Rep. Jared Moskowitz's past employment with disaster cleanup company AshBritt is drawing fire in his re-election bid as Florida congressional primaries approach. The Democratic congressman received $445,658 from AshBritt in 2017, the same year the firm faced allegations of price gouging following Hurricane Irma.
Moskowitz, who seeks re-election in a GOP-leaning Florida seat, served in the Florida state Legislature from 2012 to 2019. During much of that period, he also worked for AshBritt, a contractor specializing in rapid-response disaster recovery and environmental services.
The company has faced multiple controversies, including accusations of price gouging. In Oct. 2017, then-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi launched an investigation into AshBritt. The inquiry centered on allegations that the company attempted to revise contracts by withholding performance until governments paid increased rates.
Eighteen days after Hurricane Irma, a Category 4 storm, struck Florida in September 2017, Moskowitz requested a price increase on behalf of AshBritt for its contract with the city of Parkland, Florida. Hurricane Irma killed 84 people and caused more than $50 billion in damage across the state.
Parkland City Commission meeting minutes from Sept. 28, 2017, show commissioners felt "as though they were being held hostage" by the price increase request. Parkland's then-Mayor Christine Hunschofsky also expressed concern about the late timing of the request.
AshBritt chief executive Randy Perkins and Moskowitz described the requested increase as based on market standards, citing supply disruptions from the quick succession of Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Maria that year.
A study by the National Library of Medicine confirmed widespread supply chain disruptions across Florida and the southeastern United States due to those hurricanes. The Government Accountability Office also found that such disruptions led to price increases from contractors due to high demand.
National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole criticized Moskowitz, saying he "made a living out of squeezing taxpayers and stiffing workers all while lining his own pockets." O'Toole added that Moskowitz "doesn't care about defending those he purports to represent."
AshBritt, in a motion to quash a subpoena issued by Bondi, denied the allegations. The company said the attorney general "vaguely—and wrongly—accuses Ashbritt of price gouging," asserting the subpoena lacked foundation.
Moskowitz declined to comment. The renewed focus on his past employment comes one week before Florida's congressional primaries.
Moskowitz represents Florida's 23rd Congressional District, but the seat he seeks to hold is the newly redrawn 25th District. Donald Trump would have carried the 25th District by nine points in 2024, making the race a toss-up.
