A breathtaking scandal has engulfed a red state after an explosive secret report leaked

Just when you thought state politics could not possibly get sleazier, Hope Florida comes roaring back from the dead, putrid yet powerful, casting a light on the breathtaking arrogance and corruption of Florida’s government.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, and U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody thought they’d killed it and driven a stake through its dirty little heart.

A Leon County grand jury looked into the scandal. But, since they could not get the people involved to tell the truth about how and by whom $10 million of taxpayer money disappeared into political causes, they could not bring charges.

DeSantis, Uthmeier, and Moody counted on that report never seeing the light of day.

But, as is the way with explosive secret reports, it was leaked.

To a reporter.

God forbid the public learn what politicians and their enablers do with public money.

The parties did not express concern, much less remorse.

They attacked journalists.

During a press conference, Uthmeier threatened to bring criminal charges when asked about the matter: “Are you trying to solicit a crime here in violation of the law?”

Somewhat unconvincingly, he went on, insisting, “Nobody did anything wrong here; there was not even probable cause to move forward. This is a hoax.”

Which are you going to believe, Florida’s law-challenged AG or your lying eyes?

DeSantis agreed: “The only crime that was apparent was whoever leaked the grand jury report.”

You may recall First Lady Casey DeSantis founded Hope Florida in 2021, claiming it was a community support program to connect people with faith-based or other non-government assistance. She called it “a philosophy.”

Two years later, the Hope Florida Foundation appeared, its stated purpose to support the Department of Children and Families.

The money

It’s a 501(c)(3), the kind of nonprofit that must, by law, follow strict limits on political involvement and lobbying.

It soon became clear there was shady stuff going on. DCF failed to make public Hope Florida Foundation’s fiscal plan, code of ethics, tax documents, and results, as required by law.

Then a Medicaid contractor that had over-billed the state had to cough up a $67 million settlement, supposedly repaying the taxpayers.

Of that money, $10 million was (strangely) “donated” to the Hope Florida Foundation.

That $10 million (very strangely) ended up in a couple of political action committees controlled by Ron DeSantis’s chief of staff, a fellow by the name of James Uthmeier.

The money got fed back into the state Republican Party machine to fuel its fight against a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana.

Uthmeier’s PAC was called Keep Florida Clean.

(You can’t make this stuff up).

Many in the Florida Legislature were, to put it mildly, unimpressed.

Then-House Speaker Daniel Perez said the Hope Florida business looked “as though it could be illegal.”

Rep. Alex Andrade, chair of the House Healthcare subcommittee, suggested fraud might be involved and the Hope Florida “donation” could be “money laundering.”

Ron DeSantis flapped his wings like an outraged hen and squawked that these “jackasses” were merely trying to “smear” his wife and crush her dreams of political advancement.

At the time, Casey DeSantis seemed to be considering a run to succeed her husband as governor.

Andrade launched an investigation.

Then ended it. Almost no one involved would talk.

‘Mistakes were made’

He did get Joshua Hay, then chairman of the Hope Florida Foundation board, to testify under oath, but didn’t get much out of it — other than that Hay seemed spectacularly ignorant of what goes on in the charity he runs.

“I cannot confirm what the funds were used for,” Hay said. “We have no monitoring procedures.”

He added, “Mistakes were made.”

State Attorney Jack Campbell in Leon County agreed mistakes had, indeed, been made. He convened a grand jury to discover who made them.

What the grand jury unearthed is pretty damning, finding the Hope Florida Foundation “misappropriated” taxpayer money as “part of a sophisticated scheme.”

The report said, “While we can’t prove who is responsible, we can plainly see that taxpayer money was misused for political purposes.”

It also states: “Nobody will take responsibility for deciding the $10 million of taxpayer money would go to Hope Florida.”

“This decision was the original misappropriation, and no witness would take responsibility for making the decision or had any memory of who made it.”

Those in charge of running this dubious show insist they acted on legal advice. So, it was all fine.

Besides, they couldn’t remember what happened.

It’s a mystery!

Those who should have known better turned a blind eye. The report said Ashley Moody’s chief deputy failed to conduct “due diligence to ensure the proper appropriation of taxpayer funds.”

Those most deeply implicated now go around pitching loud hissy fits.

Uthmeier yelped the whole thing was nothing more than a “politically motivated witch hunt driven by the Democrats and a far left Democrat state attorney.”

Sounds a little desperate: Those of us in North Florida know Jack Campbell is about as “far left” as a ham sandwich.

Indignance

As for the people at the top of the power pile getting all red-faced and indignant over the grand jury report, well, as we say here in “far left” Tallahassee, a hit dog will holler.

Meanwhile in the blue corner, the Florida Democratic Party can’t believe its luck: The midterms are coming and the Republicans are trying to excuse the inexcusable.

Angie Nixon says Ashley Moody, her opponent in the 2026 Senate race, should resign.

José Javier Rodriguez, who’s running against Uthmeier for attorney general, calls the Hope Florida mess “the most brazen act of political corruption we have seen here in Florida.”

“My opponent is a criminal,” he says.

Gubernatorial candidate David Jolly doesn’t want Casey DeSantis attacked over Hope Florida: “I think she was used.”

Very gentlemanly.

But he’s not going to ignore the issue: “The scheme de-funded healthcare services for poor children to instead advance the political agenda of Gov. Ron DeSantis.”

Jolly and the rest of the Dems are getting some help from Florida Republicans, too.

GOP nominee Byron Donalds, forced to answer questions about the grand jury report at every campaign stop, insists voters aren’t that interested.

Come on, can’t we please talk about something else?

But even some Republicans, especially those Ron DeSantis has antagonized, aren’t inclined to talk about something else.

Sen. Rick Scott, no fan of Florida’s current governor, demands “accountability.” Scott’s company defrauded Medicare of $1.7 billion. Nevertheless, he’s getting pious on Hope Florida’s dodgy finances: “Money designated to help poor kids was diverted to political ads.”

‘Disgrace’

Don Gaetz, a longtime state senator, says Hope Florida “brings disgrace onto the Florida government.”

He’s pushing “a bipartisan coalition that simply makes sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Not a good look for the Rs less than two months before an election.

Of course, Democrats shouldn’t get giddy: Polls in the races for governor, U.S. senator, and state attorney general still favor Republicans, although they’ve been tightening up: Jolly is within a few points of Donalds, even leading in some polls.

But political scandals have a way of hanging around. They show up in campaign commercials, further souring the mood of voters sick of high gas prices, grocery store sticker shock, the Iran war, Uthmeier’s inflated adjunct professor salary (plus his arrogance), and Ron DeSantis’ attacks on education (plus his arrogance), not to mention Florida’s sky-high rents and unaffordable insurance.

Will Hope Florida make a difference? Maybe we’ll find out in November.

Maybe a couple of long-shot Democrats will break through.

What is certain is that the Hope Florida “philosophy” is as dead as a door nail.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.