Orlando attorney John Morgan recently offered to file a lawsuit on behalf of the state of Florida, seeking damages to the state and its residents caused by Florida's notoriously unworkable unemployment website.
"Gov. DeSantis, turn me and my team loose, my business trial group loose, and we will recover that money for the state of Florida," said Morgan in a Facebook video he posted on May 5. "You know what I'll charge you to do this? Zero. Nothing. Put every single penny back in your pocket and in the pocket of the unemployed."
Calling it "an offer to the state of Florida and Gov. DeSantis that cannot be refused," Morgan asked DeSantis to let his team attempt to retrieve the $77 million that Scott's administration paid multinational company Deloitte to build the Connect system, which has been deemed the worst in the country.According to the Florida Statutes, Morgan can in fact sue on behalf of the state. Title XIX, regarding Procurement of Personal Property and Services, states Florida can contract private firms, but only with prior written approval from the state's attorney general, Ashley Moody.
In his Facebook video, Morgan tells DeSantis to reach out to him via cellphone and suggests getting his number from Florida Senate President José Oliva. There's no word yet on whether the two have spoken, but it would be up to DeSantis to begin the process.
Before accepting Morgan's offer, the governor's office would have to first request the lawsuit be taken up by the state's Department of Legal Affairs, which Moody could then decline due to staffing costs, expertise "or other legal or economic considerations."
Moody would essentially have to issue a statement saying her office's services cannot be provided, or that using a private attorney would be more cost-effective.
We reached out to the communications office of the Attorney General to see if anything has been filed in reference to Morgan's offer of free legal representation. As of May 13, her office had no records filed from Morgan or his team, or from the governor.Mattox, who is going after Deloitte in a lawsuit similar to Morgan's proposed one, called Morgan's lawsuit a "fantastic idea," however, she said, it wasn't going to do the citizens of Florida who have attempted to use the unemployment system any good.
"It's going to put money back into state commerce, but it's not going to provide immediate relief to anyone," Mattox said.Furthering the frustrations of Floridians seeking unemployment benefits right now, many are being denied eligibility for state benefits when they are in fact eligible. The DEO offers some reasons for a claim to be denied (like making money in another state or the inability to verify an applicant's identity), but says that anyone denied who applied before April 5 can reapply for unemployment benefits again.
In a news conference, the Department of Management Services Secretary, John Satter – who took over the coronavirus unemployment response on April 15, from DEO director Ken Lawson – said, "certainly, if someone is eligible for benefits they are going to receive those benefits. ... No one is going to be out money."
Scott has yet to comment on the Florida unemployment system that current Gov. DeSantis calls a "jalopy" in a press conference. One of his advisers called it a "shit sandwich" in April.
Orlando's best-known attorney for many reasons, Morgan often uses social media as a vehicle to announce he's putting money behind a cause – and he does often follow through, as with his fights to legalize medicinal and recreational cannabis.
July 2019, he spent $1 million to fight for a higher minimum wage in Florida. During the October 2018 gubernatorial election, Morgan endorsed DeSantis’ Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, but then in 2019 threatened to sue Gillum if he ran again.
At the end of his video, Morgan declared, "free legal, for the people," before praising DeSantis' highly criticized efforts in the handling of the unemployment system amid the coronavirus pandemic.We welcome readers to submit letters regarding articles and content in Orlando Weekly. Letters should be a minimum of 150 words, refer to content that has appeared on Orlando Weekly, and must include the writer's full name, address, and phone number for verification purposes. No attachments will be considered. Writers of letters selected for publication will be notified via email. Letters may be edited and shortened for space.
Email us at feedback@orlandoweekly.com.
Orlando Weekly works for you, and your support is essential.
Our small but mighty local team works tirelessly to bring you high-quality, uncensored news and cultural coverage of Central Florida.
Unlike many newspapers, ours is free – and we'd like to keep it that way, because we believe, now more than ever, everyone deserves access to accurate, independent coverage of their community.
Whether it's a one-time acknowledgement of this article or an ongoing pledge, your support helps keep Orlando’s true free press free.