By Jesse Scheckner
(Source: Florida Politics)
The incident has sparked parallel investigations at both the state and District levels, with possible employee discipline pending.
Florida’s education chief confirmed that a formal probe is underway after Broward County’s top elected school official admitted that taxpayer funds paid for a partisan event ticket.
Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said Florida Department of Education Inspector General Mike Blackburn’s Office has opened an investigation into Broward School Board Chair Sarah Leonardi after she acknowledged in writing that public school funds were used for political purposes.
Leonardi disclosed in a letter Kamoutsas shared publicly Friday that her District-issued purchase card — or p-card — was used to pay for her $150 ticket to a March 28 Broward County Democratic Party gala.
She said she had intended to pay for the ticket personally, but learned Wednesday that the charge had instead been placed on the School District account in error.
“This was done without my authorization or knowledge,” she wrote. “Upon learning this, I took immediate and decisive action that same day, securing a $150 money order to fully reimburse the District.”
She added that she has already taken steps to correct the mistake and ensure accountability, including relinquishing her p-card, notifying Superintendent Howard Hepburn and the District’s Chief of Human Resources, and requesting a review that could lead to disciplinary consequences for staff involved.
“As is the practice per Board policy, Human Resources is conducting its own investigation and will take appropriate disciplinary action, which may include termination,” Leonardi wrote, adding that she had also placed an item on the School Board’s April 28 agenda aimed at establishing clearer policies and guidelines to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Using taxpayer dollars to buy a partisan gala ticket is almost certainly a violation of Florida’s Code of Ethics, which provides that officials cannot use public funds or resources — including a p-card — “to secure a special privilege (or) benefit” for themselves or others.
The Florida Commission on Ethics has consistently interpreted related state statutes to mean that public resources must be used in furtherance of official duties, not for personal or partisan activity.
Notably, the statute in question uses the qualifier “corruptly,” which can be reasonably interpreted to specify a knowing — not accidental — action. That may limit any potential criminal liability in this case.
Leonardi’s admission of improper spending, which Kamoutsas called “totally unacceptable,” follows scrutiny this week over a promotional ad for the sold-out gala that featured multiple Broward School Board members and the District’s official logo, alongside language celebrating the Democratic Party event.
Kamoutsas first raised concerns about the ad publicly on Wednesday, calling the use of official branding in a partisan context inappropriate.
“Official district branding must never be used to advance partisan efforts,” he wrote at the time. “The students, teachers, and community in Broward County deserve leadership that respects this boundary and exercises sound judgment.”
Leonardi acknowledged in her response that the logo’s inclusion was improper and said she had not seen the final advertisement before it was published. She said she was aware an ad would be created and had personally paid $83.33 toward it, but did not know it would incorporate District branding.
“Specifically, I was not aware that the District’s logo would be used,” she wrote, adding that its use “undermines the neutrality and integrity that the public rightfully expects from its school system.”
Questions about the ad date back to March 31, she said, when Broward Schools Chief of Staff John Sullivan contacted her about the logo’s presence. The issue escalated publicly this week after Kamoutsas posted the ad on social media and formally notified the District.
In a letter to Hepburn, Kamoutsas said he would refer the matter to the Inspector General and called for “the immediate discipline” of any employees or officials responsible. He also urged all School Board members to publicly denounce the use of District branding in partisan contexts and reaffirm their commitment to political neutrality.
Leonardi said the District would comply, including implementing mandatory training for employees and developing a formal policy to eliminate “any ambiguity regarding the appropriate use of District branding.”
In that earlier letter, Leonardi did not detail how the ad was created. Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said on X shortly after that he had independently confirmed “the purchase of this advertisement was approved and coordinated by an employee at @BrowardSchools during school time.”
“There’s more to come,” he wrote.
Complicating the matter further, the ad included School Board member Adam Cervera, a Republican appointee of Gov. Ron DeSantis, alongside Leonardi, Vice Chair Jeff Holness and three other Democratic members.
A source familiar with the situation told Florida Politics on Thursday that the inclusion of both Cervera and the District logo resulted from a miscommunication within Leonardi’s Office — an account Leonardi appeared to corroborate in her Friday letter.
Florida law does not explicitly prohibit the use of a local School Board seal in political advertising, but doing so in partisan communications can still expose a candidate or official to multiple legal and ethical violations.
The core issue is context: Using an official seal can mislead voters into believing a government entity is endorsing a candidate, which may fall under Florida’s prohibition on misleading advertising.