Gabrielle Russon
A bill to codify Hope Florida is unlikely to pass this Session.
Sen. Danny Burgess filed SB 1144 to make First Lady Casey DeSantis’ charity a permanent program under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office. It was temporarily postponed in the Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services.
When asked about the bill this week, Senate President Ben Albritton acknowledged that time has run out this Legislative Session.
“We’re not having Committee meetings anymore,” Albritton said. “Anything that’s still in committee at this point wouldn’t be able to get across the line.”
What has derailed the bill is an ongoing scandal over Hope Florida’s spending and transparency. Casey DeSantis’ charity to help people get off welfare received $10 million from the state from a Medicaid settlement — an illicit donation, House Republicans charged — that eventually got funneled to two groups before ending up in a political committee controlled by James Uthmeier, who was then Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Chief of Staff. Today, Uthmeier is Attorney General. Uthmeier used those millions to help defeat last year’s marijuana ballot initiative.
“Simply put, there’s no question that these were Medicaid funds steered by the Governor’s Chief of Staff through secret and clandestine actions to his own political committee,” Republican Rep. Alex Andrade said Thursday during the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee. “It’s readily apparent that a culture of neglect, incompetence, and entitlement exists within the halls of the Governor’s Office.”
Andrade said his Committee’s probe is over after several tied to the scandal declined to testify before his Committee.
Andrade told Florida Politics he plans to file legislation next Session to strengthen Florida’s laws about misspending Medicaid funds and more.
Meanwhile, the DeSantises accused the House GOP of making politically motivated attacks against Hope Florida.
“Why are they doing this narrative? They’re not doing it because they really care about that. They’re doing it to try to impugn Hope Florida. They’re trying to smear this program,” the Governor said Thursday. “Some of these lefty journalists don’t like it. They don’t like you working with the faith-based community. Some of these people view it as a way to attack the First Lady and all the great things she’s done because they view her as a threat. So that’s what’s motivating this.”
To reporters at the Capitol on Thursday, Albritton repeated his stance that he supports Hope Florida’s mission.
Albritton acknowledged that the House probe into Hope Florida could help lawmakers revive Burgess’ bill next Session.
“Could that better inform us in how to build a system around Hope Florida that could make it work and get it where everybody feels good about transparency and accountability? Sure.”
6 comments
TJC
April 26, 2025 at 10:23 am
“They’re trying to smear this program,” says the Governor.
No, they’re pointing out that he stole 10 million dollars of Medicaid money and slipped it into his political committee to fight a citizen initiative he didn’t like.
He’s lucking Pam Bondi is the AG now, or he’d be facing a federal investigation. Or maybe it’s not luck, maybe it’s what he was counting on all along.
Ocean Joe
April 26, 2025 at 11:12 am
Dont leave out the allegations half the money was used to fight the pot amendment which was supported by a majority of voters, in addition to 35 million from tech bro Peter Thiel.
Disappointed
April 26, 2025 at 10:30 am
There are downright frightening “the end justifies the means” and “we are righteous, thereby infallible” mentalities emanating from the EOG.
To the Governor’s fixers in the EOG and the agencies – when the crap hits the fan remember that lying about what you’ve participated in is likely to carry more serious consequences than what you actually did… particularly once the Feds start asking questions and also particularly for those of you who are attorneys.
Ocean Joe
April 26, 2025 at 11:18 am
Don’t be naive. The Feds are controlled by the most lawless, corrupt man in America. There are no guardrails. The Republican controlled Senate and House have abdicated their oversight power. There’s no one left to enforce the law, only those who want to twist it to fit Project 2025 and the grifting class. And Florida has long been a hotbead of corruption electing folks like Rick Scott and Matt Gaetz. In the end, the brazen side deal with Centene will be held up as an example of the Governor’s Trumpian skills, not a set back.
Along for the Ride
April 26, 2025 at 11:28 am
It wasn’t a side deal, Centene said they had no knowledge of that money being donated to Hope Florida. That was all DeSantis and James uthmeier
Along for the Ride
April 26, 2025 at 11:26 am
Call your local representatives and tell them to keep investigating this issue with Hope Florida. Don’t give up and stay mad. This is wrong on so many different levels. For a guy like DeSantis who likes to hold town halls and press to sign bills and have a standing ovation when he signs documents. Would he have been all over the news shouting “HEY look we got $67,000,000.00 dollars back to the state of Florida!” Why did he do that? Because he didnt want people to look at the shady illegal things he was doing with $10,000,000.00 in tax payer and federal money.