DART leaders address ongoing investigation into incoming CEO's previous job in Florida
DALLAS - As DART's incoming CEO faces a subpoena related to a criminal investigation into his previous job in Florida, company leaders expressed confidence in their hire at a recent Dallas City Council meeting.
DART leaders answer questions about incoming CEO
Local perspective:
During a Dallas City Council Transportation Committee meeting on Monday, DART interim CEO David Leninger and DART Board Chair Randall Bryant were questioned about the hire of Nathaniel Ford as the company's next CEO.
Nathaniel Ford
Ford was announced as the company's next CEO in July. He was previously the CEO of the Jacksonville Transit Authority, which faces a multimillion-dollar deficit and is currently under criminal investigation for spending while Ford was leading the company.
When questioned about the investigation into JTA, Bryant said the company is still confident in their hire.
"I don't even want to use this forum as an opportunity to get into a battle with the attorney general of Florida, but we have made our decision based upon what we knew at the time and what we know now," Bryant said. "
There is not any belief of the board to make a change in that decision. We have affirmed Nat Ford as our CEO, and we continue to do that."
Jacksonville Transit Authority investigation
Dig deeper:
In early October, the Florida Attorney General's office opened a criminal investigation into JTA. The transit company is facing a $40 million budget shortfall, forcing route reductions and staffing cuts.
The investigation focuses on spending that occurred under Ford’s leadership, including expenses for massages, murals, hotel stays, and JTA's tuition reimbursement policy for potential IRS code violations.
Florida’s AG has requested all text messages and emails between Ford, his wife, and consultant Kenston Griffin sent between October 2023 and March 2025. Subpoenas issued in the probe name Ford, as well as Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan.
A new subpoena requests contracts between JTA and Ford's wife. It also asks the company to identify all employees who make more than $150,000 per year and provide documentation on travel expenses for certain employees, including Ford.
FOX 4 also previously reported on investigations into Ford’s travel expenses in Jacksonville that included a nearly $10,000 trip to Spain.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Incoming DART CEO's salary revealed
The incoming CEO of DART will make more than $500,000 in his role, a raise from his prior job in Jacksonville at a company facing a budget shortfall and mass layoffs. FOX 4's Lori Brown has more.
Emails and texts related to the termination of accounting department employees at JTA are also part of the subpoena.
JTA has also shuttered its NAVI autonomous taxi system, a project that Ford was a driving force behind.
Jacksonville City Councilman Rory Diamond, who told FOX 4's Lori Brown the situation with JTA was a "transportation nightmare," said today Ford has agreed to give voluntary testimony at a Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee meeting related to the Florida AG investigation.
What's next:
Ford is scheduled to begin his role as CEO of Dart on October 26 with a salary higher than that of other significant Dallas city leaders.
According to documents obtained by FOX 4, Ford will hold his new and old roles simultaneously: his scheduled final day as CEO of JTA is January 8, 2027. FOX 4 has reached out to DART regarding Ford holding both roles at the same time, but has not heard back.
JTA has until October 30 to provide documentation related to the Florida AG's investigation.
The Source: Information in this story comes from a Dallas City Council Transportation Committee meeting and previous FOX 4 reporting.