The student-run newspaper discovered that Ben Sasse, who recently resigned as president of the University of Florida, awarded secretive consulting contracts and provided high-paying jobs to former members of his U.S. Senate staff and Republican allies. Sasse defended these actions on Friday, but they have brought his spending into question.
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. Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida’s chief financial officer have called on the Board of Governors of the state university system to investigate. The majority of them do not actually live in Gainesville, but rather work from a distance of hundreds of miles.
The institution’s president is the former senator from Nebraska, who took office in February 2023.
In comparison to his predecessor, Ken Fuchs, who spent $5.6 million in his last year in office, Sasse’s administration spent $17.3 million in his first year. A total of $9 billion is allotted to the institution.
“The governor “takes” the stewardship of state monies very seriously and “has” already been in discussions with university administration and the Board of Governors to investigate the problem, according to a statement released by DeSantis’s office.
“The Alligator’s report is concerning,” CFO Jimmy Patronis wrote on X, adding that the Board of Governors “should investigate this issue to ensure tuition and tax dollars are being properly used.”
In his resignation letter dated July 31, Sasse mentioned his wife’s long history of health problems, including her recent diagnosis of epilepsy. There was some controversy surrounding his appointment to lead Florida’s flagship university by the Board of Governors. His sole prior experience was serving as president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, for five years. Midland University has slightly more than 1,600 students. One of the best research universities in the country, UF is home to 60,000 undergraduates and 6,600 teachers.
Sasse justified the faculty hires and consulting contracts in a long statement he published to X on Friday, citing the need for them in light of UF’s upcoming satellite campuses and K-12 charter schools across the state, its increased engagement with AI, and its aspirations to make strides in healthcare, research, and technology.
As almost all new chief executive officers do, Sasse “yes, I convinced almost a dozen folks who had worked with me in one or more of my last three jobs, both in and out of politics, to join in this important work,” he wrote. As a result of their exceptional talent and the abundance of other opportunities, several of them were able to negotiate salary increases.
He expressed his openness to an audit and clarified that all the hirings had been approved through the standard budget process.
“I am certain that the expenses being discussed were suitable and lawful,” he stated.
The Alligator has learned from sources that Sasse appointed Raymond Sass, who had previously served as chief of staff for the Senate, to the newly created position of university vice president for innovation and partnerships. His current salary of $396,000 is more than quadruple his previous salary of $181,677 while working for Senator Sasse. The area around Washington, D.C., is still Sass’s home. An email and phone call requesting comment from him on Friday went unanswered for the time being.
With an annual salary of $432,000, James Wegmann, who had previously worked as Sasse’s director of communications in the Senate, took a position as vice president of communications at UF. Prior to him, he had made $270,000. He resides in Washington even now. In response to an email for comment on Friday, he did not immediately provide one.
The job of assistant vice president of presidential communications and public affairs was bestowed upon Taylor Silva, who had previously served as press secretary for Senator Ben Sasse. A yearly salary of $232,000 is offered for this position. Indeed, Silva relocated to Gainesville. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate Silva’s contact information. According to the university directory, Silva does not exist.
Sasse hired three other former Senate aides, all of whom are now working for UF.
Sasse recruited two other individuals with strong ties to the Republican Party in addition to his former employees.
He paid Penny Schwinn, a former commissioner of education in Tennessee, $367,500 to serve as the first vice president of pre-bachelor’s programs and programs spanning grades pre-K-12 and UF. She resides in Tennessee even now. An email asking for comment was sent to her on Friday, but she did not reply right away.
Additionally, he paid $205,000 to Alice James Burns, who had previously worked as a scheduler for South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham, to serve as director of presidential relations and large events. A request for comment via email went unanswered for some time as well.
The travel budget for Sasse’s office almost quadrupled from Fuchs’s yearly allocation, reaching $633,000 due to the fact that the majority of these appointees still reside outside of Florida.
In addition, Sasse signed a $4.7 million contract with McKinsey & Company, his former employer. One of the most prestigious management consulting firms in the country is the clandestine organization. The school has been tight-lipped about its projects. No remark was given by the company.
The Alligator stated that he also granted further consulting contracts totaling approximately $2.5 million.
