Rep. Patrick Murphy (D., Fla.), a candidate for the U.S. Senate, has been investigated by CBS4 News Miami, which found that a company owned by him falsified in their advertising materials.
Coastal Environmental Services (CES), which was owned by Murphy, had three oil skimming boats which were used in the clean up of the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the 2010 BP oil spill. CES said that the boats were tested at a highly respected facility, known as OHMSETT. However, OHMSETT says that they have no record of CES having its vessels tested there.
CBS4 News interviewed Dave DeVitis, the head of testing at OHMSETT.
"I don't recognize the skimmer or the test," DeVitis said.
CBS4 News then provided a list of names to DeVitis that could have been associated with the boats, including the shipbuilder.
"There is no company here by any of those names," DeVitis said. "As far as 2010, yeah, we didn't see that vessel."
After this revelation, Murphy's campaign admitted that the vessels weren't tested at OHMSETT. Instead, CES used the results of a test on similar technology from 1978, which as CBS4 News noted, was five years before Murphy was born.
CBS4 News also notes that a video on CES' Facebook page showed a video of what DeVitis believes is from the 1978 test.
This investigation by CBS4 News is part of a series investigating Murphy as he vies for the Democratic nomination. The race got a major shakeup this week when incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) changed his mind about not seeking reelection, announcing his intention to seek another term.