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Federal investigators said they are investigating the firing of a Florida ombudsman who had been at odds with long-term care leaders regularly during his seven years on the job.

Technically, Brian Lee was not fired. It has been widely believed, however, that Gov. Rick Scott forced the resignation, the Associated Press reported. No official reason was given at the time of Lee’s early-February dismissal.

The Administration on Aging has said it would conduct a thorough review of the situation and explore whether Scott was lawful in his actions, according to AoA spokeswoman Moya Thompson.

AoA administrators firmly warned state officials that Lee’s replacement must be credible, the AP reported, and that there should be no conflicts of interest, a direct implication about Scott’s alleged close ties to state nursing home executives.