Latest news with #KeepFloridaClean
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis rages at open investigation into Hope Florida Foundation, calls it ‘manufactured'
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis touts the Hope Florida program during an April 1, 2025, press conference in the Capitol in Tallahassee. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix) Gov. Ron DeSantis called the investigation by a state attorney into First Lady Casey DeSantis' Hope Florida Foundation a manufactured political operation during a press conference Wednesday afternoon, The governor spoke at more length Wednesday than he'd done Tuesday when the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald first reported the open investigation by State's Attorney Jack Campbell in Tallahassee into the transfer to the foundation of $10 million from a $67 million Medicaid overpayment settlement with the state. After signing three bills in Winter Haven, DeSantis answered questions about the Hope Florida investigation by insulting Pensacola Republican Alex Andrade, chair of the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee, who launched a legislative probe into the settlement during this year's legislative session. 'You have one Jackass in the legislature — I'm sorry, it's true — who's trying to smear her, smear good people, and just understand what happened,' DeSantis said. 'He took documents and he dropped them in a prosecutor's office that is not an organic investigation, that's a manufactured political operation. That's all this is: Somebody with an agenda dropped off documents, and that's all that.' Hope Florida Foundation steered the funds to two groups that sent a combined $8.5 million to Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee created to oppose Amendment 3, the failed 2024 ballot measure that would have legalized marijuana. The governor's then-chief of staff and current attorney general, James Uthmeier, chaired that committee. Andrade responded to DeSantis' comments on X, stating, 'I can feel the love…' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Report: Tallahassee prosecutor investigating Hope Florida Foundation
First Lady Casey DeSantis and Gov Ron DeSantis at a May 20 Hope Florida press conference in Tampa. (Photo credit Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix.) Two Florida newspapers are reporting there is an open investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, First Lady Casey DeSantis' signature social-services program, which came under legislative scrutiny this year over its finances. The House Health Care Budget Subcommittee, chaired by Pensacola Republican Alex Andrade, held a series of meetings this year investigating the transfer to the foundation of $10 million from a $67 million Medicaid overpayment settlement with the state. The nonprofit organization steered the funds to two groups that wound up directing a combined $8.5 million to Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee created to oppose Amendment 3, the failed 2024 ballot measure that would have legalized marijuana. The anti-marijuana campaign was of particular importance to Gov. Ron DeSantis, and was chaired by James Uthmeier, then DeSantis' chief of staff, now the governor's appointee as state attorney general. According to a report published Tuesday by the joint Capitol bureau for the The Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald, the papers requested documents that State's Attorney General Jack Campbell — who investigates and prosecutes alleged crimes in Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon (the seat of Florida state government), Liberty, and Wakulla counties — may have received from Andrade regarding the Hope Florida Foundation. Andrade had suggested the financial arrangements might have been illegal. The state attorney's office declined to release any information because it was 'part of an open, on-going investigation,' the newspapers reported. The Florida Phoenix asked Campbell on Tuesday whether his office was investigating the Hope Florida Foundation. He did not respond. The Phoenix also put in a request for any documents related to the Hope Florida Foundation that Campbell's office may have received from Andrade. 'The information you request is part of an open, on-going investigation,' public records administrator Lori Abbey replied. ' I cannot verify what information is contained or referenced within the investigation. Also, I cannot verify how any information has been provided to this office. ' Meanwhile, the governor and First Lady held a lengthy press conference in Tampa Tuesday, touting the Hope Florida program and its success. When asked about the reported investigation Tuesday, DeSantis seemed surprised and said, 'Based on what?' Then he defended the program, championed by his wife. 'Well, I mean, I can tell you, this has been a very successful program,' DeSantis said. 'Everything that's been thrown at it is pure politics.' Two Florida U.S. Democratic Reps call for federal investigation into Hope Florida 'I believe in this program deeply, and I stand by it 100%,' he added. Hope Florida uses state employee 'navigators' to help connect people who rely on Medicaid and supplemental nutrition programs with the private sector and faith-based communities in an effort to help them gain financial independence. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida House halts Hope Florida investigation
After weeks of investigation, a state House leader said Thursday his panel is halting a probe into a foundation linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis' signature economic-assistance program, Hope Florida. Rep. Alex Andrade, a Pensacola Republican who chairs the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee, announced the decision after the Hope Florida Foundation's lawyer, Jeff Aaron, and leaders of nonprofits that received $5 million grants from the foundation refused to appear before the panel. Andrade has spent weeks scrutinizing the foundation's receipt of $10 million as part of a $67 million legal settlement that Centene, Florida's largest Medicaid managed-care company, reached last fall with the Agency for Health Care Administration. After receiving the money from the settlement, the foundation gave $5 million grants to Secure Florida's Future, a nonprofit tied to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Save our Society from Drugs. Mark Wilson, the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, also serves as chairman of Secure Florida's Future. Amy Ronshausen, the executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation, also serves as executive director of Save Our Society from Drugs The groups within days made contributions to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee headed by James Uthmeier, who was then Ron DeSantis' chief of staff and is now state attorney general. Keep Florida Clean fought a proposed constitutional amendment in November that would have allowed recreational use of marijuana. During a brief meeting Thursday, Andrade laid out a timeline of the settlement and the roles Uthmeier and Aaron — a close ally of Uthmeier and a member of the governor's inner circle — played in steering money to the foundation and the nonprofits. 