Audit Reveals Oversight Issues in COVID Relief Fund Management by Rep. Jared Moskowitz

<p>During his tenure as director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., oversaw the distribution of over $1 billion in COVID-19 relief funding without the required monitoring, according to records. The 2022 State of Florida Compliance and Internal Controls over Financial Reporting and Federal Awards identified this weakness in its annual audit, stating, "FDEM did not monitor the activities of any subrecipients."</p><p>While Fox News Digital has not identified any fraud related to these funds, the audit raises concerns about Moskowitz's oversight as he campaigns for re-election in a competitive district. It also prompts questions regarding the oversight of state-level allocations of government funds, an issue that has garnered attention from Republican officials.</p><p>The audit indicates that Moskowitz’s FDEM approved $210,562,500 in funding to 39 local government recipients in the 2020-2021 fiscal year from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF). In the following year, it distributed $1,026,225,200 to 55 locations, totaling $1.23 billion.</p><p>According to the audit, the lack of monitoring by FDEM contravenes federal regulations, which require oversight that includes reviewing subrecipient audit reports and addressing any audit findings related to federal awards. Acceptable oversight typically involves inquiries of the recipients and checks such as onsite evaluations.</p><p>The audit specifies that monitoring must include reviewing financial and performance reports and ensuring that subrecipients take timely action on any deficiencies identified through audits or reviews.</p><p>It is noteworthy that Moskowitz did not serve as head of FDEM for the entire 2020-2021 fiscal year, having resigned at the end of April, two months before the fiscal year concluded in June. Nonetheless, his congressional opponent, Republican candidate Scott Singer, asserts that the responsibility for the oversight issues falls on Moskowitz.</p><p>"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.</p><p>He also referenced a previous incident in 2017, when Moskowitz, as an attorney for a disaster-cleanup company, renegotiated compensation from the City of Parkland after Hurricane Irma, while simultaneously serving as a state legislator.</p><p>In response to Singer's criticisms, Moskowitz's campaign emphasized his pride in his work and noted that he had been reappointed 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 stated.</p><p>Moskowitz further explained that he left FDEM nearly a year before the report was issued to care for his father, who was battling cancer. He added that Florida's COVID spending had passed FEMA audits for reimbursements and shared communications indicating that Singer had previously praised his disaster-related work.</p><p>Following their respective primaries, Moskowitz and Singer are set to compete in the Florida general election on November 3.</p>