Tallahassee, Florida — A state grand jury concluded that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer money by diverting funds from a Medicaid settlement into the Hope Florida Foundation, according to a report obtained by CBS News Miami.
The money came from a $67 million settlement with Centene Corporation. The grand jury said $10 million that should have been treated as state funds was instead directed to Hope Florida, a nonprofit initiative associated with first lady Casey DeSantis. Within weeks, the foundation distributed two $5 million grants to outside organizations.
According to the report, $8.5 million eventually flowed to political committees, including Keep Florida Clean, which was chaired by then-DeSantis chief of staff and current Attorney General James Uthmeier. The money was used in the 2024 campaign against Amendment 3, which sought to legalize recreational marijuana.
The grand jury said the funds were “plainly” used for political purposes but found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges because investigators could not establish who made the decision to divert the money.
DeSantis rejected the findings Wednesday, calling the matter a “hoax” and saying he was not involved in negotiating the settlement. The grand jury recommended that Florida lawmakers strengthen rules governing state settlement money and impose clearer tracking requirements for taxpayer funds.
Sources
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