A state audit has surfaced showing that Florida’s emergency management agency, while led by Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., failed to carry out required monitoring of more than $1 billion in COVID-19 relief funds distributed to local governments.
The 2022 State of Florida Compliance and Internal Controls over Financial Reporting and Federal Awards audit found that the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) “did not monitor the activities of any subrecipients” that received Coronavirus Relief Fund money during Moskowitz’s tenure as director.
Records show FDEM approved $210,562,500 in funding to 39 local government recipients during the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and $1,026,225,200 to 55 recipients the following year — a combined $1.23 billion in grants.
The audit describes the missing oversight in blunt terms: “Contrary to Federal regulations, the FDEM did not monitor the activities of CRF subrecipients. Such monitoring is to include, for example, reviewing subrecipient audit reports and determining whether management decisions are required for any audit findings related to the federal award.”
Standard practice would have required reviewing subrecipients’ financial and performance reports and following up to ensure any deficiencies flagged in audits or on-site reviews were corrected, according to the report. There is no indication in the audit, nor any evidence, that fraud occurred with the funds.
Moskowitz did not lead FDEM for the entirety of the audit period. He resigned at the end of April 2021, roughly two months before the fiscal year closed that June, meaning he headed the agency for the bulk but not the full length of the review window.
Political Stakes in a Toss-Up District
The resurfaced audit lands as Moskowitz seeks re-election in one of the nation’s most competitive congressional districts, based in Broward County. His Republican opponent, Scott Singer, argues the findings reflect a pattern.
“When Jared Moskowitz ran a state agency, federal regulators and state auditors found that there was a gross lack of oversight of billions of dollars of taxpayer funds, a lack of reporting, a lack of review of where the funds were going,” Singer said in a statement. “And that’s unacceptable, especially with public tax dollars. But it’s not surprising.”
Singer also revived a 2017 episode in which Moskowitz, then working as an attorney for disaster-cleanup firm AshBritt, renegotiated the company’s compensation with the City of Parkland following Hurricane Irma — while simultaneously serving as a state legislator and being paid more than $400,000 by AshBritt, according to disclosure reports.
“When Jared was a state representative, he went to his own city and demanded that they pay more for hurricane cleanup that went to a disaster recovery company that paid him millions,” Singer said. “We can’t afford people who are continuing to do the same thing. A gross oversight of funds and self-dealing.”
Moskowitz’s Response
Moskowitz’s campaign pushed back, noting he was reappointed to the FDEM directorship by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and defending the state’s pandemic response.
“As Director of FDEM, I worked directly for Governor DeSantis and his administration. Florida had one of the best COVID responses in the country,” Moskowitz said. “I left almost a year before this report was issued as I had to leave the agency to be with my dad, who was battling cancer. Governor DeSantis appointed me again to the Broward County commission. To my knowledge, Florida Covid spending has passed the FEMA audit for reimbursements.”
Moskowitz also pointed to past praise from Singer for his disaster-recovery work, sharing a message in which Singer told him the state was “in a much better place because of what you’ve done.”
Moskowitz and Singer, having each cleared their party primaries, will meet in the general election on Nov. 3.
