Top Florida economic official resigns amid questions
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The head of Florida's economic development agency is resigning amid questions about receiving jobless benefits before he was hired by Gov. Rick Scott.
Hunting Deutsch turned in his resignation letter on Tuesday.
He told The Associated Press that questions about his decision to apply for and receive unemployment benefits from 2009 to 2011 were creating a distraction for Scott.
Deutsch, a former bank executive, was hired earlier this year to run the Department of Economic Opportunity. That agency is responsible the administration of unemployment compensation benefits.
The Scott administration has said it did not know that Deutsch received benefits before he was hired.
A GOP state senator this week said Deutsch needed to explain how he received benefits since he was in Europe during part of that time.
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.