worst politician."^[74] Grayson was also heavily targeted in attack ads funded by groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the 60 Plus Association.^[75] The Chamber of Commerce ads were in turn criticized by Grayson and his supporters as "deeply dishonest".^{[citation needed]}

Grayson was endorsed by 8th District resident, former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder (D-CO), who characterized Webster as having "13th-century views" on women's issues.^[76] Former DNC Chair and Vermont governor Howard Dean called Grayson a "healthcare hero."^[77] Grayson received more votes for "progressive hero" from Democracy for America than any other candidate in the country.^[78] Moveon.org, in an appeal to its members, termed Grayson "a populist hero who's never afraid to call out the pernicious corporate influence in Washington."^{[citation needed]}

Grayson conceded the race on the evening of November 2 after Webster showed a clear lead.^[79] Election results were: Grayson 38 percent Webster 56 percent^[80]

2012[link]

On the evening of July 11, 2011, Grayson announced in an e-mail to supporters that he planned to run once again for Congress.^[81] Grayson was the only Democrat running in a newly-created Democratic-oriented District (renumbered as the 9th) in Central Florida as of February 2012. The district's voters are 42% Hispanic and could favor a Hispanic Democrat if one sought the party's nomination.^[82] The new District, one of two newly created due to population growth, was designed for the Hispanic population of Central Florida.^[83]

Personal life[link]

Grayson was ranked as the 11th-wealthiest member of Congress in 2010, based on financial disclosure forms with a minimum net worth of $31.41 million, according to Roll Call.^[84] Grayson disclosed that his attorney fees and costs for the war contractor case had exceeded $4 million.^[12][14]

While pursuing the whistleblower cases, Grayson worked from a home office in Orlando, where he lives with his wife and five children.^[13]

Grayson reportedly ran a red light on his way to a fundraiser in downtown Orlando on March 10, 2012, entering cross traffic and striking a Lynx bus. Three passengers on the bus were hospitalized with minor injuries and Grayson's 2009 Mercedes Benz was severely damaged, but he and his passenger were not hurt. Police issued a citation to Grayson, who said he did not know what color the light was when he entered the intersection.^[85][86]

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Alan Grayson on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons
	Quotations from Wikiquote

• Alan Grayson for U.S. Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Alan Grayson: "Bipartisanship Has Become Code Word for Appeasement" – video report by Democracy Now!

Rick Scott
45th Governor of Florida
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2011
Lieutenant	Jennifer Carroll
Preceded by	Charlie Crist
Personal details
Born	(1952-12-01) December 1, 1952 (age 59) Bloomington, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Ann Scott (née Frances Annette Holland)
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Missouri, Kansas City Southern Methodist University
Profession	Lawyer; business executive
Religion	Evangelical Christian
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1971–1974[1]
Rank	Petty officer, third class[2]
Unit	USS Glover

Richard Lynn "Rick" Scott (born December 1, 1952) is a businessman and the 45th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Florida. He served in the U.S. Navy and then went into business. He earned a business degree and law degree and joined a Dallas firm where he became partner. His net worth was almost $219 million USD in 2010, but by 2011 was estimated at $103 million.^[3] He spent an estimated $75 million of his own money on his successful 2010 run for Governor of Florida.

In 1987, at age 34, he co-founded Columbia Hospital Corporation with two business partners; this merged with Hospital Corporation of America in 1989 to form Columbia/HCA and eventually became the largest private for-profit health care company in the U.S. He resigned as Chief Executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997 amid a controversy over the company's business and Medicare billing practices; the company ultimately admitted to fourteen felonies and agreed to pay the federal government over $600 million; Scott was not implicated.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} Scott later became a venture capitalist.

Scott announced his intention to run for Governor of Florida in 2010. He defeated Bill McCollum in the Republican primary election and defeated Democrat Alex Sink in a close race in the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election.^[9]

Early life and education[link]

Rick Scott was born in Bloomington, Illinois, the second of five children born to financially struggling parents. He was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, where his father, Orba Scott, was a truck driver, and his mother, Esther, worked as a clerk at J.C. Penney, among other jobs.^[10] Scott graduated from high school in 1970, and then attended one year of community college after which he enlisted in the United States Navy. He was in the Navy for 29 months^[11] and served on the USS Glover as a radar technician. He attended college on the GI Bill, later graduating from the University of Missouri–Kansas City with a bachelor's degree in business administration and earned a law degree by working his way through Southern Methodist University.^[12]

In 1972, he married his high school sweetheart, Frances Annette "Ann" Holland; they have two daughters.^[10] They live in Naples and are founding members of Naples Community Church.^[13]

