Posted in Pensacola, State & National News

DeSantis will rescind last-minute appointments

   Published Date: January 10, 2019

Gov. Ron DeSantis will rescind some appointments made during former Gov. Rick Scott’s final days in office, a DeSantis spokesman said Wednesday.

“There’s a few right off the bat he’s looking at pulling back,” said DeSantis spokesman David Vasquez. Vasquez later added, “There are some that will be pulled back.”

Vasquez wouldn’t say which of the nearly 100 appointments to courts, boards and committees might not survive. DeSantis made similar comments Monday, a day before replacing Scott. The former governor made most of the appointments Friday and followed with 14 more on Monday.

We will definitely rescind some of the appointments that are effectively lame-duck appointments or have not been confirmed by the Senate.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis

“We will definitely rescind some of the appointments that are effectively lame-duck appointments or have not been confirmed by the Senate,” DeSantis said Monday.

DeSantis said that while Scott had the right to make the appointments, the new governor has the right to review the selections.

Among Scott’s late appointments were Andy Pollack to the State Board of Education and Carlos Beruff to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Pollack is the father of a student killed in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland last February. Beruff, a developer from Bradenton, was appointed to a number of positions during Scott’s tenure as governor, including serving as chairman of the Constitution Revision Commission.

Scott was sworn into the U.S. Senate Tuesday afternoon. He could have been sworn in last week but delayed the move to Washington so he could complete the entire four-year term as governor.

–Source: The News Service of Florida

Note: Former Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward was one of Scott’s late appointments. Hayward’s appointment to the Triumph Gulf Coast board was announced last Friday along with 76 appointments. DeSantis was sworn into office four days later.

In checking with DeSantis camp, Hayward’s appointment is not subject to review.

“Hayward served hours under the Rick Scott governorship,” said my source, “and will serve years under DeSantis.”

He added that Gov. DeSantis had no role in appointing Hayward–“That said, Ashton will do a good job.”