Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis Hope Florida Foundation Under Investigation

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Hope Florida Foundation Faces Scrutiny Amid Ongoing Investigation into $10 Million Medicaid Settlement

 

A nonprofit closely tied to Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis and her signature initiative, Hope Florida, is under investigation after receiving $10 million from a Medicaid settlement—a move that has triggered questions about the use of public healthcare funds and the nonprofit’s political affiliations. The Hope Florida Foundation is now at the center of an unfolding controversy that has drawn both political fire and public scrutiny.

 

Florida prosecutors confirmed this week that there is an “open, ongoing investigation” into the foundation, according to the office of Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell. However, officials have declined to disclose specific details about the nature or scope of the inquiry. The investigation, first reported by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times, follows a series of legislative hearings led by state Republicans examining the $10 million payment and how it was spent.

 

The controversy stems from a $67 million settlement reached between the state of Florida and Centene, one of the largest Medicaid contractors in the country. Centene returned $57 million to Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration but then directed the remaining $10 million to the Hope Florida Foundation. That money was later funneled to two nonprofits, which ultimately donated to political action committees opposing a state ballot initiative to legalize marijuana—an initiative that Governor Ron DeSantis publicly opposed.

 

Despite mounting scrutiny, both Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife have continued to stand by the foundation. “This is pure politics,” the governor said during a news conference on Tuesday, calling the probe into the foundation a “hoax” and affirming that he supports the organization “100 percent.” Casey DeSantis, defending the mission of Hope Florida, called it “a model for the nation” and emphasized its aim to offer people “a hand-up” rather than “a handout.” She added, “It’s a rewiring of the way government operates.”

 

The couple also suggested that much of the criticism stems from opposition to the involvement of faith-based groups in public service programs. “The criticism is coming from people who object to churches helping to provide services in place of the government,” Ron DeSantis claimed.

 

However, questions persist over the handling of the Medicaid settlement funds. State Representative Alex Andrade, a Republican from Pensacola who led the House investigation, said he turned over relevant documents to the state attorney’s office. He argued the $10 million should have been directed toward healthcare for vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant individuals, and low-income people with disabilities. “Now it’s up to law enforcement,” Andrade said.

 

Governor DeSantis previously defended the payment, stating during an April news conference that it was “100 percent appropriate” and an additional contribution beyond the main settlement terms. “This is kind of like a cherry on top where they agreed to make an additional contribution,” he said.

 

The chairman of the Hope Florida Foundation, Joshua Hay, has yet to comment on the investigation. In an earlier committee hearing, Hay acknowledged that “mistakes were made” regarding the foundation’s recordkeeping, but assured lawmakers that those issues were being addressed.

 

The investigation into the foundation follows the Florida House subcommittee’s abrupt end to its hearings in April after two key witnesses declined to appear. Centene, for its part, has insisted it acted at the direction of state officials. “Centene had no part in or knowledge of any decision by the Hope Florida Foundation regarding the subsequent use of any Foundation funds,” the company said in a statement.

 

Complicating matters further is the role of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who served as Ron DeSantis’s chief of staff at the time of the payments. Uthmeier also led one of the political action committees that received funds from the nonprofits. His office has not commented on the matter, though his spokesperson, Jeremy Redfern, dismissed the reports as “more lawfare driven by the fake news media and those politically motivated to hurt” the governor.

 

With Ron DeSantis suggesting that Casey DeSantis could run for governor in 2026, the investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation now carries broader political implications. According to the governor, the questions surrounding the nonprofit and its funding are part of an effort to derail his wife’s future political prospects.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Washington Post  2025-05-23