Ten of the 15 people who started work in U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos’ office on his first day were off its regular payroll within 18 months. One staffer was escorted out by sheriff’s deputies after raising concerns about internal practices. Another close friend of the congressman resigned after roughly a month, after allegedly objecting to how the chief of staff was handling taxpayer-reimbursed purchases.
Former staff now allege that Chief of Staff Hannah Fraher runs office purchases through her personal rewards credit card, keeps the rewards, and used a subordinate’s Social Security number to add her to that card without permission.
The congressman’s office has not acknowledged or answered a detailed request for comment. The full list of questions and allegagtions sent to the office appears at the end of this article.
What the records show
- 10 of 15 original staffers had left the regular payroll by June 30, 2026.
- 19 of 28 people who appeared on the office payroll in 2025 and early 2026 have departed or been removed, based on payroll records, a sheriff’s office report and staff accounts.
- $181,975.84 in non-salary office expenses were paid to Chief of Staff Hannah Fraher in 2025 and the first half of 2026. This is in addition to her approximately $210,000 annual salary.
- Sheriff’s deputies were called by the office to escort a staffer out after he raised concerns.
- The district office’s veterans services position remains vacant (among many others), and constituents are reportedly being referred elsewhere.
A first-term exodus
A review of official House payroll records, published through the House’s Statements of Disbursements, identified 15 people whose regular pay in Haridopolos’ office began January 3, 2025. Only five were still on regular office payroll through June 30, 2026, the end of the most recent quarter available. Since then, The Space Coast Rocket has also received reports that three more senior staff, Keith Van Buren, district director Pamela “Pam” Persse and legislative director Valentina Valenta, have left as well.
The departures reach into every part of the office: communications director George Alderman, press secretary Annie McCarthy, constituent services staff Julia Bowers and Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina, and district director Patrick Gavin.
In all, 28 people appeared on the office’s payroll during 2025 and the first half of 2026. Nineteen of them are now gone: 15 whose regular pay ended before June 30, one removed by sheriff’s deputies, and the three reported departures. Those 19 are crossed out in the accompanying roster.
The roster includes successive hires and some short-term and part-time positions, so those 28 people did not all work there at the same time. Payroll records alone do not show whether someone resigned, was fired or transferred. According to former staff, all but one of them quit.
Escorted out by deputies
A Brevard County Sheriff’s Office report confirms that Haridopolos’ office called deputies to escort a staff member from the district office after he raised numerous concerns about internal practices. According to the report, the employee gathered his belongings and left without incident.
The office has not explained why law enforcement was called.
Gone in a month
Christopher “CJ” Drake joined the office as deputy district director on August 4, 2025. House payroll records show his regular pay ended September 9, 2025.
According to staff, Drake was brought in to monitor other employees and asked to carry out questionable instructions. They say he refused, objected to Fraher’s use of a personal cash-back credit card for taxpayer-reimbursed office purchases, and resigned. The Space Coast Rocket has reviewed the formal resignation letter Drake addressed directly to Congressman Haridopolos.
The office was asked whether Drake raised concerns, how management responded and why he resigned. The Space Coast Rocket also formally requested his resignation letter. The office has not answered those questions or provided any requested records.
The $181,975 question
Staff also informed us that Fraher, as a policy, charges office supplies, expensive furniture and other official expenses to her personal rewards card, is reimbursed with taxpayer money and kept the credit card rewards/cash-back.
Official House records confirm that Fraher was the named payee on $181,975.84 in non-salary office expenses: $121,859.58 charged to 2025 and $60,116.26 charged to the first half of 2026. Records from July onward have not yet been published. At her average quarterly pace, the total is likely to exceed $200,000. That is payment in addition to her $210,000 annual salary.
Those figures are recorded office expenses. They do not mean Fraher received that money as income, and they do not by themselves show the purchases were improper. The public reports do not identify which cards were used, what rewards were earned, or the receipts and approvals behind each payment.
