JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville city council member is facing criticism from a colleague after publicly alleging potential misuse of taxpayer funds in the city’s telehealth contracts — without providing evidence of illegal activity.
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Councilmember Matt Carlucci is pushing back against Councilman Rory Diamond, who earlier this month called for an emergency investigation through the city’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Diamond claimed he had been alerted to “potential serious misuse of taxpayer funds, wrongdoing and potential illegal conduct.”
Diamond said that multiple calls and concerns prompted him to seek an inquiry.
“My phone is like the Bat-phone…when it starts to ring over and over again it usually means that’s a serious problem,” Diamond said.
His allegations involve possible conflicts of interest, questions about patient eligibility and what he described as potential fraud tied to the city’s telehealth contracts.
When asked if he had found any illegal conduct, Diamond said the review was just beginning.
“We’ve already found $1.5 million in money that we didn’t need to spend,” Diamond said. “We’ve got an entity that’s willing to do this work for free, but we’re spending $1.5 million.”
Diamond said he requested extensive documentation from Telescope Health, Mayor Donna Deegan’s office, UF Health and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
Both Telescope Health and the Mayor’s Office strongly deny any wrongdoing.
Diamond said he did not bring his concerns to the State Attorney’s Office or the city Inspector General before making them public, arguing it is his responsibility to ask questions on behalf of taxpayers.
“My job is to ask good questions to protect taxpayers,” he said. “I’m not allowed to go to another member of the City Council…that’s a violation of the law.”
Carlucci said Diamond has not provided any evidence of illegal activity and argues the accusations are harming the city’s reputation, as well as the medical professionals involved.
“You’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty,” Carlucci said. “He’s not got one shred of anything that leads to any type of evidence that there’s wrongdoing being done.”
Carlucci said the allegations are based on rumor and are unfairly dragging health providers into controversy.
“These people are getting hurt, and it’s not only them, but also their families and the people working in these organizations,” he said.
Carlucci also suggested Diamond’s actions are politically motivated.
“Everything always ends up being a tempest in a teapot…it’s petty politics,” he said.
Diamond said he expects more information in early December after receiving responses from multiple agencies.
This is not the first time Diamond has accused city officials of improper financial conduct. In August, he claimed Deegan attempted to “launder” $237,000 in diversity, equity and inclusion funds to the nonprofit United Way. No evidence of fraud or illegal activity has been found regarding that claim.
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