Another Departure for Governor Rick Scott’s Administration
Jul 5, 2011
The following article was published in the Florida Current on July 5, 2011:
Another Departure for the Scott Administration
Brian Hughes, the combative second-in-command for the press shop of Gov. Rick Scott, is leaving his job to join the Republican Party of Florida.
The party announced on Tuesday that Hughes will be taking in a couple of weeks the spot now held by Trey Stapleton, who had worked on Scott’s campaign and then briefly for the Florida Department of State. Stapleton is leaving to move to Washington D.C.
Hughes is the third top level staff member of the Scott administration to step down in the last few weeks. In June, Mike Prendergast stepped down from his job as chief of staff and top adviser Mary Anne Carter resigned. Prendergast was replaced by Steve MacNamara, who had been chief of staff for Senate President Mike Haridopolos.
The series of moves came after Scott’s approval ratings dipped below 30 percent, making him one of the worst rated governors in the nation.
Hughes worked on the successful campaign of Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater before he took a position with Scott and had worked on various Florida campaigns in the past. Hughes has been an adjunct professor and is the founder of his own company Meteoric Media Strategies.