Florida House halts probe into DeSantis-linked foundation amid allegations of misused Medicaid funds
Casey DeSantis' assistance program under scrutiny
A Florida welfare assistance program led by First Lady Casey DeSantis is facing new scrutiny from lawmakers who want an accounting of where they money is and who's helping. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says House Republican leaders are using this as an excuse to batter him and his wife politically and she considers a run for governor.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida House panel has ended its probe into the Hope Florida Foundation after key figures declined to testify about $10 million in Medicaid funds tied to political donations.
‘I will never trust Gov. DeSantis again with taxpayer money’
What we know:
A Florida House investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation — a nonprofit tied to First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature economic-assistance program — has been officially halted. Rep. Alex Andrade, who led the inquiry, ended the probe after lawyers and leaders of nonprofits that received large grants from the foundation refused to testify.
At the center of the investigation is a $10 million disbursement from a Medicaid legal settlement with Centene, of which $5 million went to each of two nonprofits — Secure Florida’s Future and Save Our Society from Drugs. Those groups later contributed to a political committee led by James Uthmeier, DeSantis’ former chief of staff and now the state attorney general.
What we don't know:
The core allegations—whether state actors engaged in money laundering or wire fraud using redirected Medicaid settlement funds—remain unproven and unresolved. No legal charges have been filed, and it is unclear whether federal authorities will take further action. Questions also remain about the full role of Governor DeSantis’ office in the fund transfers, how decisions about the grants were made, and whether the Hope Florida Foundation acted independently or with political coordination.
The backstory:
The controversy traces back to a $67 million settlement between the state and Centene, Florida’s largest Medicaid managed-care company. From that, $10 million was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation. The grant money soon found its way into political efforts, including fighting a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. That political link raised red flags for Andrade, who has since accused DeSantis allies of orchestrating a scheme to misuse public funds.
What they're saying:
During a brief meeting Thursday, Andrade laid out a timeline of the settlement.
"I am firmly convinced that James Uthmeier and Jeff Aaron engaged in a conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud," he said. "I will never trust Gov. DeSantis again with taxpayer money, let alone Medicaid money."
Aaron lashed out at Andrade, an attorney, in a social media post after the meeting.
"Now I have more time to draft my defamation lawsuit and bar complaint. @RAlexAndradeFL should be ashamed of himself. I hope there are members of the legislature with the courage to stand up and call for this ridiculous behavior to end," Aaron posted on X.
Jeremy Redfern, a spokesman for Uthmeier, said Andrade’s accusations were baseless.
"These ridiculous allegations are false and not based on any judicial finding or evidentiary record," Redfern said in a statement.
The governor and Casey DeSantis held a news conference Thursday morning in St. Augustine shortly after Andrade’s panel met. The governor accused unidentified House leaders and "lefty journalists" of trying to "impugn" the program.
FULL: Ron and Casey DeSantis highlight Hope Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis hosted a news conference to highlight Hope Florida on Thursday morning in St. Augustine at the Anchor Faith Church. Others positively impacted by Hope Florida also shared their experiences at the event. The nonprofit organization has been under intense scrutiny following questions from lawmakers over the handling of a $10 million settlement. The allegations center on whether the funds were appropriately funneled into Hope Florida’s nonprofit arm instead of the state’s coffers.
"The reality is this has done an enormous amount of good. I am proud of the program, soup to nuts," DeSantis said, adding that his wife, who is mulling a possible run for governor next year, is being targeted. "They view [Casey DeSantis] as a threat."
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by The News Service of Florida.