FOX 35 INVESTIGATES: Company behind Florida’s troubled CONNECT unemployment system to get new state contract

Company behind Florida unemployment site to get new contract

The company behind Florida's flawed unemployment website is about to receive another huge contract from the state.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL - People around Florida shocked to hear more taxpayer dollars are going to a company that is part of a state investigation.

Deloitte Consulting, the company behind Florida’s controversial unemployment website, could receive another state contract worth $110 million -- this time for work on the state’s Medicaid system.

“Eyebrows should be raised about this, and I definitely encourage the state not to proceed with a contract with Deloitte, especially since we still don’t have questions answered about the connect system as a whole,” said State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando.

FOX 35 News asked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis how a company under investigation could still be given business from the state.

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“Procurement is, and should be, free from political influence and even a hint of impropriety. Unfortunately, with the ethical distance we must maintain from these contracting decisions, when a decision is made that implicates past performance issues or an ongoing, yet unfinished investigation, people naturally demand action," the Governor’s Office responded. "The Governor understands and appreciates those feelings – and he shares them. While we can’t undo the non-partisan and apolitical’ manner in which the contract was awarded, Governor DeSantis will hold the contracting party accountable for every obligation and benchmark under the contract.”  

Lawyers for Deloitte appeared to distance the company from the troubled website.  In a court document, they asked to dismiss a class-action lawsuit.

“Deloitte has had no involvement in the implementation, maintenance or upgrade of the CONNECT system for more than five years…and it has never had any involvement in processing or adjudicating the state’s unemployment benefit claims, including during the COVID-19 pandemic," read the court filing, in part. "Simply put, Deloitte should not be in this case,” 

The state’s investigation into the CONNECT website and Deloitte is ongoing. The state is yet to sign a contract with Deloitte for the Medicaid system, as negotiations are underway. Deloitte was the top-ranked vendor for the contract.