Ronshausen

A Leon County grand jury report, first obtained by CBS News Miami, found that Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration "misappropriated" $10 million in taxpayer money from a $67 million Medicaid settlement with Centene, Florida's largest Medicaid contractor. Jurors called the transfer "part of a sophisticated scheme to fund political activities." The funds were routed through the Hope Florida Foundation, a charity founded by first lady Casey DeSantis, then through two nonprofits before reaching political committees, including "Keep Florida Clean," run by then-chief of staff James Uthmeier, which spent the money opposing Amendment 3, the 2024 marijuana legalization measure that narrowly failed. The grand jury said no witness took responsibility for the original decision and cited insufficient evidence to charge anyone, though it urged changes to prevent similar misuse.

DeSantis did not dispute the report's legitimacy but said no laws were broken and vowed "consequences" for whoever leaked the sealed documents, previously calling scrutiny of Hope Florida politically motivated. Uthmeier, now attorney general and running for reelection with Trump's endorsement, called renewed scrutiny a "politically motivated hoax." Sen. Ashley Moody, attorney general during the settlement, was found to have known of and authorized the plan, though her office said it had no knowledge of how the funds would ultimately be spent. Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly called for the investigation to be reopened, making the case a flashpoint in Florida's 2026 elections.