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Paul Calli Is A (Private) Dick.

I've always wanted to write that headline, and now I can:

This week, Calli and his firm, Carlton Fields, were tapped by the FPL Group to investigate allegations of fraud.

In two letters, anonymous FPL employees have alleged that FPL executives broke the law by forcing employees to provide inaccurate or misleading information to regulators and shareholders.

Legal experts say the allegations could open a Pandora's box of trouble for the Juno Beach-based company.

"These allegations are very serious, and they require diligence and patience by FPL," said Scott Weires, an attorney in the Boca Raton office of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs. "They cut to the core of the structure upon which the rates for the entire state are based. If there's fraud there, imagine the amounts of money potentially at risk."

In a e-mail sent Monday to employees, FPL Group Chairman Lew Hay said the company hired Carlton Fields because of the serious nature of the allegations, and because the anonymous employees have failed to provide specific facts supporting their allegations.

Gerald Richman, a West Palm Beach attorney who formerly served as president of The Florida Bar, called Carlton Fields "an excellent law firm with a long-standing reputation."

But it's not all s*&ts-and-giggles:

But employees are frightened by the inquiry, said Thomas Saporito of Jupiter, a former FPL employee. He lost his claim that he was fired 22 years ago after raising concerns about safety at an FPL plant. Rather than a quest for the truth, Saporito said the fear is that FPL is on a "witch hunt" designed to find, and silence, the still-anonymous whistle-blowers.

Saporito, who said he keeps in touch with FPL workers, said the letters reflect the rising frustration level felt by employees. "What you have," Saporito said, "is a revolution going on inside that company."

Don't worry kids, they hired a quality guy who will do the right thing.

Full post as published by South Florida Lawyers on February 11, 2010 (boomark / email).