Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) administration has more than doubled six-figure salaried government employees in Florida compared with Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), his gubernatorial predecessor, according to reports.
DeSantis’s administration essentially rose to fame and came under the national microscope after a successful crusade against coronavirus rules and mandates, earning the governor popularity statewide and nationally. While that enthusiasm has, up until this point, failed to transfer to his national campaign as he runs for president, that has only increased his public profile, inviting even more criticisms and deep looks into his administration.
A recent report from CNN examines the pay of those within and close to DeSantis’s inner circle and found that, while he is a fiscal conservative, his administration has more than doubled the number of six-figure salaried government employees in the Sunshine State when compared to former Gov. Rick Scott’s administration. According to the report, “There are 59 people in his office earning more than $100,000 a year, according to an online employee salary database maintained by the state, twice as many as there were at the end of the term of his predecessor, fellow Republican and now-Sen. Rick Scott.”
The article lists off some more well-known members of his administration, listing their apparent pay bumps. One of those is Manny Diaz Jr., the public education commissioner who made headlines after defending the state’s new black history standards and teachings on slavery. His salary comes in around $314,000, which is about $38,000 more than his predecessors.
DeSantis former chief-of-staff turned campaign manager James Uthmeier made $196,000 — roughly $30,000 higher than Scott’s final chief-of-staff.
More per the report:
Cord Byrd, the appointed secretary of state overseeing DeSantis’ new election police force and leading his crackdown on alleged voter fraud, makes $188,000 a year, a pay bump of 32% compared with the officeholder in the previous administration.
The report also shined a light on DeSantis’s former state education chief Richard Corcoran, who was selected by a DeSantis-appointed board of trustees to revamp New College in Sarasota to serve as president of the college with an agreement that “could eventually pay Corcoran up to $1.3 million a year to oversee their university — a school of about 700 students,” per the report, which contends that DeSantis allies in the midst of the governor’s culture wars are compensated far better than predecessors:
Corcoran will earn a $699,000 base salary plus several hundred thousand dollars in perks and incentives and an additional $200,000-a-year in retention payments that will be paid out if he stays at the university through February 21, 2026. His base pay is double that of his predecessor.
According to the report, “a spokesman for the governor’s office did not respond to questions about how these salary decisions are made. His campaign declined to comment, referring questions to his gubernatorial staff.”
The report comes as DeSantis continues to elevate his position nationally in hopes of defeating former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary race.
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