Florida Division of Emergency Management Failed to Monitor Over $1 Billion in COVID Relief Funds, Audit Finds

A federal audit has revealed that the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), under the leadership of Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., disbursed over $1 billion in COVID-19 relief funds without the required monitoring.

The 2022 State of Florida Compliance and Internal Controls over Financial Reporting and Federal Awards report identified the weakness, stating, "FDEM did not monitor the activities of any subrecipients." While Fox News Digital is not aware of any fraud committed with these funds, the audit has drawn attention to Moskowitz's management as he seeks re-election.

During the 2020-2021 fiscal year, Moskowitz's FDEM approved $210,562,500 in funding to 39 local government recipients from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF). The following year, the division distributed $1,026,225,200 to 55 locations, bringing the total amount to $1.23 billion.

The audit criticized the lack of oversight, noting, "Contrary to Federal regulations, the FDEM did not monitor the activities of CRF subrecipients." It further elaborated that proper monitoring should include reviewing subrecipient audit reports and determining if management decisions are necessary for any audit findings related to federal awards. Acceptable oversight typically involves inquiries of recipients and on-site evaluations.

Moskowitz was the director of FDEM for the majority of the 2020-2021 fiscal year, but he resigned in April 2021, two months before the fiscal year concluded. His Republican challenger, Scott Singer, has criticized Moskowitz's handling of the funds.

"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 stated. He also raised questions about Moskowitz's past work with disaster recovery funds, referencing a 2017 incident involving the City of Parkland and the disaster-cleanup company AshBritt.

A spokesperson for Moskowitz defended his record, stating that he was proud of his work and was reappointed to his 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 said. He also noted that he left the agency to care for his father and that Florida's COVID spending had passed FEMA audits for reimbursements. Moskowitz also shared communications where Singer had previously praised his work on disaster recovery.

Moskowitz and Singer are set to face each other in the Florida general election on November 3.