'Cronyism is flourishing': Hometown newspaper blasts DeSantis for handing allies top jobs

Gov. Ron DeSantis has made a concerted effort to give the New College of Florida — a liberal art institution in Sarasota — a MAGA makeover, much to the chagrin of progressive New College students and professors.

In an editorial, the South Florida Sun Sentinel's editorial board slammed DeSantis' college and university policies — focusing on the "cronyism" involved in some trustee appointments. Some of DeSantis' allies, the board complains, don't even live in Florida.

"Working remotely has become immensely popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is ridiculous that two of the University of Florida's new highest-ranking and highest-paid officers will continue to reside in the Washington, D.C. area, some 775 miles from Gainesville," the Sun Sentinel board wrote.

"UF President Ben Sasse, himself a former Washington insider, has made himself an avatar of cronyism by appointing those people, who worked for him when he was a U.S. senator from Nebraska. Cronyism is flourishing in Florida."

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The board continues, "Two of New College's new right-wing trustees have never lived in the state, and its new permanent president, Richard Corcoran, is a former (Florida) House speaker who passed on running for governor in 2018 — leaving room for Ron DeSantis, who appointed him commissioner of education once Corcoran was term-limited out of the (Florida State) Legislature two years later."

Conservative former Sen. Sasse (R-NE) isn't known for having ultra-MAGA views. In fact, he has been vehemently of former President Donald Trump at times. And when Sasse chose academia over the U.S. Senate and successfully applied for the position of University of Florida president, it showed how uncomfortable he was with Trumpism.

But Sasse, as UF president, is drawing criticism for "cronyism" along with DeSantis.

The Sun Sentinel's editorial board notes, "Raymond Sass, who was Sasse's Senate chief of staff, is UF's vice president for innovation and partnerships, a new position…. (Sass) won't have to reside at the university to do it. Sass will work remotely from Maryland, the (Independent Florida) Alligator said."

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