Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that the state will issue subpoena to Orange County employees as part of a continuing audit by Florida Government Efficiency (DOGE). The move comes after state auditors reported irregularities in county records during on-site visits and raised concerns about transparency and financial management.
“Taxpayers in Orange County are worth more,” DeSantis said. “I praise CFO Ingoglia for issuing subpoena to Orange County employees involved in grant decisions, financial activities and department management. It is unacceptable to change public records and attempting to hide reckless spending decisions.
Orange County was flagged for audits for its budget rises and spending on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, according to Doge. State officials said county’s advertising Valorem tax collection has increased by more than $330 million over the past five years, a 52% increase since 2019-20. During the same period, the county’s general fund expenditure rose from over $1 billion to over $1.6 billion (an increase of 54%), but the population only rose by about 10%.
The auditors also criticized the county’s diversity recruitment practices that spent $322,000 on “disparity studies” related to government contracts. State leaders framed these efforts as prioritizing ideology over financial responsibility.
In response, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings strongly rejected the state’s allegations. “The Orange County Government has worked fully with the Florida Dozi Audit Team, providing all the data and documents requested. No employees were instructed to modify, modify or delete the documents,” Demings said in a statement. “Employees may have read or been featured from memos and documents being discussed by the Doge team, but employees are not scripted in their remarks. The state does not provide evidence to support allegations that we are hiding information or acting in good faith.
Desantis created Doge through an executive order in February 2025 to monitor monitoring efficiency and accountability across state institutions, universities and local governments. The governor touted as part of his broader push to reduce spending and increase surveillance, noting that Florida had paid off almost half of its historic pro-tax debt while maintaining a fully funded reserve.
