IG Report: Jackson Chief Misused Credit Card Points

MIAMI (CBS4) - Miami-Dade's Inspector General has issued a scathing report on the head of the Jackson Memorial Foundation for his personal use of credit card points, totaling thousands of dollars, without board approval.

According to the 15-page report Rolando Rodriguez, who's also the CEO of Jackson's international marketing wing Foundation Health Services, used $9,000 worth of corporate credit card points for his personal expenses. Rodriguez purchased items such as three $500 Gucci gift cards, a Saks Fifth Avenue gift card totaling $1,000, as well as ski rentals and lift tickets at Colorado's lavish Beaver Creek ski resort.

Inspector General Christopher Mazzella noted that the Foundation Health Services board members didn't approve, and may not have even been aware, of Rodriguez's purchases. Mazzella also discovered that the use of reward points was not reported to the Internal Revenue Service.

In response to the report, Rodriguez told CBS4's news partner The Miami Herald: "It is outrageous that the facts have been twisted and private information made public for no apparent purpose except to gain attention."

For the last two years, Jackson Health System, which is overseen by The Public Health Trust, has been losing millions of dollars.

According to the report Rodriguez opened American Express cards for many employees, making sure that all awards points were rewarded in his name. Between June 2007 and October 2010 over 6.8 million reward points, totaling about $63,000, were allotted to Rodriguez. The report, however, is focused on only the $9,000 points earned by the business activities of FHS.

Rodriguez told the paper that Alan Dimond, board chairman of FHS and Jackson Memorial Foundation, was aware of the purchases and claimed that the practice was a perk of the job.

But according to OIG's report, proof of the board's approval could not be found.

Rodriguez hired a lawyer to defend his purchases during the investigation. His attorney complained that the report violated Rodriguez's right to financial privacy.

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