Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ office and Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis have called for an investigation into former University of Florida President Ben Sasse’s financial practices.
Bryan Griffin, a spokesperson for DeSantis, emphasized the importance of state fund stewardship, noting ongoing discussions with university leadership and the state university system’s Board of Governors about the matter.
“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,” said Griffin.
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Earlier, Patronis expressed support for a thorough audit, reacting to reports of excessive spending during Sasse’s tenure. Patronis stated on X that his agency is prepared to assist with auditing due to potential concerns of fraud, waste, and abuse. He urged the Board of Governors to ensure that tuition and taxpayer funds are being appropriately managed.
The push for an audit follows revelations by the Independent Florida Alligator, a student newspaper, which reported a significant increase in the operating budget of Sasse’s office to $17.3 million, up from $5 million under his predecessor.
The report also highlighted that several of Sasse’s former U.S. Senate staff were hired, including two who worked remotely from Washington, D.C. Additionally, travel expenses for Sasse’s office surged from $28,000 to $633,000 within a year.
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Sasse, a former Nebraska senator, resigned from the University of Florida in July after less than two years in the role, citing his wife’s health issues. Former President Kent Fuchs has since taken over as interim leader.
As of Thursday, the Board of Governors had not responded to the audit request.
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