No charges will be filed. But the controversy over money spent on political campaigns in the 2024 cycle looms over 2026.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is speaking out about a leaked grand jury report surrounding the appropriation of $10 million in Medicaid settlement money that went to the Hope Florida Foundation. The money was ultimately used to fund political committees to defeat abortion and marijuana amendments in 2024.
Speaking in Lake City, DeSantis said “the only crime that was apparent was whoever leaked the grand jury report.”
He argued that the programming of settlement funds was “appropriate” and “advanced the interest of the state.” The Governor said it was a “lie” that Medicaid funds were diverted via a bonus he has called the “cherry on top” of the larger disbursement.
“That was a private settlement where a company made a private contribution to a DSO affiliated with one of the state agencies,” DeSantis said, before framing the reporting of the imbroglio and the grand jury report as an attempt to “smear” First Lady Casey DeSantis.
It’s unclear how that private contribution was negotiated. The arrangement has also drawn attention to U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, who was appointed to the Senate after leading the Attorney General’s Office when the unorthodox deal was approved, and now-Attorney General James Uthmeier, DeSantis’ former Chief of Staff who operated a political committee opposing the marijuana amendment.
In his latest comments, the Governor echoed his previous staunch defense of his wife, including the “smear” image used earlier this year in the wake of the U.S. Department of Justice decision to end the federal investigation into the foundation.
“What has come out? Oh, she wasn’t involved in anything? Oh, really? Okay, so the media, are you going to take those articles where you put her picture, and we’re trying to insinuate that somehow she was involved with something wrong? None of these guys did anything wrong, but she wasn’t involved in any of this, and I think it was why people hate some of the stuff that goes on with media, because you try to smear by implication good people,” the Governor said.
He went on to say “a lot of people in the media last year … were trying to insinuate that somehow she got something, which is a lie.”
“I’ll be interested to see if you will correct that lie. And if you will tell the truth and acknowledge that you were trying to smear her by implication, and there was zero basis to do it. I’m not going to hold my breath on that because I know how most people operate. But I thought it was disgraceful,” DeSantis said, linking the reporting to a “cancer” in the state Legislature, where “bad actors” sought to score points on the administration.
The Governor also promised “consequences” for illegally “releasing” the grand jury report “in a variety of different ways.”
DeSantis’ comments come as Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly looks to capitalize on the news cycle.
“It’s clear from the Grand Jury report that our current Governor, Attorney General, and U.S. Senator laundered state medicaid funds through the First Lady’s non-profit. Instead of those funds providing healthcare services for Florida’s most vulnerable, they were used for the Governor’s political purposes. The Grand Jury report demonstrates the scheme was highly orchestrated, intended to mislead, and deliberately covered up,” Jolly said.
“In return, everyone involved was then appointed or promoted by the Governor to positions of greater authority to further insulate anyone from accountability and hide the truth from Floridians. In fact, the Grand Jury acknowledged that the level of sophistication and lack of cooperation is what hindered their ability to recommend charges. As Governor, I intend to reopen an investigation into the laundering of state Medicaid funds. And I challenge Byron Donalds to do the same.”
The issue is being used in the Senate race as well, where Democrat Angie Nixon is impugning Moody, her Republican opponent.
“She stole $10 million from medically needy kids in order to defeat two citizen-led ballot initiatives that you all placed on the ballot that would have allowed you all to have healthier lives,” Nixon said in Jacksonville Wednesday.
Moody defended what happened as lawful Thursday, saying reports have attempted to “misrepresent the facts surrounding an AHCA settlement agreement that has been available to the public for two years.”
She said the Agency for Health Care Administration negotiated the report, and that “the AG’s Office was one of multiple agencies that signed the final agreement for execution and release of claims” in accordance with “standard practice.”
“The AG’s office had no knowledge of how funds would be spent or played any role in how Hope Florida, AHCA, or the legislature would spend the settlement money. Attempts to characterize this any other way are disingenuous.”
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