Witness Says Ford’s Nickname Is “Mr. 15%”

A retired healthcare executive testified today that former state senator John Ford solicited him for money.

Dan Derrose was the former CEO of FORBA in 2003, when the company tried to open a dental clinic in Memphis. It couldn’t because TennCare’s dental network closed the day the clinic opened. Doral Dental, who paid Ford’s consulting firm thousands of dollars a month, held the TennCare dental contract.

Derrose testified that he and his associates had lunch with Ford to discuss opening the network to FORBA. After lunch, Derrose said that Ford told him his nickname was “Mr. 15%.”

That confirms Monday’s testimony from Todd Cruse, who was also at that luncheon.

Derrose said he asked Ford what his nickname meant. Ford said, “I can take care of your problems.”

Defense attorney Isaiah Gant argued that Derrose’s testimony did not line up with a previous interview. In 2005, Derrose told the TBI agent that Ford left his nickname vague, saying, “You know. 15%.”

Derrose said that Ford, unlike the other state senators from Memphis, was not interested in opening the TennCare network.

Gant argued that Ford might not have wanted the clinic in his community because the company may have been responsible for the death of a child in an Arizona clinic.

Derrose testified that Ford never gave any explanation for not wanting to help get FORBA into the network.

For more information, see our previous stories.