Early business career[link]

Scott made his first foray into business while working his way through college and law school, initially buying and reviving two Kansas City donut shops. After graduating from law school, Scott practiced law in Dallas, Texas. He was a partner at Johnson & Swanson, which was the largest law firm in Dallas at that time. A major client was Tom Hicks of HM Capital Partners.^{[citation needed]}

Scott history at Columbia Hospital Corporation[link]

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.^[14] With financing from Citicorp conditional on acquisition of HCA,^[15] 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.^[16] However, HCA declined the offer, and the bid was withdrawn.^[17]

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,^[18] and borrowed the remaining money needed to purchase two struggling hospitals in El Paso for $60 million.^[19] Then they acquired a neighboring hospital and shut it down. Within a year, the remaining two were doing much better.^[11] By the end of 1989, Columbia Hospital Corporation owned four hospitals with a total of 833 beds.^[19]

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.^[20] At the time, Galen had approximately 90 hospitals. After the purchase, Galen stockholders had 82 percent of the stock in the combined company, with Scott still running the company.^[19]

In 1994, Columbia purchased Scott's former acquisition target, HCA, which had approximately 100 hospitals. In 1995, Columbia purchased Healthtrust, which had approximately 80 hospitals, primarily in rural communities. By 1997, Columbia/HCA had become the world's largest health care provider with more than 340 hospitals, 130 surgery centers, and 550 home health locations in 38 states and two foreign countries. With annual revenues in excess of $23 billion, the company employed more than 285,000 people, making it the seventh largest U.S. employer and the twelfth largest employer worldwide. Based on market capitalization, Columbia ranked in the top 50 companies in America and top 100 worldwide. That same year, the company was recognized by Business Week magazine as one of the 50 Best Performing Companies of the S&P 500.^{[citation needed]}

Columbia/HCA fraud case details[link]

On March 19, 1997, investigators from the FBI, 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.^[21] The Columbia/HCA board of directors pressured Scott to resign as Chairman and CEO following the inquiry.^[22] He was paid $9.88 million in a settlement. He also left owning 10 million shares of stock worth over $350 million.^[23][24][25] In 1999, Columbia/HCA changed its name back to HCA, Inc.

In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA pled guilty to 14 felonies and agreed to a $600+ million fine in the largest fraud settlement in US 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. They also admitted 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. They filed false cost reports, fraudulently billing Medicare for home health care workers, and paid kickbacks in the sale of home health agencies and to doctors to refer patients. In addition, they gave doctors "loans" never intending to be repaid, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

In late 2002, HCA agreed to pay the U.S. government $631 million, plus interest, and pay $17.5 million to state Medicaid agencies, in addition to $250 million paid up to that point to resolve outstanding Medicare expense claims.^[26] In all, civil law suits cost HCA more than $2 billion to settle, by far the largest fraud settlement in US history.^[27]

Venture capitalist[link]

After his departure from Columbia/HCA in 1997, Scott launched Richard L. Scott Investments, based in Naples, Florida (originally in Stamford, Connecticut^[28]), which has stakes in health care, manufacturing and technology companies. Between 1998 and 2001, Scott purchased 50% of CyberGuard Corporation for approximately $10 million. Among his investors was Metro Nashville finance director David Manning.^[28] In 2006, CyberGuard was sold to Secure Computing for over $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 Continental Structural Plastics the largest industrial composites molder in North America. In 2005-06, Scott provided the initial round of funding of $3 million to Alijor.com, 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.^[29] The company was founded with his daughter Allison.^[28] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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, one of baseball's legendary minor league owners.^[30]

America's Health Network (AHN)[link]

In July 1997, Columbia/HCA Healthcare purchased 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 Vanderwater were terminated, which caused the immediate layoffs of more than 250 people in Orlando. Later that same year, Scott became majority owner of AHN.^[31]

In 1998, Scott and former Columbia/HCA Healthcare President David Vandewater were the leaders in a group of investors that 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.^[32]

In mid-1999 AHN merged with Fit TV, a subsidiary of Fox; the combination was renamed The Health Network.^[33] Later that year, in a deal between News Corp., the owner of Fox Network, 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, Fox regained 100% ownership.^[34] 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 percent equity stake in Discovery Health.^[35]

Solantic[link]

Solantic, based in Jacksonville, Florida, was co-founded in 2001 by Rick Scott and Karen Bowling, a former television anchor whom Scott met after Columbia bought what is now Memorial Hospital (in Jacksonville, Florida) in 1995.^[10] 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 room 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.^[10] 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.^[36] As of March 2009, Solantic had 24 centers, all located in Florida.^[37]

Solantic was the target of an employment discrimination suit, which 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." ^[38]

Pharmaca[link]

In 2003, Scott invested $5.5 million in Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacies,^[39] which operates drugstores/pharmacies that offer vitamins, herbal medicine, skin products, homeopathic medicines, and prescriptions. Other investors in Pharmaca include Tom Stemberg, founder and former CEO of Staples, and Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot.

