TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — A mysterious $10 million donation to ‘Hope Florida’ has state lawmakers additional investigating this system itself, citing authorized points with the switch of cash.
This system ‘Hope Florida’, led by Florida’s First Girl Casey DeSantis, is on the heart of a fiery debate. Home Representatives are trying deeper into the switch of a $10 million settlement. Nonetheless, Governor Ron DeSantis says this has nothing to do with Hope Florida and its mission.
DeSantis shared with Floridians at a press convention in Miami, Florida Thursday that members of the Florida legislature have a political agenda and warned people to not fall for the “political nonsense.”
“The AHCA settlement is one thing that’s completely separate from Hope Florida, however the AHCA settlement was 100% applicable, they negotiated an excellent deal, and it served the state very very effectively,” mentioned DeSantis.
On the street to hunt solutions on what the $10 million was used for, Hope Florida is dealing with scrutiny over its relationship with the state’s Company for Well being Care Administration, AHCA.
This week Home members shared that in a $67 million settlement final 12 months, AHCA needed $57 million of that, and Hope Florida received the $10 million leftover.
Lawmakers declare this was a inventive approach to switch funds with out the legislature figuring out.
State Consultant Alex Andrade, (R-Pensacola), grilled Shevaun L. Harris, AHCA Secretary, in regards to the settlement, making an attempt to unravel how ‘Hope Florida’ is receiving and utilizing its funds.
“What are y’all doing with the $10 million?” mentioned Rep. Andrade.
“That could be a query for the inspiration,” responded Secretary Harris.
Andrade fired again, “That could be a query for AHCA, they directed the fee.”
“The fee was made by Centene to the inspiration, the place the cash went is a query to the inspiration,” mentioned Harris.
“That was a coverage resolution made by AHCA that I imagine was unlawful, that was a coverage resolution made, and what I’m listening to from the Secretary of AHCA is we do not know what the cash was for use for, and we do not know why we did it. That is not acceptable Secretary,” mentioned Andrade.
“Mr. Chair, I believe it is unlucky that we’re succumbing to a few of these unlucky assaults,” responded Hariss.
Secretary Harris added that this was a pre-lawsuit settlement, and the legislature did not have to know this info.
After two heated hours of forwards and backwards, Harris took to X calling the committee assembly performative and shameful.
“As soon as we received up there to talk, it was clear it was an ambush and assault on Hope Florida,” mentioned Harris.
Nonetheless, state lawmakers argue in any other case, as they proceed to seek for solutions to how the $10 million was spent.
“Clearly, we have now extra work to do,” mentioned Rep. Andrade
When requested about Home members investigation into the difficulty, Home Speaker Danny Perez, (R-Miami) says lawmakers are in search of accountability and transparency from a non-profit that receives state funds and has laws shifting via the statehouse this session.
Reporters adopted up, asking Speaker Perez whether or not or not the 10-million-dollar switch was authorized.
Speaker Perez mentioned, “Thus far it seems as if it may very well be unlawful, I solely state that as a result of we had been by no means notified of these 10 million {dollars}.”
There’s a Senate invoice that is floating within the statehouse proper now that will make Hope Florida a everlasting a part of state authorities. SB 1144 has triggered questions across the settlement and the packages funds because it makes its means via the legislature.
