Florida Governor Rick Scott Releases Inspector General Report on Citizens Property Insurance, Calls for Immediate Travel Policy Reforms
Jan 17, 2013
In a statement issued today, January 17, 2013, Florida Governor Rick Scott called for immediate reforms in the corporate travel policies of Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“Citizens”) and released a detailed report by the Office of the Chief Inspector General (“IG”) which states that all Citizens employees and Board members should follow state travel laws. The report also calls from more internal controls at Citizens.
To view the IG’s entire report, click here.
Governor Scott said:
“Citizens, a taxpayer supported entity, is now the largest insurance company in Florida. I requested this IG report to ensure Citizens is held to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, and it is clear from the IG’s findings that Citizens is in urgent need of four reforms,” he stated.
“First, Citizens should immediately change their travel guidelines to comply with official state travel restrictions. Second, Citizens board members must immediately change their travel policy to prohibit any international travel. Third, the Citizens travel policy should be further tightened to only allow essential employees to attend board meetings in order to eliminate excessive expenses,” he said.
“Finally, as I have previously said, Citizens needs its own independent statutory IG to enforce existing rules, and the additional reforms it is clear they need to make,” he said. “Any egregious expenses, unethical behavior, or violation of the law must be grounds for dismissal. A company this large, supported by hard-working Florida families, must be held to the highest standards of integrity.”
In early December, Governor Scott announced that he wanted Citizens to have its own inspector general. Creating the job requires a change in state law and Governor Scott had said he would make such a priority for the 2013 legislative session.
At the time, Governor Scott said he was concerned about misbehavior and mismanagement.
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