A Broward County judge ruled Monday that David Di Pietro be reinstated as chairman of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Broward Health, ruling Florida Gov. Rick Scott's executive order dismissing Mr. Di Pietro from his duties was insufficient, according to a WPLG news report.
Gov. Scott suspended Mr. Di Pietro in late March. In his executive order, Gov. Scott said Mr. Di Pietro had engaged in malfeasance. However, on Monday, Judge Lisa Phillips held that the order did not meet the requirements of Florida law because it failed to state the specific acts that led to Mr. Di Pietro's suspension, according to the report.
In a letter attached to Gov. Scott's executive order, Melinda Miguel, chief inspector general, claims the board, as a whole, engaged in improper conduct. However, Mr. Di Pietro is only mentioned three times in the letter.
"The court determines that these three times where (Mr. Di Pietro) is mentioned do not rise to the level of malfeasance such that the court could sustain the executive order," Judge Phillips wrote, according to the report.
Although the court has ordered the governor to reinstate Mr. Di Pietro as chairman, Gov. Scott can issue another executive order suspending him. If Gov. Scott chooses to do so, the new executive order "must comply with Florida law," wrote Judge Phillips.
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