Florida grand jury finds DeSantis administration ‘misappropriated’ funds from Medicaid settlement
Grand jury declined to indict anyone but said there was a ‘sophisticated scheme’ to use funds for political activity
TL;DR
- A Florida grand jury report found that $10 million from a Medicaid settlement was "misappropriated" by Governor Ron DeSantis's administration.
- The funds were allegedly transferred to the Hope Florida Foundation, an initiative championed by First Lady Casey DeSantis, and then "funneled" into political action committees.
- The grand jury concluded there was a "sophisticated scheme to fund political activities" but found insufficient evidence for criminal charges.
- Governor DeSantis denied wrongdoing, described the settlement as "legally sound," and stated his wife was not involved.
- The report implicated then-chief of staff and current Attorney General candidate James Uthmeier in directing the funds, with his PAC receiving a majority.
- The grand jury recommended legislative changes to ensure all state-received money is deposited into General Revenue and to impose consequences for violations.
- Democrats are calling for further investigations into the matter.