TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2013 Florida politicians on both sides of the aisle are responding to a grand jury report that found the DeSantis administration \u201cmisappropriated\u201d $10 million in taxpayer funds \u2014 money that originated from a Medicaid settlement, passed through the Hope Florida Foundation, and ultimately ended up with political committees used to fight a marijuana legalization ballot measure.<\/p>\n
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has previously called the controversy a \u201choax,\u201d stood firm in his defense.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was legally sound. It was appropriate. And it was consistent with the state\u2019s mission,\u201d DeSantis said Thursday.<\/p>\n
The report \u2014 obtained exclusively by CBS Miami and CBS News \u2014 found that $10 million from a settlement with Centene, a health care company accused of overbilling Florida\u2019s children\u2019s health insurance program, was diverted to the Hope Florida Foundation instead of being returned to the state. From there, the funds moved through several organizations before landing with two political action committees and the Republican Party of Florida. <\/p>\n
After the Centene Corporation acknowledged it overbilled Florida for Medicaid services, it reached a $67 million settlement with the state. Of that $57 million was refunded to the state, with $10 million being donated to the Hope Florida Foundation. (WKMG-TV 2026)<\/p>\n
The money was ultimately used to oppose Amendment 3, a 2024 ballot measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana. The measure failed to receive enough voter approval.<\/p>\n
A chart included in the grand jury report illustrates how the money flowed from Centene through the Hope Florida Foundation to \u201cKeep Florida Clean,\u201d a political committee that opposed legalizing marijuana.<\/p>\n
Uthmeier calls report a \u2018witch hunt\u2019<\/p>\n
Among those named in the report is Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who served as DeSantis\u2019 chief of staff when the settlement was made. The grand jury described him as a \u201cnexus\u201d in the transaction, stating he helped direct the money and that his political committee received most of it.<\/p>\n
News 6\u2019s Mark Lehman pressed Uthmeier directly on the findings.<\/p>\n
[RELATED: Florida attorney general chides News 6 journalist for Hope Florida question]<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s your reaction to that grand jury report labeling you as the nexus in all of this?\u201d Lehman asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the beginning, this has been a politically motivated witch hunt,\u201d Uthmeier responded.<\/p>\n
Moody defends AG\u2019s office role<\/p>\n
Former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody \u2014 now a U.S. senator \u2014 also drew scrutiny from the report, which states she knew about the plan and authorized her chief deputy, John Guard, to sign the settlement.<\/p>\n
Moody responded on social media Thursday, writing that \u201cthe AG\u2019s office had no knowledge of how funds would be spent or played any role in how Hope Florida, the Agency for Healthcare Administration, or the legislature would spend the settlement money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guard \u2014 now a state appeals court judge \u2014 said the settlement was handled normally and declined further comment. The report, however, states Guard admitted to having \u201creservations\u201d about the deal and that he had \u201cesoterically\u201d agreed the $10 million was taxpayer money.<\/p>\n
Candidates demand resignations, vow investigations<\/p>\n
The report landed squarely in the middle of an active campaign season, and candidates wasted little time responding.<\/p>\n
State Rep. Angie Nixon, who is running against Moody for U.S. Senate, called for sweeping accountability.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone involved in this, including Ashley Moody, should resign. They should resign. Enough is enough,\u201d Nixon said.<\/p>\n
State Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, who is running against Uthmeier for attorney general, called the situation unprecedented.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis may well be the most brazen act of political corruption we have seen here in Florida,\u201d Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
Democrat David Jolly, a candidate for governor, said he would reopen the Hope Florida investigation if elected and is calling on his Republican opponent Byron Donalds to make the same commitment.<\/p>\n
Despite the sharp political reaction, the grand jury said there was not enough evidence to charge anyone criminally \u2014 partly because no one accepted responsibility for the decision to divert the funds.<\/p>\n
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