Casey DeSantis

With Gov. Ron DeSantis term-limited, Florida's November 3 election will determine who succeeds First Lady Casey DeSantis, known for her cancer-prevention advocacy and the Hope Florida welfare initiative. Erika Donalds, wife of Republican nominee Byron Donalds, is a former Collier County school board member and founder of the Education Freedom Foundation, and says she would continue pushing for school choice. Laura Jolly, wife of Democratic nominee David Jolly, has not committed to specific duties given the couple's two young children but says she would lend her voice to issues benefiting Floridians. The race's outcome will shape both Florida's governorship and its next First Lady's priorities.

Families of disabled Floridians say Hope Florida, the signature initiative of Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis, failed to deliver meaningful help even as a leaked grand jury report found the affiliated Hope Florida Foundation took part in a "sophisticated scheme" diverting $10 million in Medicaid settlement funds toward political campaigns. Parents and disabled adults described navigators sending generic lists of nonprofits, churches, and job boards instead of substantive assistance for needs like wheelchair transport, aides, or job placement. Reporting found the $10 million was part of at least $35 million in taxpayer funds steered toward efforts opposing a marijuana legalization measure and an abortion-rights ballot initiative.

James Uthmeier, DeSantis' former chief of staff and now attorney general, was found to have held authority over the settlement's arrangement; U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, then attorney general, advised approving the deal. A Florida House committee and a grand jury convened by a Tallahassee-area state attorney investigated, though witness silence discouraged charges. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities defended its record, saying it serves more than 60,000 Floridians, while the governor's and Uthmeier's offices did not respond to requests for comment.

A Leon County grand jury concluded that $10 million in state Medicaid settlement money was "misappropriated" after being diverted to Hope Florida, the charity founded by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, but declined to bring criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence identifying who was responsible. The report, completed in January but only recently made public after a leak, found the funds were routed to political action committees, including one tied to then-chief of staff James Uthmeier, that campaigned against a 2024 ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana. The measure narrowly failed.

Gov. Ron DeSantis did not dispute the report's authenticity but denied any laws were broken and threatened consequences for whoever leaked it. Uthmeier called renewed scrutiny a "politically motivated hoax," while former Attorney General Ashley Moody said her office had no knowledge of how the funds would ultimately be spent. Both Uthmeier and Moody are seeking reelection. Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly called for the investigation to be reopened, adding a political dimension ahead of Florida's 2026 governor's race between Republican Byron Donalds and Jolly.

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.