JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville city councilman is raising conflict of interest concerns after Action News Jax Ben Becker uncovered that a high-powered law firm is contracted to be paid thousands of dollars to evaluate Jacksonville’s telehealth program as part of a Duval DOGE investigation.
The investigation centers around telehealth provider Telescope Health, which is under scrutiny by DOGE over allegations of fraud, claims the company has strongly denied.
City Council Secretary Jason Teal hired former General Counsel Jason Gabriel and his firm Burr & Forman in December to produce an independent report on the city’s telehealth services. According to the engagement letter, which was approved by City Council President Kevin Carrico, Burr & Forman is authorized to bill the city up to $40,000 for all its DOGE work at an hourly rate of $400 for Partners and $350 for Associates. Teal previously served as deputy General Counsel under Gabriel. Action News Jax has made numerous requests for invoices of all the work that has been billed to the city, but those have not been released as of publication.
Here’s the full engagement letter:
Conflict of interest?
Burr & Forman, where Gabriel is a partner, formerly represented a separate telehealth company, RightSite Health, during its acquisition of a contract with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD). Some council members have suggested that RightSite could offer services similar to those provided by Telescope Health.
City Councilman Jimmy Peluso voiced strong concerns about the situation, suggesting Gabriel has a conflict of interest even if the law firm is no longer representing RightSite Health.
“Everything just smells wrong. Another reiteration of the good ol’ boys network. Sure, things are technically okay, they are technically legal, but it’s not the right thing to do. How many other attorneys are there in the city of Jacksonville?”
Gabriel maintains his firm’s prior work with RightSite Health was fully disclosed in the engagement letter. He added that he is preparing a “fact-based draft analysis” of the city’s telehealth options, using interviews, interrogatories, and document reviews. He emphasized that the report is being developed under the direction of and will require final approval from the City Council.
The final report is expected to be released next week.
Here’s the full purchase order from the city:
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