Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis has called on the Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System, to launch an investigation into former UF President Ben Sasse’s “exorbitant spending” of university funds.
The Alligator first reported Monday that Sasse, a former Nebraska Republican senator, more than tripled spending under the president’s office compared to his predecessor. A majority of the surge in spending was driven by lucrative consulting contracts and high-paid, remote positions for Sasse’s GOP allies.
Patronis wrote Thursday in a post to X that the Florida Department of Financial Services, which is responsible for investigating fraud, waste and abuse, would offer auditing support to the board. The investigation will “ensure tuition and tax dollars are being properly used,” Patronis said.
DeSantis spokesperson Bryan Griffin told the Alligator the governor’s office “take[s] the stewardship of state funds very seriously and have already been in discussions with leadership at the university and with the Board of Governors to look into the matter.”
Sasse was named the sole finalist for the job in October 2022 under a new state law — passed by Florida’s Republican-majority Legislature and passed by Gov. Ron DeSantis — that shielded presidential searches from public view. He resigned from his post in July, citing his wife’s recent epilepsy diagnosis.
The now-former president said during his confirmation vote in November 2022 that he hadn’t spoken with DeSantis since 2016 and denied that the governor’s office played a hand in his candidacy. DeSantis recently said he wasn’t “involved necessarily” in Sasse’s selection for the job and would leave the appointment of his successor to UF’s Board of Trustees.
James Wegmann, UF’s Sasse-appointed vice president for communications, didn’t immediately respond for comment. A Board of Governors spokesperson didn’t immediately respond for comment.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Garrett Shanley at gshanley@alligator.org. Follow him on X @garrettshanley.
Garrett Shanley is a fourth-year journalism major and the Summer 2024 university editor for The Alligator. Outside of the newsroom, you can find him watching Wong Kar-Wai movies and talking to his house plants.
