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Ex-foster care chief denies allegations

Chris Card, former head of Hillsborough Kids, takes issue with a report critical of him.

By CURTIS KRUEGER
Published February 19, 2005

TAMPA - Chris Card, former director of Hillsborough County's foster care agency, has issued a four-page statement denying any wrongdoing, in response to a recent state report.

Card recently resigned as director of Hillsborough Kids Inc., which oversees foster care under contract with the state Department of Children and Families.

Card said Friday he was upset that DCF's inspector general had said it had "confirmed" certain allegations against him, when he says the evidence shows otherwise.

Specifically:

The report says Card cost the state $23,000 by awarding a data services contract to Verizon before an existing contract with another company had expired. Card says Hillsborough Kids "never paid this proposed cancellation penalty."

The report says Card received a $6,455 "actor's fee" for appearing in a national Verizon ad campaign. However, Card said in his statement Friday, "I immediately endorsed every check over to HKI."

The report also criticized Card for accepting two Tampa Bay Lightning tickets from Alltel. Card noted the report also said he had not shown favoritism in awarding contracts. Therefore, he says the appropriateness of accepting the tickets should have been left to him and Hillsborough Kids' board to discuss.

The report also said inspectors had turned over some matter to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for further investigation. Card said he had no idea what that referred to, and said no FDLE agents had contacted him.

[Last modified February 19, 2005, 00:56:09]