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During his time as director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., allowed over $1 billion in COVID-19 relief funding to go out the door without required monitoring, records reveal.
The 2022 State of Florida Compliance and Internal Controls over Financial Reporting and Federal Awards flagged the weakness in its annual audit, stating, “FDEM did not monitor the activities of any subrecipients.”
While Fox News Digital is not aware of fraud that may have been committed with those funds, the resurfaced audit casts an unflattering light on Moskowitz as he pursues re-election in one of the country’s most competitive districts.
It also raises questions about oversight efforts for state-level allocations for government funds, an issue Republicans have signaled merits more attention.
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Moskowitz’s FDEM approved $210,562,500 in funding to 39 local government recipients in the 2020-2021 fiscal year from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), according to the audit. The next year, it distributed $1,026,225,200 to 55 locations.
Taken together, the grants add up to $1.23 billion.
“Contrary to Federal regulations, the FDEM did not monitor the activities of CRF subrecipients,” the audit states. “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.”
According to the report, an acceptable level of oversight would normally include inquiries of the recipients as well as checks like onsite evaluations.
“Monitoring of the subrecipient must include reviewing financial and performance reports, following up and ensuring that the subrecipient takes timely and appropriate action on all deficiencies pertaining to the federal award detected through audits, on-site reviews and other means,” the audit states.
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Notably, Moskowitz wasn’t head of FDEM for the entire 2020-2021 fiscal year. He resigned from the post at the end of April, two months before the end of the fiscal year in June, making him the head of the FDEM for the vast majority of the 2020-2021 audit cycle but not the complete window.
Even so, his congressional opponent, Republican candidate Scott Singer, believes the responsibility lies squarely on Moskowitz’s shoulders.
“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 to Fox News Digital.
“And that’s unacceptable, especially with public tax dollars. But it’s not surprising.”
Singer argued the audit echoed earlier questions about Moskowitz’s work involving disaster recovery funds.
He pointed to an incident in 2017, when Moskowitz, as an attorney for AshBritt, a disaster-cleanup company, had renegotiated compensation from the City of Parkland after Hurricane Irma. Disclosure reports showed that he was being paid over $400,000 by the company while also serving as a state legislator.
“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.”
When asked about Singer’s criticisms, Moskowitz’s campaign fired back, stating that the congressman was proud of the work that he did, noting that he had been reappointed to the role by a Republican governor.
“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 told Fox News Digital.
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“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,” he added.
Moskowitz also pointed out that he had received praise from even Republicans for his disaster-related work, including from Singer himself. Moskowitz shared communications between them in which Singer said the state was “in a much better place because of what you’ve done.” Singer also highlighted a second communication from Singer to Moskowitz stating, “seriously, thank you for all of the amazing work you’ve done and all the help you’re providing to our stay [sic].”
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Having cleared their parties’ respective primaries, Moskowitz and Singer will face off in the Florida general election Nov. 3.
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