What the records do show is that Haridopolos’ office handled its spending differently from most of Congress. The House provides government purchase cards for official supplies and services, with charges paid directly to Citibank, and also allows offices to pay vendors directly. Employee reimbursement is permitted but is not required.
A Space Coast Rocket review of April through June 2026 spending records found non-travel payments to Citibank or a Citi purchase card in 390 of 441 member offices, roughly 88 percent.
The office has not explained why so many high-dollar purchases went through Fraher instead, who approved her reimbursements, or whether anyone collected personal rewards on them.
A history of disclosure problems
This is not the first time questions about money have followed Haridopolos. In December 2010, the Florida Commission on Ethics unanimously accepted a settlement in which Haridopolos, then Florida Senate president, admitted he violated the Florida Constitution by failing to fully disclose his finances from 2004 to 2008, including real estate investments, university earnings and clients of his consulting business.
In February 2011, the Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Sen. John Thrasher, who was also chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, issued Haridopolos a letter of admonishment, and Thrasher formally admonished him on the Senate floor. The committee found the violations were not willful or intentional, and Haridopolos apologized and corrected the filings.
Among the top spenders in Congress
Haridopolos’ own current expenses and reimburnsements have also drawn national attention. A Washington Post analysis published last month found House members collected $6.7 million in taxpayer reimbursements for Washington meals and lodging in 2025, a 21 percent increase over the previous year, under a program that does not require receipts, just an honor system. Members only certify that they incurred eligible expenses, and the details of their spending are not disclosed.
Haridopolos was reimbursed $35,477 for lodging and meals in 2025, the sixth-highest total in the House. The Post contacted the 10 biggest spenders seeking an explanation for their expenses. Haridopolos was among those who did not respond or declined to provide details.
A subordinate’s Social Security number
The most serious allegation involves district director Pam Persse. The Space Coast Rocket learned that Fraher allegedly used personal information from Persse’s employment paperwork, including her Social Security number, to add Persse as an authorized user on Fraher’s personal rewards card without Persse’s permission.
According to those accounts, Fraher wanted Persse to use the card for district office purchases so the rewards would keep accumulating. Staff say balances built up on the card and damaged Persse’s credit. The Space Coast Rocket has not been able to obtain the card issuer’s account or authorization records or Persse’s credit reports.
Who is Hannah Fraher?
Before joining Haridopolos’ office, Fraher served as director of House operations for Speaker Mike Johnson, a role described in a February 2024 Ripon Society account.
Her time in Johnson’s office drew public attention. In April 2024, Breitbart published emails showing Fraher challenged the D.C. Young Republicans’ May 2023 endorsement of President Trump, argued it violated the group’s bylaws and demanded a refund of her dues. When the group refused, Fraher responded with profanity, and the group answered with an insult. Johnson’s spokesman declined to comment at the time.
The reporting did not establish that the dispute led to discipline or to her departure from Johnson’s office. The Space Coast Rocket asked Haridopolos’ office about the circumstances of her move, whether the dispute led to any employment action and why the congressman chose her as chief of staff. Those questions remain unanswered.
Veterans left waiting
District staff are the people residents call for help with federal agencies, Social Security and veterans’ benefits.
The Space Coast Rocket has observed veterans calling the district office and asking for the staff member who handles veterans’ services, only to be told the position is vacant and will hopefully be filled soon. It has not been. Staff say the backlog has grown so large that they have been told to refer constituents to state Sen. Debbie Mayfield’s office instead.
The Space Coast Rocket has not independently established the scope of any disruption to constituent services. The office was asked for its current staff roster, vacancies, casework backlog and response times, and how duties were reassigned after the departures. Haridopolos’ office has not responded.
The questions sent to Haridopolos’ office
We are providing the entire correspondence we sent to Haridopolos’ office for readers to review and decide for themselves if they want to inquire with the congressman directly about the allegations and circumstances. Haridopolos’ office has not provided a response. Chief of Staff Hannah Fraher links to all social media accounts appear to have been removed since our inquiry.
There will be additional reporting in the near future on the other allegations outlined in our email below.
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