American Bridge today released a memo in response to Governor Rick Scott appointing a totally unqualified political operative to head Florida’s Department of Emergency Management. The memo details the contrast between new appointee, Wes Maul, and all his predecessors appointed since Hurricane Andrew devastated the state in 1992.
While the department heads who came before him all had decades of emergency management experience, Maul is a 29-year old former “traveling aide” for Scott’s campaign who, just four years ago, was a mattress delivery associate while in law school.
“Rick Scott has a long history of hiring political hacks who care more about helping him win his next election than helping Floridians, but this is incredible– even for him,” said American Bridge spokesperson Joshua Karp. “Instead of prioritizing Floridians safety and treating emergency management like the extremely important job it is, especially in a hurricane-prone state like Florida, Rick Scott is propping up another one of his political lackeys in an attempt to make himself look good.”
The head of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management is responsible for a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars. Florida is the third most populous state in the U.S. and one of the most prone to natural disasters like hurricanes, tropical storms, and wildfires.
Published: Sep 28, 2017