3 minPolitics
Florida grand jury finds DeSantis administration misappropriated $10 million meant for poor children
A Florida grand jury found that Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer money intended to help poor children, diverting it to a charity connected to his wife and then to political action committees that opposed a marijuana legalization ballot measure. No criminal charges were filed due to insufficient evidence.
A Florida grand jury has concluded that Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer money intended to help poor children, diverting the funds to a charity connected to his wife and then to political action committees that opposed a 2024 marijuana legalization ballot measure. The Leon County grand jury declined to file criminal charges, citing a lack of evidence identifying who was specifically responsible for the diversion.
The secret grand jury report, completed in January and obtained by CBS News Miami, investigated Hope Florida, a charity started in 2021 by first lady Casey DeSantis. The charity is designed to help financially struggling families connect with churches and aid groups to keep them off publicly financed assistance programs. Instead, the $10 million from a state Medicaid settlement meant to help poor children get health insurance was moved to political action committees that used the money to oppose the ballot measure, which fell just short of the 60% supermajority needed to become law.
«Despite our finding that the money was misappropriated, we find insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally,» the report concluded. The grand jury noted that no one would take responsibility for sending the money to the charity or had any memory of who did. «We recognize that this would be an impediment to criminal prosecution,» the report stated. «While we can't prove who is responsible, we can plainly see that taxpayer money was misused for political purposes and we would like to see changes made to prevent this from happening again.»
The report identified James Uthmeier, who was DeSantis' chief of staff at the time, as being «in a position of authority over those involved in settling,» and noted that his Keep Florida Clean PAC was the prime recipient of the $10 million. The grand jury also said then-state Attorney General Ashley Moody's office knew of the plans to divert the money. Moody was later appointed by DeSantis to the U.S. Senate. Both Uthmeier and Moody are seeking reelection.
DeSantis did not dispute the legitimacy of the report but insisted no laws were broken and said whoever leaked the sealed documents would face «consequences.» At a news conference Thursday, Uthmeier suggested Democrats were behind the leak and called renewed interest in the findings «a politically motivated hoax.» Moody said in a post on X that her office was only one of several agencies that signed off on the initial settlement and «had no knowledge of how funds would be spent» by Hope Florida, state lawmakers, or any other group.
The report has ignited a new round of criticism aimed at DeSantis and other top state Republicans. David Jolly, the Democratic nominee for governor, called for the grand jury probe to be reopened. He faces Republican Byron Donalds in November. DeSantis, under Florida law, cannot seek a third term.
