Governor Rick Scott is appointing a new port board member, all while expressing concerns of "wasteful spending" amongst port executives.
In a statement, the governor says he's reminding all appointees of governing boards of their responsibility to be accountable to taxpayers after what we found in our I-Team investigation.
He's appointing Mike Griffin, current chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, to Port Tampa Bay's board.
The governor sent out the following statement:
"Recently, I was concerned to see media reports detailing wasteful spending by the executives at Port Tampa Bay. The actions detailed in these reports should serve as a reminder of the importance of the oversight every appointee is charged with providing. I look forward to the Tampa Port Authority governing board reviewing policies to prevent wasteful spending by employees."
The I-Team recently exposed port executives wining and dining on your dime.
Since our investigation aired, Tampa's Mayor Bob Buckhorn called for new policy changes, and Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran launched a state investigation.
Port CEO Paul Anderson defends himself by stating:
"Although we are currently reviewing all Port Tampa Bay expense policies, I believe there is a misperception about the integrity of how we spend Port Tampa Bay dollars."
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Jarrod Holbrook is an Emmy and AP Award-winning Investigative Reporter for the ABC Action News I-Team. Do you have a story idea? Contact Jarrod on Facebook, Twitter, or via email at jarrod.holbrook@wfts.com.
