A grand jury found that the DeSantis administration misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer money, diverting it to a charity tied to his wife Casey, but couldn’t find enough evidence for charges.
Instead, DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier say the real crime was the leak to the press after the findings had been kept secret for seven months.
*Nobody cares, Ron…
Hope Florida, the charity started by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis in 2021, was set up to keep Floridian families off public assistance by connecting them to churches and other aid groups.
In 2024, the charity’s fund-raising arm, the Hope Florida Foundation, received $10 million from a state Medicaid settlement. It was quickly redirected to political committees backing a campaign led by the governor against a ballot measure that would have legalized marijuana.
On Wednesday, the grand jury report was published, saying that the redirection of funds amounted to a misuse of taxpayer monies as “part of a sophisticated scheme to fund political activities.” The report had been completed in January. Several witnesses said that they could not recall who directed the $10 million to go to the Hope Florida Foundation.
The scandal seemed to halt a campaign for governor by the first lady.