Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas announced Friday that the Florida Department of Education’s Inspector General has opened an investigation into Broward School Board Chair Sarah Leonardi.
The move follows a written admission from Leonardi that public school funds were used to pay for her attendance at a partisan political event.
The probe, led by Inspector General Mike Blackburn, centers on the use of a district-issued purchase card (P-Card) to cover a $150 ticket to a Broward County Democratic Party gala held on March 28.
In a “Statement of Facts” shared by the Commissioner, Leonardi detailed a series of administrative errors that led to the unauthorized expenditure and the inappropriate use of the school district’s logo in a political advertisement.
Leonardi stated that she intended to use personal funds for the gala and a related advertisement.
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However, she disclosed that on April 22, her executive secretary confessed to mistakenly charging the $150 ticket to the district P-Card rather than Leonardi’s personal debit card. Leonardi maintained that this occurred without her knowledge or authorization. Upon discovery, Leonardi said she obtained a money order to reimburse the district and voluntarily surrendered her P-Card.
The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) issued a sharp response to the confirmed investigation. “Floridians expect their tax dollars to be used to educate students not to subsidize partisan political events,” said RPOF Chairman Evan Power. “This abusive use of taxpayer dollars in Broward, funds desperately needed for public education, erodes public trust. We commend the state for taking swift action to investigate and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”
Beyond the P-Card charge, the investigation is scrutinizing the appearance of the Broward Schools logo in the gala’s program. Leonardi’s statement noted that she was unaware the logo had been used until notified by the district’s Chief of Staff. In response, she stripped her secretary of responsibilities related to creating promotional materials and directed that the secretary no longer distribute the district logo.
Leonardi has proposed a six-point plan for the Board’s April 28 meeting to address oversight gaps. Her recommendations include moving board secretaries under the Superintendent’s supervision, developing stricter policies for logo usage, and mandating a district-wide audit of P-Card transactions over the past year.
“I take this matter seriously and have acted swiftly at every step to ensure accountability,” Leonardi wrote, noting that the school district’s Human Resources department is conducting its own investigation which may result in staff termination.
The state’s Inspector General will now determine if these actions constitute a formal violation of Florida’s ethics and public fund statutes.
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