A sealed report on money routed through the Hope Florida Foundation has renewed calls for accountability, while Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican officials deny wrongdoing.
A Florida grand jury concluded that $10 million from a Medicaid-related settlement was misappropriated after it was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation and later moved through organizations that funded political activity, according to reporting on the sealed report. The jury did not recommend criminal charges, saying it lacked sufficient evidence to establish who was criminally responsible.
The money came from a broader settlement with Medicaid contractor Centene. The report found that the $10 million sent to Hope Florida, an initiative associated with first lady Casey DeSantis, was subsequently routed through two nonprofit groups and into political committees. Some of that money was used to oppose Florida’s unsuccessful 2024 ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana.
The grand jury said taxpayer money had been used for political purposes and called for legal changes to strengthen controls over state funds. It also said James Uthmeier, then Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff and now Florida attorney general, held a position of authority over people involved in the settlement and that his Keep Florida Clean political committee was the principal recipient of the funds. The report said then-Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office knew of plans to direct money to Hope Florida.
Uthmeier, Moody and DeSantis have rejected allegations that they acted improperly. Uthmeier has pointed to the absence of charges and described the renewed controversy as politically driven. Moody said her office was one of several entities that signed the settlement and did not know how the funds would later be spent. DeSantis said the settlement was lawful and criticized the disclosure of the confidential report.
Democratic candidates and party leaders have called for resignations, a renewed investigation or both. Those demands are political responses to a report that made no criminal accusation against any individual and explicitly said the evidence was insufficient to charge anyone.
