Lawmakers challenge DeSantis in push to restore transparency in university presidential searches

Amid concerns of political meddling, FAMU becomes latest battleground in fight for academic independence

In a striking bipartisan move, the Florida House voted 104-8 this week to repeal a 2022 law that shrouded public university presidential searches in secrecy—a policy critics blame for enabling political patronage and fiscal mismanagement, epitomized by the turbulent tenure of former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse at the University of Florida. But as Gov. Ron DeSantis vows to veto the bill.

 

From secrecy to scandal
The 2022 law, passed by Republican lawmakers, limited disclosure of presidential candidates until finalists were named, arguing transparency deterred top applicants. Instead, it fueled accusations of cronyism. At UF, Sasse—a Republican with very little prior academic leadership experience—resigned after 17 months, leaving behind a financial trail that included tripling his personal office’s spending to $17.3 million annually. 

 

Public records revealed Sasse funneled millions to consulting giant McKinsey & Company (where he once worked) and to GOP allies, all shielded by secrecy.

“A president chosen through a secretive process begins their tenure with a trust deficit,” FAMU finance professor Samique March-Dallas told legislators, advocating for HB 1321, which would restore open searches and bar gubernatorial interference. “Leaders from transparent processes arrive with legitimacy.”

FAMU in the crosshairs
Now, fears of similar political maneuvering are front and center with FAMU, where alumni and faculty accuse DeSantis allies on the Board of Trustees of pushing Marva Johnson—a GOP operative dubbed “MAGA Marva” by critics—as the next president.  Johnson, a telecommunications lobbyist, it is noted has no higher education experience.

Critics argue the move, aims to give the GOP --and certain trustees-- control of FAMU’s nearly $451 million operating budget, and nearly $200 million endowment.  Which they would use as their own personal "piggy bank" steering money to GOP allies like Sasse did at UF.

In recent weeks we have seen a growing scandal emerge around DeSantis around how he funneled state funds to his political committees through his wife's foundation Hope Florida.  Tuesday lawmakers questioned whether money laundering or wire fraud may be at the heart of it all.

For years, Florida watchdog groups and journalists have documented questionable behavior by the DeSantis administration — no-bid contracts, hidden records, deals for insiders and ethics laws that were blatantly ignored. And for years, DeSantis’ fellow Republicans were willing to look the other way. But not anymore. DeSantis and his wife, Casey, are now facing serious charges from members of his own party.

The next FAMU president would wield considerable control of over who gets construction and other professional services contracts, as well as who is hired and fired at the university. Would a DeSantis take over of FAMU, and its budget, be just another extension of this kind of activity?

Broader stakes: Graduation goals and “campus commissars”
The debate unfolds as FAMU faces intense pressure to meet ambitious new state metrics: raising four-year graduation rates for Pell Grant students from 54% to 70%, far above the national 53.1% average. Critics argue such goals require academic expertise, not ideological enforcement.

“What FAMU needs is a savvy academic leader, not a political hack,” said a coalition of alumni leaders, invoking Frederick Douglass’ 1894 plea that education “means emancipation.” They warn against replicating UF’s Sasse-era spending, where lucrative contracts flowed to political insiders.

“The governor’s office wants campus commissars,” said FL State Sen. Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg), referencing DeSantis’ appointments of conservative trustees to reshape curricula. HB 1321 supporters stress that open searches allow communities to vet leaders’ qualifications—not just their politics.

DeSantis, who has appointed most trustees overseeing Florida’s public universities, dismissed the bipartisan bill as enabling “leftist indoctrination”—a claim met with skepticism given Republican dominance over university boards for 26 years. 

Veto showdown looms
While the House vote signals rare GOP dissent, the Senate version of the bill is still working its way through committees. DeSantis has already vowed to veto the bill if it passes. 

If vetoed, Florida’s universities risk further erosion of public trust, said March-Dallas: “Sunshine isn’t just about transparency—it’s about ensuring our institutions serve students, not political machines.”

As FAMU braces for new leadership, the ghost of Sasse’s spending lingers. “Who controls the budget controls the future,” warned a UF faculty member. “And right now, DeSantis, and certain Trustees, seems to think that future belongs to their friends.”