TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – Gov. Ron DeSantis referred to as out state lawmakers Monday, as they proceed to analyze “Hope Florida.”
Home members are wanting deeper into the cash path between the non-profit and political teams that campaigned in opposition to the leisure marijuana modification final 12 months.
Initially of the 2025 legislative session, Home Speaker Daniel Perez, (R-Miami) challenged lawmakers in his opening remarks to have the massive debates and convey the messy and controversial concepts earlier than their committees.
“Now we have an obligation to be sure that authorities works for the folks and isn’t the playground for a gaggle of insiders,” mentioned Speaker Perez. “We’re the general public’s watchdogs. We mustn’t ever hesitate to curb the excesses of presidency, get rid of packages that trigger extra hurt than good, and maintain officers accountable for abusing their energy. Members, don’t be afraid to shake the tree of presidency, and pull out the weeds of waste, fraud or abuse.”
Now, months later, Home members mentioned they’re looking for accountability and transparency from the Hope Florida Basis after it obtained $10 million from a $67 million settlement with Centene.
“Centene was fined $67 million for Medicaid overbilling. Funds like this, by legislation, go to normal income. However one way or the other the corporate was instructed to offer $10 million from the settlement to the Hope Florida Basis, a charity overseen by First Girl Casey DeSantis,” mentioned Home Minority Chief Fentrice Driskell, (D-Tampa).
Chief Driskell mentioned Monday that the cash Hope Florida acquired within the settlement was despatched to 2 political teams, who days later, gave tens of millions of {dollars} to a political committee combating in opposition to Modification 3, the legalization of marijuana.
So, if lawmakers are following the cash accurately, the query stays: Have been taxpayer {dollars} used to serve the general public or political campaigns? And was any of this even authorized?
“At greatest, this was the inappropriate use of settlement {dollars}. At worst, this was fraud. This appears to be like, smells and looks like an unlawful, coordinated scheme to make use of our tax {dollars} to fund political actions by Ron DeSantis,” mentioned Chief Driskell.
Speaker of the Home, Daniel Perez mentioned lawmakers are merely looking for accountability.
“Even when Hope Florida is critical, the cash that they’re utilizing, the one factor that we’ve requested— and by we, I say the members of this physique, of Chair Andrade’s committee, ‘How was the cash obtained? The place did it go? How was it used and why?'” mentioned Speaker Perez.
Nevertheless, Gov. DeSantis argued that the legislature is stabbing voters proper within the again.
“None of those Republican leaders acquired elected on the platform that they had been going to launch baseless assaults in opposition to the governor and first woman,” mentioned DeSantis.
Within the mixture of the controversy, Florida’s newly appointed Lawyer Basic, James Uthmeier, is now being watched by lawmakers as they spotlight his connections to the political committee set as much as defeat Modification 3.
“This political committee was managed by James Uthmeier, who was the Governor’s Chief of Employees on the time,” mentioned Chief Driskell. “After that, the committee despatched tens of millions to the Florida Republican Social gathering, which campaigned in opposition to Amendments 3 and 4, and likewise despatched $1,000,000 to a political committee DeSantis controls.”
When requested what his response was to the investigation, Uthmeier mentioned that it’s “completely nice” for an unbiased basis to offer beneficiant assist to different non-profits with the identical mission.
“Hope Florida did not do something unsuitable. I am happy with the work they do. These different nonprofit organizations which have helped, you already know, in opposition to the Modification 3 effort, we must be grateful of them to all of them,” mentioned Uthmeier.
Gov. DeSantis and his cupboard consider this can be a political assault, however lawmakers within the Home proceed to hunt solutions from Hope Florida, the governor’s workplace, legal professional normal, and state businesses concerned.
