Audit Reveals Billions in Florida COVID Aid Lacked Subrecipient Oversight
A state audit found that the Florida Division of Emergency Management failed to monitor over $1.2 billion in COVID-relief grants, a lapse tied to former director Jared Moskowitz.
A 2022 audit of the Florida Division of Emergency Management highlighted a systemic failure to monitor subrecipients of more than $1.23 billion in Coronavirus Relief Fund allocations, violating federal oversight rules. Jared Moskowitz, who served as the agency’s director for the bulk of the 2020-21 fiscal year, oversaw the approval of $210.6 million to 39 local entities in 2020-21 and $1.03 billion to 55 entities the following year.
Republican congressional challenger Scott Singer seized on the findings, accusing Moskowitz of gross negligence and citing earlier concerns about his work with disaster-recovery firm AshBritt. Moskowitz defended his record, noting his appointment by Governor DeSantis, his early departure to care for his ill father, and prior bipartisan praise for Florida’s pandemic response. The audit’s revelations come as the two candidates gear up for a November 3 contest in one of the nation’s most closely watched districts.
Why it matters
The audit raises questions about the oversight of billions in federal pandemic aid and could influence a tight congressional race.
In this story
