Florida CFO issues investigative subpoenas to Orange County amid audit of DEI grants and local spending

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaze Angolia announced that his office has issued investigative subpoenas for Orange County documents and employees related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) grant programs and other local spending, saying county staff may have altered files to hinder the state review.

Angolia, who described the state effort as a recurring audit program for local governments, said the subpoenas were signed before the press conference and "probably by now" had been delivered to county officials. He said his team compiled roughly 1,200,000 emails tied to inclusion-related searches and that six DEI grants were identified; he told reporters five of those grants did not appear in the email set his team searched.

The announcement follows remarks from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis about a state initiative to audit local governments' taxing and spending practices. DeSantis framed the reviews as a way to protect taxpayers and prepare for a state-level property tax referendum expected in 2026. He said local budgets have grown sharply in some counties; Orange County's general fund budget rose from about $1,000,000,000 in 2020 to about $1,600,000,000 in the most recent year, a figure he characterized as a 52% increase.

Why it matters: Angolia and DeSantis tied the audits to a broader push for property tax relief. Angolia said voters will see a referendum on the ballot in 2026 that could range from a large property tax cut to a more extensive elimination of homestead property taxes, and he described the audits as necessary to show where taxpayer money is being spent before pursuing that relief.

What the CFO said: Angolia described the audit process as three phases—gathering information, analyzing it and identifying issues—and said some Orange County employees provided incomplete answers to auditors. "We accumulated about 1,200,000 emails of everything related to inclusion," Angolia said, and, he added, "it is probable that we did have county employees try to hide some of this information." He said his office will pursue digital forensic analysis and involve law enforcement if necessary.

State-level context: DeSantis reiterated that the state strengthened the CFO's audit authority in the most recent legislative budget and that the state is asserting its right to review local governments that receive state funds. "Blaze doesn't answer to the county government," DeSantis said, and the governor characterized the subpoenas as a lawful step to obtain answers the CFO is entitled to under state authority.

Officials noted specifics raised during the review: Angolia said his team found procurement documents and citizen-review panel records missing or incomplete for some grants, and he stated an estimate—based on remarks at the news conference—of roughly $506,100,000 in grants over the last three years connected to the kinds of programs under review. He also said he has seen local budgets increase between 60% and 120% in some jurisdictions over a multiyear period, a point he raised to argue the need for state involvement.

Next steps and local response: Angolia said Orange County was the first county to receive subpoenas and that other counties that are being "elusive" may also receive subpoenas. He declined to disclose the total number of subpoenas as part of a pending investigation. The CFO asked county employees to be "truthful" with investigators and warned that the state could refer matters to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for digital forensics if needed.

Discussion versus formal action: The subpoenas were described as investigatory actions already issued by the CFO; no court ruling or judicial enforcement action was announced at the press conference. DeSantis and Angolia said the audits are part of a continuing program rather than a 1-off event.

Ending: Angolia and DeSantis framed the work as a defense of taxpayers and a prelude to a 2026 ballot measure on property-tax relief. Angolia said voters will be shown how local tax revenue is being spent, and DeSantis said the objective is to return surplus revenue to taxpayers through relief measures the electorate must approve.