Gabrielle Russon
A Zoom meeting held by First Lady Casey DeSantis’ embattled Hope Florida was interrupted as the public bombarded the Board with a Nazi flag, racial slurs and pornography.
The Hope Florida Foundation struggled to control the meeting and apparently didn’t have security measures in place to prevent trolls from sharing inappropriate content.
“It looks like some of the public are trying to take over,” one official said shortly before the meeting was paused. The Florida Channel then cut off the livestream.
Up until that point, the Hope Florida Foundation Board of Directors had been hearing public comment from some critical of Hope Florida. Others, including a man in Gov. Ron DeSantis campaign T-shirt, supported the organization.
Board member Jake Farmer, a Walgreens lobbyist, also resigned from the Board. That follows news that Hope Florida’s Executive Director Erik Dellenback is stepping down.
Thursday’s troubles come after Foundation Chair Joshua Hay was grilled Tuesday during a House Health Care Budget Subcommittee meeting.
Hay briefly acknowledged the House hearing Thursday. “As everyone knows, this has been an eventful week for the Hope Florida Foundation. Questions were asked, answers were provided, and lessons were learned,” he said.
Hope Florida is under fire by House Republicans. Lawmakers say they want to dig deeper into a $10 million donation to the charity that ended up getting directed to help Gov. Ron DeSantis fight a marijuana legalization ballot question last year. Hope Florida received the $10 million from a Medicaid settlement, a transfer also raising criticism from those who say the money should have gone into state coffers.
“There were $10 million that should have gone back to the State Treasury in a settlement agreement between Centene and AHCA, which is an agency of the state of Florida, and instead it went to Hope Florida and it did so in the dark of night. And that’s really where the frustration comes from,” House President Danny Perez told Matt Gaetz on OANN last week.
Before Thursday’s meeting was hijacked by the inappropriate content, Hay urged the public to be “slow to judge,” and “remain steadfast in your pursuit of transparency and accountability.”
“Love will always dominate hate,” Hay added.
Meanwhile, DeSantis continues to attack the House and defend his wife’s charity.
“Hope Florida has changed lives for the better. Hope Florida, because of the First Lady’s vision and leadership, has made a real difference in our communities,” the Governor said this week. “And there’s some people that are threatened by that. There’s some people that don’t like that.”
18 comments
PeterH
April 17, 2025 at 11:44 am
No planning, no vetting total incompetence! Close this grifting foundation down NOW!
Janice Evans
April 17, 2025 at 4:35 pm
I ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪ’ᴅ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ʙᴜᴅᴅʏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴏᴠᴇʀ $13,453 ᴀ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴠɪɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀʏ. sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄᴀsʜ ɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʙʏ
Go ON my ProFILE
Victoria Olson
April 17, 2025 at 11:56 am
The Director resigns as well as as a Board member, they know what they got involved in wasn’t legal. When the rats start jumping ship it usually means they are GUILTY and scared of being involved in a lawsuit. There were $10 million that should have gone back to the State Treasury in a settlement agreement between Centene and AHCA, which is an agency of the state of Florida, and instead it went to Hope Florida and it did so in the dark of night.
Florida corruption exceeded it’s limit with the Fascist DeSantis, you know when Fl. legislators refuse to defend DeSatan his regime is OVER.
SuzyQ
April 17, 2025 at 2:31 pm
Get your facts straight. The one gentleman submitted his letter of resignation more than a month ago to accept a CEO position with a faith-based nonprofit. He’s already submitted a prompt rebuttal to the mischaracterization of his resignation for political purposes.
MH/Duuuval
April 17, 2025 at 7:29 pm
Please. This subject has slowly bubbled up from the bottom and everyone on that board — if they had any smarts — knew there was a problem coming.
You know so much: What is the faith-based nonprofit? Bet those folks are ears to the ground.
DeSantisCheated
April 17, 2025 at 12:02 pm
Proof positive of election interference…. by DeSantis of course.
SuzyQ
April 17, 2025 at 2:33 pm
Is New York attorney general Letitia James going to federal prison? Legal experts believe she’ll likely be disbarred, as well. Bye, bye!
Shelia Clarke
April 17, 2025 at 6:35 pm
Worry about DeSantis in FL. Peep the facts. It looks like Centene paid $10 million bribe to get the contract. Looks like some money for the state was stolen and given to Hope. Looks like hope passed the money to two dark money organizations. Looks like Casey is lying about the 30, 000 served. Looks like NO tax documents were even completed. Looks like the State of FL will be sued by the companies that lost the bid. Look like the DeSantises will have to find real work after his term.
MH/Duuuval
April 17, 2025 at 7:32 pm
Trump is expanding his legal warfare and Ms. James is now in the crosshairs. Only a self-deluded MAGA would imagine a federal suit against James is little more than an attempt at payback.
ScienceBLVR
April 17, 2025 at 3:24 pm
You see, Oliver.. I mean Ron
In this life, one thing counts
In the bank, large amounts
I’m afraid these don’t grow on trees,
You’ve got to pick-a-pocket or two
Oh yeah Hope Florida
You’ve got to pick-a-pocket or two,
Come on Casey
You’ve got to pick-a-pocket or two.
Ten million don’t grow on trees.
You’ve got to pick-a-pocket or two.
Skeptic
April 17, 2025 at 6:18 pm
Were they hacked? Or did the public get to see a live feed of what is usually private?
Shelia Clarke
April 17, 2025 at 6:38 pm
No hack. As usual, a DeSantis show breaks down. If DeSantis would put as much time into taking care of the details instead of time spinning lies to cover fraud.
Shelia Clarke
April 17, 2025 at 6:29 pm
Look at the real facts. This “director” was paid $175K from DCF. Exactly what did he direct? No budget. How many employees? This was a no show job given to a DeSantis minion who was free to do DeSantis’ bidding. Please do not be suckered because someone claims to be a Christian. Hope Florida Foundation etc…was set up to laundry money for DeSantis and his buddy Ultimier. They got greedy and wanted to make Hope FL law. It was the DeSantis’ greed and hubris that will take them down.
MH/Duuuval
April 17, 2025 at 7:35 pm
Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock — on wood!
My mail carrier, an otherwise knowledgable Demo apparatchik, tells me Dee will not be damaged by this fiasco. Bizarre!
Skeptic
April 17, 2025 at 9:51 pm
Not sure how that will work out. Lame duck still holds the veto pen for this session and next, but has no future in state or federal politics. If he thinks he will make his $$$ in lobbying, he better start playing better in the sandbox. If he thinks his bread will be buttered by a think tank, he better start coming up with better rationalizations for crony capitalism (I don’t think the patrons of those places pay just for being obnoxious). If he thinks he will get a OAN show or be a podcast sensation, I think he overestimates his charm and charisma. I don’t see the next Florida administration finding it useful to give him a court seat and he will get a federal seat over Susie Wiles dead body. So, this may not harm him, but when you ain’t got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.
Caitlyn
April 18, 2025 at 10:06 pm
Charm? Charisma? Hard to overestimate what you don’t have, but I’m sure DeSatan will find a way.
Fu too
April 19, 2025 at 10:47 am
I prefer the name we get things done Florida..not hope or faith because that’s all you will be left with.
Fu too
April 19, 2025 at 10:50 am
Feeling’s nothing but feelings
Comments are closed.