EDITORIAL: Domestic-violence victims abused again as Florida failed to hold greedy CEO accountable

Feb. 19--As alleged stewards of taxpayer dollars, Florida lawmakers should have been suspicious long ago of the massive compensation package doled out to Tiffany Carr, former CEO of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

After all, lawmakers knew something was amiss when Carr's over-the-top salary, paid for by government funds, was disclosed back in July 2018.

Her agency controlled the $45 millionFlorida directs annually to domestic-violence shelters across the state. But Carr got to keep too much of those public funds for herself. She received an annual salary of more than $761,000, far more than leaders of other, larger agencies. But her perks and compensation were astounding. Carr received more than $7.5 million over three years, audit documents show -- including almost $5 million in cash compensation for "paid time off."

Translation: Carr got paid not to work.

Coalition stonewalls audit

The revelations have rocked Florida's domestic-violence community. The Department of Children & Families, which oversees the agency, ordered an audit in August 2018. But first, the coalition had the gall to refuse to hand over documents needed for the audit, documents ultimately obtained by Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times reporters. Busted, Carr, who led the coalition for 20 years, stepped down, citing a "significant health diagnosis." The documents recently were turned over to the Florida House and revealed a 14-member board of directors obviously asleep at the wheel. Of course, so were lawmakers, who now have declared themselves "stunned" and "speechless" at the news. No, they ignored the news.

The records detail the unbelievable mismanagement of state funds to compensate Carr, a once-influential domestic-violence advocate. Nevertheless, lawmakers continued to steer millions to the coalition, which oversees domestic-violence programs and passes through about $50 million in state and federal government funds to 42 domestic violence centers across the state.

As the appalling disclosures piled up, the Florida House rushed to take the rare action of exercising its subpoena power of the coalition's board of directors. House Speaker José Oliva ordered his chamber to launch an investigation. He deserves credit for moving on this. However, now is the right time to do a deep dive into other nonprofits working on the state's behalf, using the state's money. This can't possibly be an isolated case, though, maybe, the most egregious. Then again, maybe not. Let's find out.

Crime committed

Gov. Ron DeSantis last week asked his inspector general, Melinda Miguel, to investigate the domestic-violence agency's "abuse of state dollars" to determine if any criminal wrongdoing has occurred. And some Democrats in Congress are demanding a federal probe.

The audit records show the audacity of Carr and her board, which appeared to have rubber-stamped her request for more, and then even more. Their own shelters benefited from generous funding from Carr's agency. Even while under investigation, the board sweetened Carr's compensation deal. But 26 domestic-violence center directors across the state rightly are demanding that the coalition members resign. So should the state. But, first, they have a lot of questions to answer.

Unfortunately, the victims have been the women, children and men suffering domestic violence. Too many local agencies funded by the coalition to help them went wanting.

The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence had the rare status of being a sole-source contractor, but that is about to end. A Florida Senate committee gave swift approval to a bill to sever the coalition's ties to the state. On Wednesday, the House will take up a HB 1087, sponsored by Rep. Juan Alfonso Fernandez-Barquin, R-Miami, which seeks to eliminate the agency's sweetheart deal.

The bill should pass -- the coalition has done little but betray Floridians in distress.

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