GAINESVILLE, Florida — Recently resigned University of Florida President Ben Sasse’s spending is coming under scrutiny after the student-run newspaper discovered he gave secret consulting assignments and high-paying jobs to former members of his U.S. Senate staff and Republican allies, actions he defended Friday.
Both Governor 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 hired six former staff members and two former Republican officials with salaries comparable to similar positions. Most did not move to Gainesville, but worked remotely, hundreds of miles away.
The former Nebraska senator became president of the school in February 2023.
All told, Sasse’s office spent $17.3 million in his first year, compared with the $5.6 million his predecessor, Ken Fuchs, spent in his final year. The university has a total budget of $9 billion.
DeSantis’ office released a statement saying the governor “takes the management of state funds very seriously and has already been in discussions with university leadership and the Board of Trustees to investigate the matter.”
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis wrote on the social media platform X that Alligator’s report is “concerning” and that the board of trustees “must investigate this matter to ensure that tuition and tax revenues are being spent appropriately.”
Sasse resigned on July 31citing his wife’s recent diagnosis of epilepsy after years of other health problems. His appointment by the board of trustees to lead Florida’s flagship university was controversial because his only previous experience was five years as president of Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, which has just over 1,600 students. UF has 60,000 students and 6,600 faculty members and is one of the nation’s top research universities.
In a long statement Sasse defended the hiring and consulting contracts in a post on X on Friday, saying they were necessary as UF launches new satellite campuses and K-12 charter schools across the state, expands its use of artificial intelligence and seeks to advance its medical, science and technology programs.
“Yes, I persuaded nearly a dozen people who had worked with me in one or more of my last three jobs, both inside and outside of politics, to join me in this important work — as virtually all future CEOs do,” Sasse wrote. Some got raises “because they are super-talented people who had competing opportunities and offers.”
He said all hires were approved through the normal budget process and he welcomes an audit.
“I am confident that the expenditures discussed were correct and appropriate,” he said.
According to documents obtained by the Alligator, Sasse hired Raymond Sass, his former Senate chief of staff, as the university’s vice president for innovation and partnerships, a new position. His salary is $396,000, more than double the $181,677 he earned in Sasse’s Senate office. Sass still lives in the Washington, D.C., area. He did not immediately respond to a telephone call and email seeking comment Friday.
James Wegmann, Sasse’s former Senate communications director, became UF’s vice president of communications, earning $432,000 a year. His predecessor earned $270,000. He still lives in Washington. He did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.
Taylor Silva, Sasse’s former Senate press secretary, has been given the new position of assistant vice president of presidential communications and public affairs. The job carries an annual salary of $232,000. Silva did relocate to Gainesville. No contact information for Silva could be found. Silva is not listed in the university directory.
Three other former Sasse employees in the Senate also got jobs at UF.
In addition to his former associates, Sasse hired two others with strong ties to the Republican Party.
He hired former Tennessee Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn as UF’s first vice president of pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and pre-bachelor’s programs at a salary of $367,500. She still lives in Tennessee. She did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.
He also hired Alice James Burns, a former planner for South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, as director of presidential relations and major events at a salary of $205,000. She also did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Because most of these appointees still live outside Florida, travel expenses for Sasse’s office rose to $633,000, more than 20 times the amount spent annually under Fuchs.
Sasse also hired McKinsey & Company, where he once worked as a consultant, for a $4.7 million contract. The secretive firm is one of the nation’s leading management consultancies. The university has declined to say what the work entails. The firm did not respond to a phone call and email seeking comment.
According to the Alligator, he also awarded about $2.5 million in other consulting work.