A bombshell investigation threatens to unravel Ron DeSantis’ political future.
The details keep getting worse for the Florida Governor.
And Ron DeSantis just got hit with the one investigation that has him in a state of panic.
Grand jury targets Casey DeSantis charity after $10 million Medicaid money disappeared
A Tallahassee grand jury convened to investigate whether the Hope Florida Foundation violated any laws in how it spent millions of dollars from a state Medicaid settlement.
First Lady Casey DeSantis spearheaded the charity effort that connects Floridians in need with nonprofit services.
The foundation received $10 million from a $67 million Medicaid settlement with healthcare company Centene.
But the money didn’t stay with the charity for long.
The foundation funneled the settlement money to two dark money groups – one tied to the Florida Chamber of Commerce and another called Save Our Society from Drugs.
Each group received identical $5 million grants from the Hope Florida Foundation.
Those organizations then transferred $8.5 million to a political committee controlled by Ron DeSantis’ then-chief of staff James Uthmeier.
https://twitter.com/TheDankInformer/status/1979541407565054314
DeSantis later appointed Uthmeier as Attorney General when a vacancy opened up.
The political committee used the money to defeat the recreational marijuana amendment on last year’s ballot.
DeSantis stacked the deck to kill voter initiatives
The marijuana amendment wasn’t the only ballot measure DeSantis opposed in 2024.
He also fought tooth and nail against an abortion access amendment.
Both amendments failed to reach the 60% threshold needed to pass.
DeSantis claimed defeating the amendments protected Florida’s conservative identity and prevented liberal voters from flocking to the state.
But using Medicaid settlement money – intended for healthcare programs – to fund political campaigns crosses a serious legal line.
The Florida House investigated the money trail, led by Republican Rep. Alex Andrade.
Andrade stopped short of accusing Casey DeSantis of wrongdoing.
Instead, he focused on Attorney General James Uthmeier and foundation attorney Jeff Aaron.
Aaron has represented the Governor in numerous other cases, making him a key DeSantis ally.
Political ambitions derailed by charity scandal
Casey DeSantis positioned Hope Florida as "the conservative answer to welfare" in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
Political insiders widely expected her to use the program as a launching pad for her own gubernatorial campaign.
She would have been perfectly positioned to replace her term-limited husband as Governor.
The scandal destroyed those plans.
Her name appears on ceremonial checks the foundation distributes to nonprofits and churches.
That direct connection makes it nearly impossible for her to distance herself from the investigation.
The grand jury probe raises serious questions about whether DeSantis and his inner circle illegally diverted healthcare money into political operations.
If the grand jury hands down indictments, DeSantis could watch his carefully constructed political machine collapse.
Using Medicaid settlement funds meant to help sick Floridians to defeat ballot measures would be one of the most brazen abuses of power in Florida political history.
¹ Douglas Soule, "Inside the grand jury probe of the Hope Florida Foundation," WUSF, October 24, 2025.
²- ⁷ Ibid.
