House threatens subpoenas, demands Hope Florida bank records, text messages as probe deepens

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife, Casey, walk to the stage during U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's Roast and Ride, Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall.

The House investigation into Hope Florida — First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature state program — is advancing as Republicans turn their sights to financial records and text messages they say lead all the way up to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Office.

During Tuesday’s House subcommittee meeting where lawmakers grilled Hope Florida leaders, Rep. Alex Andrade said he is inviting more people to testify at his committee next week to address the $10 million Medicaid settlement that ended up in the Hope Florida charity’s coffers. That money ultimately was funneled to a political committee helping the Governor fight last year’s legal marijuana ballot initiative.

Andrade, a Pensacola Republican, plans to question Hope Florida’s politically connected attorney Jeff Aaron and wants the paper trail, including Hope Florida’s bank records, text messages, travel expenses and more.

Andrade is also turning his sights on the Governor, who held a dueling press conference Tuesday and accused the House of unfairly attacking his wife’s organization.

Andrade said he plans to ask the Governor’s Executive Office, the Department of Children and Families, now-Attorney General James Uthmeier, Aaron, and others for their communications with the Hope Florida Foundation as the probe deepens.

“If they do not provide that information in a timely manner, we may be required to obtain that information with the use of subpoenas,” Andrade said during the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee. “But at this point, we will request that they voluntarily participate in being transparent with us about what exactly occurred.”

Andrade said he worried a cover-up could happening to hide “what actually happened” with what critics have labeled a dark money scandal.

Andrade’s panel also brought up new details about how Mohammad Jazil got involved with Hope Florida. Jazil had been the legal counsel for Keep Florida Clean — the PAC controlled by then DeSantis’ then-Chief of Staff Uthmeier that got money from Hope Florida.

In the hot seat, Hope Florida Foundation President Joshua Hay acknowledged that he is working with Jazil to find the “deficiencies” in Hope Florida paperwork.

Under questioning, Hay said Jazil didn’t disclose his ties to Keep Florida Clean PAC when Jazil offered to help clean up Hope Florida’s paperwork. Hay said Aaron connected him with Jazil and the two had been working together for about a month.

“Does that raise concerns for you, and whether or not he’s acting in your best interest in papering the documents to justify this … illicit transfer to Mr. Uthmeier’s PAC?” Andrade asked. “Members, I’m sorry, I am a little flabbergasted at this revelation. … I’m obviously going to have a lot of questions for Mr. Aaron in the very near future.”

Aaron previously represented DeSantis’ defense in a lawsuit from suspended Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren.

Hay acknowledged the understaffed Hope Florida made mistakes by not reporting its 990 tax forms and other records, but pledged to make changes. The foundation’s Board is meeting publicly Thursday to address the situation, Hay said.

As far as the $10 million, “Those distributions were made after my review and review by the foundation’s General Counsel, I had no reason to believe there was anything odd about those grants,” Hay said. “Like all of you, I’m eager to understand how these funds were utilized to enhance oversight and accountability.”

A few hours before Tuesday’s hearing, a Senate committee temporarily postponed bills aiming to codify Hope Florida.

“Given the questions raised by the Florida House, the President felt it appropriate to take a pause at this point,” Senate President Ben Albritton’s spokesperson, Katie Betta, said in response to a question about the delay.