GAINESVILLE, FL- Former Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse is coming under fire after his spending during his short tenure as President of the University of Florida was more than triple what his predecessor spent. As President, spending rose from $5.6 million to $17.3 million which included hiring his former staff for remote positions and bringing in consulting firms. During his 17 months, Sasse hired six former staffers and two former GOP officials for remote jobs.

Sasse’s former chief of staff was appointed to a brand new position as UF’s vice president for innovation and partnerships, his starting salary was $396,000 more than double that of what he made in D.C. Sasse also demoted UF’s vice president of communications who had over 30 years of experience to be the deputy to James Wegmann, Sasse’s former Senate communications director. Wegmann’s starting salary was more than $150,000 his predecessor’s salary.

In addition to questionable hiring decisions, Sasse’s travel expenses and consulting contracts are under examination. In his first fiscal year, Sasse’s travel expenses exceeded $633,000, 20 times more than his predecessor’s annual average of $28,000. UF signed a contract with McKinsey for $7.2 million, 40 times what his predecessor spent in his eight-year tenure on consultants. Most of the invoices and work products are redacted from the public view, leaving many questions still unanswered about what UF was paying for.

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