Gray Rohrer of the Florida Current has a helluva scoop this morning that I am surprised few other outlets are picking up (of course, if the Times/Herald doesn’t scoop it, it didn’t happen).
Rohrer reports that Hunting Deutsch, Rick Scott’s choice to lead the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), received unemployment compensation benefits from 2009 to 2011 after he lost his job as a bank executive.
The irony here is that Scott’s DEO is the state agency responsible for administering what critics call the stingiest jobless benefits system in the country.
Deutsch told Rohrer, “For part of it, when I first left Bank United after we got reduced, a substantially reduced settlement. So actually it gave me an extraordinary perspective of what it takes to go through the unemployment or what we now call the reemployment process and the job certification requirements.”
Keep in mind, Deutsch owns a house in Santa Rosa Beach valued at $602,409 on the 2012 property tax rolls and a Miami condo worth $573,750. Deutsch said he traveled overseas to Europe and spent time with his family in between jobs. He now makes $140,000 annually as DEO chief.
Much, much more from Rohrer here. This is a must-read.
