Florida CFO launches door-to-door hurricane awareness campaign amid criticism
CFO Blaise Ingoglia faces criticism for sending state employees door-to-door with hurricane safety leaflets featuring his name and image ahead of his reelection bid.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia has launched a statewide initiative sending Department of Financial Services employees door-to-door with hurricane safety information, drawing criticism from political opponents who question whether the program serves as campaigning.
Ingoglia announced Tuesday that he began dispatching staff from the Department of Financial Services Office of Consumer Services last week to knock on doors across Florida neighborhoods. The employees carry leaflets bearing Ingoglia’s name and image as part of what he describes as a hurricane safety and education effort ahead of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs from June 1 through November 30.
The Republican CFO, who was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis last year and is running for re-election this fall, defended the initiative as purely educational. “We want to make sure as many people are as educated as possible about the services available to them,” Ingoglia said.
Political Opposition Questions Motives
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly drew parallels to past controversies involving elected officials using public resources for materials featuring their personal branding. He referenced how Republican legislators criticized then-Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, now chair of the Florida Democratic Party, when she placed consumer protection inspection stickers with her image on gas pumps statewide. The Legislature eventually prohibited that practice.
“Look, between our campaign finance system and the rules regarding elected officials, we have the most corrupt system in the state of Florida and the entire country,” Jolly told the Florida Phoenix. “That is true. That was true with Hope Florida. That’s true with what Blaise is doing. The problem is there’s nobody providing a check on that.”
Questions Over Use of Public Funds
Jolly specifically questioned the appropriateness of using state dollars for materials featuring an elected official’s image during an election year. “But look, I also think that, if it was a misuse of state dollars for Nikki Fried, it’s a misuse of state dollars for Blaze. There’s no way of getting out of that,” he said.
Ingoglia, a former state senator, dismissed suggestions that the hurricane awareness push would benefit his reelection campaign. The CFO’s office has not released details about the cost of the door-to-door initiative or how many neighborhoods will be targeted.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions over how Florida elected officials use public resources and whether educational outreach efforts cross ethical lines when they prominently feature officials’ personal branding during election cycles.
