Chamber summit: Amid controversy, Casey DeSantis pitches Hope Florida to business community

Though Hope Florida remains at the center of a high-profile scandal, First Lady Casey DeSantis said it’s lifted thousands of Floridians out of poverty and could help thousands more with help from Florida’s business community.

Hope Florida is the charity currently under scrutiny for its role in funneling $10 million to political committees that fought against the 2024 ballot amendments to legalize recreational pot and restore abortion rights, both of which failed.

Gov. Ron DeSantis initially said the money it forwarded along was the “cherry on top” from a Medicaid settlement with provider Centene; however, reports indicate it was part of Centene’s $67 million settlement with the state for Medicaid overbilling, not an additional $10 million.

While Casey DeSantis’ conversation with Advent Health Senior Executive Vice President & CEO Audrey Gregory at the 2025 Florida Prosperity & Economic Opportunity Solution Summit focused on Hope Florida’s charitable efforts and how Florida businesses can pitch in, the First Lady didn’t ignore the elephant in the room.

“You know, there’s a lot of lot of misinformation right now — a lot. There is a positive, though. It gives me a great opportunity to talk about the promise of what Hope Florida is doing to change the trajectory of a lot of people’s lives and to provide them a pathway to happiness,” DeSantis said.

She later posited that Hope Florida’s work coordination with religious nonprofits put it in the crosshairs: “We’re the only state that incorporates the faith-based community, which you should ask yourselves, is that why I’m getting a lot of heat right now? Because I think, why would you not?”

The meat of the conversation saw DeSantis call for business buy-in on Hope Florida’s mission. According to the First Lady, supporting Hope Florida ultimately supports the state’s economic growth — the more people the charity helps, she argued, the more stable the workforce, which will “help our businesses and communities thrive.”

The Summit audience heard similar reasoning during Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson’s opening remarks.

“I want every company in here who has employees who’s thinking about hiring someone in the next 10 years to become a Hope Florida employer in the next month,” he said. “We want to have employers who are interested in providing flexible work for people who want to work and need to work.”

DeSantis fleshed out the specifics, telling business leaders they could pitch in by allowing single parents to work 9-to-3 shifts so they could be home after school hours; logging to the CarePortal to meet the immediate needs, such as groceries, of people in their communities; and teaming up with Hope Navigators Navigators to offer training and job opportunities that facilitate a path to economic self-sufficiency.

DeSantis says the model produces results that other states are noticing, and she’s encouraging them to follow Hope Florida’s lead. She also said there have been high-level discussions about replicating the charity’s formula elsewhere.

“I’ve actually talked to the President about this. I talked to Elon Musk when he was involved with DOGE. And here’s, first of all, across the state. Yes, we can do this. We are the only state that is taking a holistic approach to how you legitimately help people,” she said.

“I was actually talking to the President, and I told him, ‘You know, the federal government spends $2 trillion annually on means-tested welfare. What Hope Florida provides … is saving the taxpayer $100 million over the course of the year, $1 billion over the course of 10 years.’”

DeSantis closed with a vow to focus on furthering Hope Florida’s mission despite the current turbulence: “I’m never going to apologize for fighting for the vulnerable people in society. That’s just what I feel like I am called to do, and I’m going to keep doing it.”