Florida eyes spending under former UF president Ben Sasse, costs including hiring former U.S. senator's staffers and travel
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis' office and state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis on Thursday raised the possibility of looking into spending under former University of Florida president Ben Sasse.
"We take the stewardship of state funds very seriously and have already been in discussions with leadership at the university and with the (state university system's) Board of Governors to look into the matter," DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Patronis offered support for an audit.
"Reports of (the university's) exorbitant spending by Ben Sasse's office are concerning," Patronis posted online. "As my agency can investigate fraud, waste and abuse, @FLDFS (the Florida Department of Financial Services) will reach out to @FLBOG (the university system Board of Governors) to offer auditing support. BOG should investigate this issue to ensure tuition and tax dollars are being properly used."
On Monday, the Independent Florida Alligator student newspaper reported Sasse more than tripled his office's spending to $17.3 million when compared to his predecessor. The costs included hiring several of his former U.S. Senate staffers, including two who were allowed to work remotely from the Washington, D.C., area. Sasse was a Nebraska senator before getting hired for the UF job.
Travel costs for Sasse's office also jumped from $28,000 to $633,000 in one year, according to the student newspaper. Sasse, who had been at UF less than two years, abruptly resigned in July, citing his wife's health. Former President Kent Fuchs will lead the school on an interim basis. The Board of Governors did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
