Ex-University of Florida president gave former Senate staffers large raises, report finds

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Spending by recently resigned University of Florida President Ben Sasse is coming under scrutiny after the student-run newspaper found that he awarded secretive consulting contracts and gave high-paying jobs to former members of his U.S. Senate staff and Republican allies — actions that he defended Friday.

Both Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida’s chief financial officer are calling on the state university system’s Board of Governors to investigate after The Independent Florida Alligator reported this week that as school president, Sasse gave six former staffers and two former Republican officials jobs with salaries that outstripped comparable positions. Most did not move to Gainesville, but work remotely from hundreds of miles away.

The former Nebraska senator became the school’s president in February 2023.

Overall, Sasse’s office spent $17.3 million during his first year compared to the $5.6 million spent by his predecessor Ken Fuchs in his final year. The university has an overall budget of $9 billion.

DeSantis’ office issued a statement saying that the governor “take(s) the stewardship of state funds very seriously and (has) already been in discussions with leadership at the university and with the Board of Governors to look into the matter.”

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