TALHASSEE – Leon County prosecutors say there is an open criminal investigation in relation to information provided by lawmakers regarding the Florida Foundation’s wishes.
In response to The Times/Herald’s request for hopes and Florida Foundation-related records, Hope Foundation-related records received by prosecutors from Republican state lawmaker Alex Andrade, Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jack Campbell said the information could not be made public because it was “part of an open and ongoing investigation.”
This response was the first confirmation of a law enforcement investigation related to the foundation and was set up to support the Hope Florida program, defended by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis.
Earlier this year, House Republicans alleged that the DeSantis administration had illegally decoupled $10 million from a settlement with Medicaid contractors to a political committee administered by the then-secretary of staff.
Campbell declined to comment. It is not clear who is leading the investigation.
When asked by a Tampa Bay Times reporter at a press conference in Tampa on Tuesday about an investigation by Campbell’s office, DeSantis replied, “What is it based on?”
“Well, I can tell you, this was a very successful program,” DeSantis said. “Everything thrown into it is pure politics.”
“I have a deep belief in this program and I’m 100% support it,” he added.
Campbell, an elected Democrat whose office encompasses Tallahassee, told The Times/Herald last month that no one had investigated because he had brought him no evidence of the crime.
Andrade, a Pensacola Republican who has since led the House investigation into Hope Florida, said he delivered the compiled records to Campbell’s office. The information was also given to the US Department of Justice, Andrede said.
Andredo declined to comment Tuesday.
Last month he abruptly concluded the committee’s investigation into Hope Florida and its charity, not before he condemned James Usmier, the highest rank of DeSantis’ staff at the time, and attorneys working for the “conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.”
Hope Florida is a state program defended by Casey Desantis, designed to move Floridians out of government welfare by linking Floridians to churches and nonprofits that can provide support. The Hope Florida Foundation, a charity arm, was established to support its mission.
Last fall, the DeSantis administration directed $10 million of its $67 million settlement with Medicaid contractor St. Neane to Florida Foundation Hope. The settlement went beyond the excess building of prescription drug sentences.
Within days, the charity had given two nonprofits $5 million, including one run by Florida Chamber of Commerce CEO Mark Wilson. The two nonprofits then sent at least $8.5 million to the political committee. It was created to legalize recreational marijuana and combat last year’s voting initiative, which was overseen by Uthmeier.
Andrade calls it an illegal diversion of Medicaid funds. This should be headed primarily towards health care for children, pregnant women, and low-income people with disabilities.
Money from Medicaid settlements must be placed in the state’s medical trust funds, with some being paid to the federal government.
Last week, two Democrats in Congress called on federal healthcare agencies to investigate the deal.
A spokesman for Uthmeier, now Florida Attorney General, posted to X that his office “has not been asked and not received inquiries from the state attorney.”
“It looks like more laws promoted by fake news media and politically motivated people trying to hurt @govrondesantis,” wrote spokesman Jeremy Redfern.
Times staff writer Emily L. Mahony contributed to this report.
