Casey DeSantis thought she could follow her husband into the Governor’s mansion.
But a financial scandal is derailing her plans.
And Casey DeSantis got caught in a shocking scandal that has Trump allies jumping for joy.
DeSantis dynasty dreams shattered by Hope Florida funding controversy
Casey DeSantis had dreams of creating a political dynasty in Florida. After her husband’s term as Governor ends in 2026, she planned to run for the office herself.
But those ambitions have hit a major roadblock.
A scandal involving Casey’s signature initiative, Hope Florida, has Florida Republicans turning their backs on the power couple that once ruled the state in lockstep with the party.
The scandal centers around $10 million from a state Medicaid settlement that was routed to a charity connected to Hope Florida. That charity then transferred the same amount to two groups that financially backed a DeSantis-led campaign against legalizing recreational marijuana.
The most damning part? Republican lawmakers are the ones leading the investigation – not Democrats.
State Rep. Alex Andrade, a Republican who led the House investigation, didn’t mince words about what he found.
“It looks very much like wire fraud and money laundering to me,” Andrade told CNN.
Andrade publicly encouraged law enforcement agencies to review his committee’s findings, even tagging Trump’s attorney general nominee Pam Bondi in a post on X.
Money trail leads back to DeSantis political machine
The money trail in this scandal is raising serious red flags.
Last year, the Hope Florida Foundation received a $10 million windfall from Centene, a Medicaid contractor that had overbilled Florida. The agreement with Centene included an unusual provision requiring the company to donate $10 million to the Hope Florida Foundation.
Within days of receiving that donation, the foundation awarded two $5 million grants to a pair of political groups. Those organizations then sent $8.5 million to Keep Florida Clean, a committee that led the fight against a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida.
Keep Florida Clean was operated by James Uthmeier, who was the Governor’s chief of staff at the time. DeSantis later named Uthmeier Florida’s Attorney General.
After the election, campaign finance records show Keep Florida Clean shifted $1.2 million to the Florida Freedom Fund, a political committee controlled by the Governor. This committee could potentially be used to support Casey DeSantis’ political ambitions.
Governor DeSantis lashes out as political allies flee
As the scandal unfolds, Ron and Casey DeSantis are watching their political allies abandon ship.
Donors, fundraisers, and operatives are fleeing their orbit, and few in Florida politics seem willing to sign up for another campaign with the couple. Multiple people have turned down positions in a potential gubernatorial campaign for Casey.
A longtime Republican operative once close to the Governor told CNN, “These days, I can’t tell the difference between being their friend and their enemy.”
Even among their remaining allies, there’s a growing sense that Casey shouldn’t announce a bid until the cloud hanging over the couple is lifted. But the DeSantises don’t seem interested in hearing that advice.
Earlier this year, Ryan Tyson, the pollster for DeSantis’ Presidential campaign, gave the couple a blunt assessment of the hurdles Casey would face in trying to extend their political dynasty.
“It wasn’t well received,” one source told CNN, “and no one has tried to give them advice since.”
Trump allies circle like sharks as DeSantis empire crumbles
Adding to the DeSantises’ troubles is the glee with which Trump allies are watching their downfall.
Ron and Casey pulled out all the stops to keep Trump from backing someone else for Governor in 2026. Casey hit the links with Trump for a round of golf. Ron teed off with the President’s son Eric at Trump’s Doral course. The power couple even broke bread with Trump at a private dinner.
But these overtures appear to have fallen flat. Soon after these engagements, Rep. Byron Donalds, Trump’s handpicked choice to lead Florida, accompanied the President to a UFC event in Florida – a clear signal that the DeSantises’ influence is waning.
Trump ally Roger Stone ripped into the scandal on his podcast, even bringing on the Florida Democrat Party leader to pile on. Laura Loomer, who never misses a chance to bash DeSantis, blasted the news to her 1.6 million X followers.
Matt Gaetz, Trump’s former Florida attack dog who’s eyeing the Governor’s mansion himself, jumped on the bandwagon too. He’s using his One America News show to hammer the DeSantises every chance he gets.
DeSantis fights back, but is it too late?
Ron DeSantis has responded with aggressive counter-attacks, accusing Republican lawmakers of attempting to smear his wife for political gain.
“Some people feel threatened by the first lady. Let’s just be clear about that,” DeSantis said at a press conference. “If you’re looking at 2026 and you’ve got some horse, you don’t want her anywhere near that. You’re very worried because she runs circles around their people. Everybody knows that.”
The Governor has also sought to fundraise off the controversy, asking donors to send money to his political committee to fight “squishy” House Republicans.
But these efforts may be too little, too late. The couple that once seemed destined to rule Florida for years to come now finds themselves increasingly isolated, with former allies jumping ship and potential criminal investigations looming.
A visibly exasperated DeSantis, watching Tallahassee allies drift away from him and his legislative priorities, recently asked aloud during a press conference: “Why the hell are they doing this?”
The answer might be simple: in politics, nothing lasts forever – especially when there’s a whiff of scandal in the air.
