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Florida’s financial regulator is out of a job after serving less than five months, but unanswered questions remain over accusations of sexual harassment and pay to play allegations in state politics.

Hired in February, Ronald Rubin was suspended in May after a co-worker filed a sexual harassment complaint.

Rubin’s attorney, Michael Tein, pled for his job at a Thursday’s meeting before the Governor and Cabinet.

“We will think that you removed him because he refused to bend to the will of powerful people and big money donors,” said Tein.

An Inspector General’s report found ten instances of questionable conduct.

“Number nine. Asking a subordinate employee if their dog watches the employee and their spouse have sex. And number ten. Using the C word as a reference to a female,” said Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, reading the accusations out loud during the meeting.

The vote was 3-0 in favor of firing Rubin.

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried left the meeting over Sunshine law concerns, but said she supported the outcome, just not the way it was done.

“I believe it violates the Weidner agreement,” said Fried.

Afterwards the Governor Ron DeSantis downplayed those concerns.
“There was clearly poor conduct and I think it was below the standards we should expect,” said DeSantis.

The Department of Law Enforcement says it is investigating CFO Patronis for releasing the original sexual harassment complaint just hours after it was filed.

Tein said the fired financial regulator’s whistleblower lawsuit will go forward.

Rubin has blamed politics for the dismissal.

“What about the fact that a lobbyist and a big donor had influence over this decision,” said Tein.

Rubin has accused the CFO of trying to force him to hire the wife of a lobbyist.

He’s also accused agents for the CFO of trying to extort a million dollar contribution from his father.

The man who held the job previously has also said Patronis tried to interfere with how the office did its job.

A nationwide search for a replacement will begin next month.