Florida Gov. Scott Seeks Audit of Citizens

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has asked Inspector General Melinda Miguel to investigate the recent firings of four Citizens Property Insurance Corp. employees responsible for keeping an eye on any internal wrongdoing at the state-backed insurer.

In a three-paragraph letter, Scott told Miguel that he was troubled by a Citizens’ Audit Committee report. Scott noted the employees were terminated at a time they were investigating charges the insurer had mismanaged internal investigations and corporate funds. “The timing of the firings raises new concerns,” Scott wrote. He asked that the inspector general determine if the firings were retaliatory.

Citizens’ officials initially said they replaced the employees with accountants who were more qualified to detect financial fraud.

Dan Krassner, who heads the ethics advocacy group Integrity Florida, was quick to applaud Scott’s action. “We look forward to the inspector general’s report to ensure accountability for the actions that resulted in firings of four internal government watchdogs,” Krassner said.

Scott had written Citizens President Barry Gilway last month with concerns about the company’s decision to disband its internal watchdog office.