File Under ‘Ironic’: Florida’s DOGE Czar Wasted $30K of Taxpayer Money

After Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped Blaise Ingoglia as Florida’s next chief financial officer in July, the former state senator vowed to reduce wasteful spending and rid local governments of abuse and fraud.

When he took charge of the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he later renamed the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO), Ingoglia quickly requested financial records from Broward County and Gainesville. As his FAFO efforts expanded, Orange County, Pinellas County, Manatee County, Jacksonville, and St. Petersburg were next on the CFO’s radar.

“Counties and cities should be accountable to the taxpayers they serve,” Ingoglia wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in July. “They should NOT be treating their citizens like a piggy bank for bloated budgets. I was proud to travel with @GovRonDeSantis to announce our @DOGEFLA audit of Broward County and City of Gainesville spending. We are on a mission to prove that local governments CAN cut taxes if they take a hard look at unnecessary spending. I look forward to bringing in a new era of accountability.”

Ingoglia added in another tweet last week: “I have problems with wasteful spending regardless of who does it. The taxpayers have had enough, and so have I.”

Well, state lawmaker Carlos Guillermo Smith would like a word. The Orange County senator noticed that the Florida Department of Financial Services recently spent $30,000 on photography services for Ingoglia.

“Blaise just spent $30,000 in taxpayer dollars on a film crew contract to follow him around and help him look pretty in front of cameras ðŸ¤©,” Sen. Guillermo Smith tweeted. 

Blaise just spent $30,000 in taxpayer dollars on a film crew contract to follow him around and help him look pretty in front of cameras. 🤩 https://t.co/F44SJ1ZmA5 pic.twitter.com/SzUwawtd9I

— Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (@CarlosGSmith) August 29, 2025

As detailed on the Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System website, the department paid $30,000 on August 13 to Electric Eye Photography for “video production services.

The line item description states, “Chief Financial Officer Media Coverage Rate includes photo and video coverage, along with post production and editing. Hourly rate: $50.00.” The database does not have any documents listed under the purchase order.

Last week, Ingoglia’s office issued subpoenas to 16 Orange County employees after the state alleged that the county did not cooperate with the state’s local government DOGE audits. The state is primarily focused on reviewing county spending and supposed “woke DEI initiatives in their communities.”

“Orange County taxpayers deserve better,” DeSantis added in the press release. “I applaud CFO Ingoglia for issuing subpoenas to Orange County employees involved in grant decisions, fiscal operations, and divisional management. Altering public records and trying to cover up reckless spending decisions is unacceptable, and we will continue working to uncover the truth.”

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings denied the allegations and said no employee was instructed to alter, change or delete any documents.

“Orange County government fully cooperated with the Florida DOGE audit team, providing all the data and documents requested,” he said in a statement.