Florida Grand Jury Says DeSantis Administration Misappropriated $10 Million for Political Campaigning
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 27
Florida Grand Jury Says DeSantis Administration Misappropriated $10 Million for Political Campaigning
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 27
Summary
$10 million from a 2024 state Medicaid settlement was diverted through the Hope Florida Foundation into political committees opposing a marijuana legalization ballot measure, according to a leaked Florida grand jury report.
The report said the transactions misused taxpayer money as part of a “sophisticated scheme to fund political activities” tied to the charity linked to first lady Casey DeSantis.
Grand jurors still found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges, but the January report sharply escalates scrutiny of Hope Florida and its fundraising arm.
Ron DeSantis on Thursday called the finding that funds were misappropriated “a lie,” while officials named in the report focused on condemning the leak of a document still under court seal.