Other work[link]

In the 1990s, Scott was a partner of George W. Bush as co-owner of the Texas Rangers.^[40]

Political career[link]

Conservatives for Patients' Rights[link]

In 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.^[41] As of March, Scott had given about $5 million for a planned $20 million ad campaign by CPR.^[42] CPR opposes the broad outlines of President Obama's health-care plans and has hired Creative Response Concepts (CRC), a public relations firm which previously worked with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth among others.

2010 Florida gubernatorial campaign[link]

Scott ran against Democratic nominee Alex Sink.^[43] On April 9, 2010, Scott announced his candidacy for the 2010 Republican Party nomination for Governor of Florida.^[44] Susie Wiles, former communications chief to Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, served as his 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.^[45] Scott's first video advertisement was released to YouTube on April 13.^[46]

During the primary campaign, Scott's opponent, Bill McCollum, made an issue of Scott's role at Columbia/HCA. Scott countered that the FBI never targeted him. Marc Caputo of 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.^[47] Scott won the August primary with approximately 47% percent of the vote, compared to 43% voting for McCollum, with McCollum conceding the race after midnight. By the October 25, 2010 Tampa debate between Scott and Alex Sink, Scott had spent $60 million of his own money on the campaign compared to Democratic opponent Alex Sink's reported $28 million.^[48] The Fort Myers News Press quoted Scott as saying in total he spent $78 million of his own money on the campaign, although other figures indicate he spent slightly over $75 million. He won in the general election for Governor of Florida, defeating Sink by around 68,000 votes, or 1.29%.^[49] He assumed office as the 45th Governor of Florida on January 4, 2011.

Redistricting amendments[link]

In the 2010 elections, Florida voters passed constitutional amendments banning gerrymandering of congressional and legislative districts.^[50] 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 have an impact on minority representation. Scott said he wants to make sure that redistricting is done properly.^[51] Several advocacy groups sued Scott in federal court to compel Scott to resubmit the acts to the Justice Department.^[52] Richard Pildes, a professor of constitutional law and expert on election law at New York University School of Law, called Scott's actions "extraordinary" because Scott was "essentially using a federal law obligation that binds the states to attempt to avoid enforcing a state law that he apparently would prefer the state had not adopted."^[53]

Rejection of federal funding for high-speed rail[link]

On February 16, 2011, Scott rejected $2.3 billion in federal funding to develop high-speed rail between Tampa and Orlando. Scott cited concerns about ridership and cost overruns.^[54] In response, a veto-proof majority in the Florida Senate approved a letter rebuking Scott and asking the Department of Transportation to continue funding.^[55][56] On February 18, United States Senators from Rhode Island Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse sent a letter to Ray LaHood, the United States Secretary of Transportation, to ask LaHood to redirect some of the rail funding intended for Florida to Rhode Island. Reed and Whitehouse said the money would improve Rhode Island's rail system and provide jobs in the state.^[57]

On March 1, 2011, two state senators filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court to compel Scott to accept the rail funds on the grounds Scott lacked constitutional authority to reject funds which had been approved by a prior legislature.^[58] On March 4, the Florida Supreme Court held that Scott's rejection of the rail funds did not violate the Florida Constitution.^[59]

Port of Miami development[link]

Following his rejection of Central Florida's High Speed Rail project, Scott moved to have the Florida Department of Transportation amend its work plan to include $77 million for dredging the Port of Miami 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.^[60]

Florida law requiring drug screening for welfare applicants[link]

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.^[61] 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". 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."^[62] However preliminary figures show that just 2.5% of applicants tested positive for drugs, with 2% declining to take the test, while the Justice Department estimates that around 6% of Americans overall do drugs.^{[63][dead link]}

Election history[link]

2010 Florida Gubernatorial race[link]

Source: Florida Division of Elections

Other[link]

• Member of the National Board of the United Way, 1997^[65] to 2003.^[66]
• Time Magazine, America's 25 Most Influential People, June 1996^[11]
• Financial World magazine, silver award for the CEO of the Year, 1995^[67]
• Columbia University, School of Nursing, Second Century Award for Excellence in Health Care, 1995^[67]

References[link]