Ben Sasse, former President of the University of Florida, addressed allegations regarding his handling of university funds, which surfaced following his resignation. On Friday, Sasse took to social media to defend his spending decisions.
“There were remarkable investments made in several crucial new projects, and I’m eager to justify each one,” he stated in a detailed post on X. He emphasized that his departure from a successful career in Nebraska was driven by a desire to drive substantial reform in higher education.
Sasse pledges transparency, outlining his reform strategy and defending key hires made during his UF leadership
Sasse’s brief tenure as university president ended abruptly in mid-July due to his wife’s health issues, following his departure from his Nebraska Senate seat in 2023. The Independent Florida Alligator, the university’s student newspaper, reported that spending had tripled under Sasse’s leadership. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has since called for an investigation into the matter.
Sasse refuted claims of misuse, asserting that all expenditures were sanctioned by the university’s board of trustees, the system’s board of governors, and the audit committee. He outlined several initiatives funded by these expenditures, including curriculum reforms, partnerships with the space industry, and new K-12 charter programs.
The Alligator’s report linked much of the spending increase to high-cost hires, including consulting firms and former Senate staff. Sasse defended these hires as essential for implementing his planned reforms. “I brought in trusted colleagues from my previous roles to help advance UF’s mission, a common practice among new CEOs,” he explained.
He acknowledged some controversy over his cost-cutting proposals, such as consolidating academic programs, and his earlier decision to dismantle diversity programs at the university. Sasse concluded by expressing his openness to further scrutiny and promised to provide a comprehensive report to the governor’s office about his reform approach.
