Public official Moran spent $36,000 in taxpayers’ money on lavish travel, steak dinners, and booze
Sarasota County Commissioner and Florida PACE Funding Agency director Mike Moran in a campaign photo for the tax collector’s race. (Courtesy: Facebook)
By Michael Barfield | July 29, 2024
Sarasota County Commission chair Mike Moran has slashed funding for early learning and childcare programs, calling them “socialism.” Now running for county tax collector, his campaign emphasizes a focus on “making government accountable to the taxpayers.”
But a ledger obtained by the Florida Trident through a public records request raises questions about Moran’s accountability. According to the records, Moran spent more than $36,000 of taxpayers’ money during a recent 18-month period on lavish trips to Las Vegas, New York City, and California, indulging in expensive steakhouses, wine, and tequila shots.
Moran amassed those travel expenses – which include multiple thousand-dollar-plus dinners – at his second publicly-financed job as executive director of the Florida PACE Funding Agency, known as FPFA.
FPFA is the controversial government special district formed in 2011 to help economically disadvantaged homeowners finance improvements like wind-resistant roofs, impact-resistant windows, and energy-efficient solar panels. Excerpts from the financial ledger dating from January 2023 to June 2024, show Moran’s $36,000 spending spree during that time.
Between his two tax-funded positions, Moran’s salary totals $299,791. A company controlled by Moran also received additional compensation from FPFA. Moran’s employment contracts included an unusual provision from July 2020 to February 2023 that allowed additional compensation of 0.20% on every project financed by FPFA.
According to data from FPFA’s website, over $276 million of projects were financed when Moran’s company was entitled to the .20% bonus in addition to his salary. Public records reveal that Southern Sky Energy, a Florida entity registered and owned by Moran 360, LLC, received over $55,000 in payments during the first three months of 2023 from FPFA.
Moran 360, LLC is controlled solely by Moran according to online records of the Florida Department of State. At the time of publication, records requested by the Trident of all payments FPFA made to Moran-controlled companies had not been provided.
Moran’s most recent financial disclosure statement for the 2023 reporting period does not mention any income from Southern Sky Energy or Moran 360. When questioned, Moran explained that he did not make a profit from those entities during that period and further stated in an email that he “did not personally receive all those funds.”
The disclosure instructions on the website of the Florida Commission on Ethics state that “income,” includes “gross income from business.”
Ethics and state government experts questioned both the lucrative bonus deal and the eye-popping travel expenses incurred by Moran on the public’s dime. Leon County Attorney Chasity O’Steen, who has worked with special districts across the state, said the bonus deal is far from standard operating procedure.
About the Author: Michael Barfield focuses on the enforcement of open government laws. He serves as an investigative reporter and FLCGA’s Director of Public Access. He regularly assists journalists across the country with collecting information and publishing news reports obtained from public records and other sources.
