Jimmy Patronis only cut a single $4,015.62 reimbursement check on the exact day that POLITICO made a general inquiry of his agency for its vehicle-reimbursement policy. | Daniel Ducassi/POLITICO Florida CFO cut late reimbursement check after wrecking state car on way to political consultant’s shop

About an hour before the workday ended for most state employees, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis left the state Capitol in a government-owned Chevy Tahoe, drove to a political consultant’s business and promptly caused a car crash.

In most Florida agencies — including Patronis’ own — a state worker’s personal use of a state-owned vehicle is generally prohibited. But Patronis’ office said the CFO was allowed personal use of the vehicle because he reimbursed the state for it.


However, Patronis only cut a single $4,015.62 reimbursement check on the exact day that POLITICO made a general inquiry of his agency for its vehicle-reimbursement policy. And that was seven months after Patronis wrecked the car.

“The CFO wanted to go above and beyond by writing a personal check out of an abundance of caution to ensure he had paid for any personal time he used in the state vehicle,” Patronis’ spokesman, Jon Moore, said when asked about the reimbursement coinciding with questions about state vehicle use.

While no one was hurt in the crash, Patronis’s vehicle use was enough of potential political liability that he ceased using a state vehicle for personal reasons.

“The CFO launched his campaign in November and chose to discontinue any use of a state vehicle at the time out of an abundance of caution,” Moore said.

Patronis also was fined $173 by Tallahassee police for making the careless left-hand turn that caused a Nissan Murano driver to slam into the driver’s side of the Tahoe as both were eastbound on two-lane Sixth Avenue before 4:10 p.m. on Monday Oct. 9, when most state workers were still at their desks in Tallahassee.

Asked about the timing, Moore said “employees leave the office at different times for varying obligations.” Moore said that Patronis’s predecessor, CFO Jeff Atwater, also had a state vehicle for personal use. Atwater did not return a call or text message.

Patronis “stated that he wanted to turn into the business and admitted that he did not check to see if the left lane was clear before attempting to cross over,” the police report says.

His driving aside, the police report also raises questions about Patronis’ politicking in office and — as the manager of the state’s checkbook — the office’s accounting practices due to the tardiness of the reimbursement.

At the time of the crash, Patronis told a Tallahassee Police officer that he was heading to a business whose address corresponds with that of his political consultant, Melissa Stone, Gov. Rick Scott’s former chief of staff, runs a super PAC supporting his U.S. Senate bid and is also the lead consultant for Patronis’ first statewide election as CFO this November.

Patronis was appointed to his post by Scott when his predecessor left early. Stone wrote Patronis’ acceptance speech. A former state House member and Panama City restaurateur, Patronis was among the few to endorse Scott early in what looked like a longshot bid to become governor in 2010. After Patronis left office, Scott appointed him to the state’s Public Service Commission and, then, CFO.

As CFO, Patronis helped force the resignation of a financial regulator Scott disliked and has been a reliable Scott vote on the Florida Cabinet.

Patronis’ fellow Florida Cabinet members and Gov. Scott’s office all adhere to the same state-vehicle use policy that says “motor vehicles and watercraft shall be used for official state purposes only and shall be used only as authorized by the administrative head of an agency.” However, the policy also allows for general exceptions “when authorized officially as a perquisite” by a supervisor.

None of the policies specifically authorize the use of state vehicles to go to political functions or consultants’ places of business. But it ends up happening with any governor because he’s under the protection of Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents who drive him around. The independently wealthy Scott, however, sold the state plane and uses his own personal aircraft.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s office said he follows policy but wouldn’t specifically say if he uses a state-owned vehicle for personal or political reasons. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she does not. And her office goes one step more: it bans anyone from using a state property for political reasons.

“No employee shall use state property or equipment, such as vehicles, phones, computers, faxes, etc., for political-related activities regardless of whether the employee is on duty or not,” Bondi’s office policy says.