Florida grand jury finds DeSantis administration misappropriated $10M

Hope Florida Foundation Medicaid settlement Ron DeSantis grand jury report political misappropriation

A Florida grand jury has concluded that the administration of Governor Ron DeSantis misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer funds. The report, which was leaked to the media, found that money from a $67 million Medicaid settlement with Centene Corporation was diverted to the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit initiative associated with First Lady Casey DeSantis.

According to the grand jury, the funds were part of a 'sophisticated scheme' to finance political activities. The money eventually flowed through various nonprofit groups to political action committees, including Keep Florida Clean, which was chaired by then-chief of staff and current Attorney General James Uthmeier. These funds were used to oppose Amendment 3, a 2024 ballot measure aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana.

While the grand jury determined the funds were 'plainly' misused for political purposes, it declined to recommend criminal charges. The report noted that investigators could not establish who specifically made the decision to divert the money, as witnesses could not identify a single responsible party and many involved acted on legal advice.

Governor DeSantis has rejected the findings, labeling the allegations a 'hoax' and stating that no laws were broken. The grand jury recommended that state lawmakers implement stricter rules and tracking requirements for taxpayer funds derived from legal settlements.

Entities

Ashley Moody · Centene Corp · Centene Corporation · Florida · Hope Florida Foundation · James Uthmeier · Ron DeSantis

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] The grand jury recommended that Florida lawmakers strengthen rules for governing state settlement money. newsfactsnetwork.com
[● 11 SOURCES] A Florida grand jury concluded that the DeSantis administration misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer money. www.europesays.com · newsfactsnetwork.com · offthepress.com · jaxtoday.org · srnnews.com · +6 more
[● 11 SOURCES] The grand jury found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges because no one would take responsibility for the decision to divert the funds. www.europesays.com · newsfactsnetwork.com · offthepress.com · jaxtoday.org · srnnews.com · +6 more
[○ 1 SOURCE] Governor Ron DeSantis rejected the grand jury findings, calling the matter a 'hoax'. newsfactsnetwork.com
[● 6 SOURCES] James Uthmeier, the former chief of staff and current Attorney General, was linked to the political committees that received the funds. www.europesays.com · newsfactsnetwork.com · offthepress.com · jaxtoday.org · laopinion.com · +1 more
[● 10 SOURCES] The diverted funds were used to support political committees opposing Amendment 3, a 2024 measure to legalize recreational marijuana. www.europesays.com · newsfactsnetwork.com · offthepress.com · jaxtoday.org · srnnews.com · +5 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The $10 million originated from a $67 million settlement with Centene Corporation regarding Medicaid overbilling. newsfactsnetwork.com · offthepress.com · jaxtoday.org · balleralert.com · laopinion.com · +1 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Attorney General Ashley Moody was aware of and approved the scheme. www.europesays.com · laopinion.com