A grand jury convened in Tallahassee at the Leon County Courthouse Oct. 14 to consider the Hope Florida Foundation controversy.
While two people, who the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald referred to as “key figures” in the criminal investigation, were seen at the courthouse, State Attorney Jack Campbell said “no comment.”
State Attorney Jack Campbell, left, talks with Mayor John Dailey before a celebration of life honoring the late President Emeritus John Thrasher begins on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025.
He was asked if Hope Florida was being heard by grand jurors as he and Chief Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman walked out of a courtroom.
What is known is that Amy Ronshausen, director of Drug Free America Foundation and executive director of Save Our Society from Drugs, was spotted at the courthouse. Ronshausen’s nonprofit is tied to Secure Florida’s Future, which received $5 million in funds from the Hope Florida Foundation.
That was out of a $10 million donation that was part of a settlement between a Medicaid provider and the state over alleged overpayments.
The foundation, intended to raise funds for a charity spearheaded by Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, is reportedly under investigation for steering money to nonprofits that then gave money to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee headed by Attorney General James Uthmeier, who was Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff at the time.
Attorney General James Uthmeier attends the Speaker Designate Ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.
Uthmeier’s fundraising panel opposed two ballot questions last year on adult-use marijuana and abortion; both failed at the polls.
Also according to the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times, state Rep. Alex Andrade was at the courthouse. Andrade, a Pensacola Republican, chaired a House committee that looked into the $10 million donation from Centene, a Medicaid provider, as part of a $67 million settlement.
That money was then moved to Secure Florida’s Future, a nonprofit tied to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and to Save our Society from Drugs.
State Represenative Alex Andrade attends a meeting at Pensacola State College on Wednesday, Jan 8, 2025.
Both the Tampa Bay Times and Florida Politics reported that witnesses who received subpoenas include members of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ staff. The identities of those called and the specific focus of the probe, however, have not been officially made public. Campbell’s office did confirm the foundation was under investigation to other news media in May.
And, as previously reported, the ongoing controversy could become a significant hurdle for Casey DeSantis if she is still entertaining the possibility of a bid for governor. A poll from the James Madison Institute, released Sept. 29, showed Mrs. DeSantis leading U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds 26%-23% for the 2026 GOP primary.
Casey DeSantis sits in the audience during the unveiling of the Holocaust Memorial in Tallahassee, Florid on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
This story contains previously published information. Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee grand jury begins weighing Hope Florida Foundation