Duval Times

After a report highlighted a culture of harassment at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Joni Ernst and four other senators in calling for an investigation into over 500 allegations of misconduct. The senators criticized the FDIC for allowing such a culture to persist and urged the Inspector General (IG) to address these issues.

The senators stated, “The independent review Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP (Cleary Gottlieb) conducted, released in April 2024, documented over 500 allegations of harassment and other egregious behavior, with one in ten FDIC employees reporting some form of misconduct, including from senior agency leadership. This should have triggered immediate action. Instead, there has been a shocking lack of urgency, and victims continue to suffer while justice is delayed.”

They further commented, “Further, by focusing solely on external investigations of senior leadership, the FDIC Board has effectively abandoned an untold number of alleged victims whose allegations are against other employees within the agency. Every individual—regardless of their position within the agency—deserves justice, and it is your obligation as the Inspector General to ensure each allegation is fully investigated.”

Following earlier reports of sexual harassment and discrimination at the FDIC, Senators Scott and Ernst were among those who called for FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg’s resignation. In November 2023, Scott sent a letter demanding accountability for this behavior at the FDIC.

In April 2024, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP released its report documenting more than 500 allegations of harassment and revealed that one in ten FDIC employees reported some form of misconduct. However, Cleary Gottlieb was not allowed to directly investigate claims to hold perpetrators accountable but instead focused on policies contributing to this culture.