'We are not judges or prosecutors. While I am firmly convinced that James Uthmeier and Jeff Aaron engaged in a conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud, and that several parties played a role in the misuse of $10 million in Medicaid funds, we as legislators will not be the ones making the ultimate charging decisions,' said Andrade, who later told reporters he has had 'discussions' with the U.S. Department of Justice about the transactions. Aaron lashed out at Andrade, an attorney, in a social media post after the meeting. 'Now I have more time to draft my defamation lawsuit and bar complaint. @RAlexAndradeFL should be ashamed of himself. I hope there are members of the legislature with the courage to stand up and call for this ridiculous behavior to end,' Aaron posted on X. Jeremy Redfern, a spokesman for Uthmeier, said Andrade's accusations were baseless. 'These ridiculous allegations are false and not based on any judicial finding or evidentiary record,' Redfern said in a statement. Andrade's conduct 'not only surpasses what should be proper decorum between Florida officials but also represents potential legal ramifications for the representative,' Redfern warned. The House probe became a flashpoint in a feud between House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and the governor, who has staunchly defended the Hope Florida program. The program, launched by the first lady, is rooted in the Department of Children and Families and operates across several agencies through 'Hope navigators' that help connect people and families in need with faith-based or community services. The program also operates a hotline. The governor and Casey DeSantis held a news conference Thursday morning in St. Augustine shortly after Andrade's panel met. They were joined by Hope navigators and people who said the program had provided critical assistance to their families. Speaking to reporters after the news conference, the governor accused unidentified House leaders and 'lefty journalists' of trying to 'impugn' the program. 'The reality is this has done an enormous amount of good. I am proud of the program, soup to nuts,' DeSantis said. DeSantis also suggested that Casey DeSantis, who is mulling a possible run for governor next year, is being targeted because 'they view her as a threat.' Andrade has requested numerous documents from DeSantis' office and the Agency for Health Care Administration about the Medicaid settlement agreement, the grants and other transactions. He's also asked Wilson and Ronshausen for details about the grants. Andrade said his panel will continue to dig into the DeSantis administration's spending and other issues when lawmakers return to Tallahassee for committee meetings this fall. The 2025 legislative session is scheduled to end next week. 'I'm not a prosecutor or an FBI agent. I know now that I will never trust Gov. DeSantis again with taxpayer money, let alone Medicaid money. So that's going to frame my policymaking decisions until I'm done in public office,' he said. Aaron told Andrade this week he was 'disappointed' that he had to decline to appear before the panel because some of the foundation's board members did not waive their attorney-client privilege with him. In an email to Andrade early Thursday morning, Ronshausen also said she 'must decline' to appear. 'I must do so to preserve all privileges on behalf of SOS (Save our Society from Drugs), legally or otherwise,' she said. Wilson also sent Andrade a lengthy email Thursday noting that, during a meeting earlier this month, Wilson pointed the lawmaker to public information about his nonprofit's involvement. 'Because I already have shared what I am able to share, and consistent with my obligation to maintain and uphold the rights of my organization and its donors, I do not believe a further discussion would be productive or a good use (of) the committee's time,' Wilson wrote. 'Further inquiry into these topics is likely to re-address matters implicating the constitutional rights and privileges of Secure Florida's Future.' Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Smear': Gov. DeSantis hits back as House, media probe Hope Florida funds
Gov. Ron DeSantis again condemned Florida House Republicans and the news media over continued questioning into the beleaguered Hope Florida initiative of his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis. The DeSantises, state officials and program participants appeared at St. Augustine's Anchor Faith Church April 24 to defend and promote the program, billed as a conservative alternative to traditional welfare that connects needy Floridians with help from nonprofits and other charities. A House panel and news organizations have been digging into a $10 million dollar donation that was connected to a $67 million legal settlement between the state and Centene, a Medicaid-managed care vendor, over alleged overbilling. 'They're trying to smear this program,' DeSantis told the crowd in conservative St. Johns County, where Republicans outnumber Democrats 2½ to 1. 'Some of them, some of these lefty journalists don't like it. They don't like you working with the faith-based community." Funded by donations from individuals, private businesses, donations, grants, gifts and investments, Hope Florida serves as the support organization for the Florida Department of Children and Families. Its secretary, Taylor Hatch, accompanied DeSantis for the visit. Referring to his wife, now said to be eyeing a run for governor in 2026 when he is term-limited, he added: "Some of these people view it as a way to attack the First Lady and all the great things she's done. They view her as a threat. That's what's motivating this." The entire settlement was $67 million but $10 million was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation in October. The foundation, which raises money for the Hope Florida program, then gave two $5 million grants each to two nonprofit organizations: Securing Florida's Future, chaired by Mark Wilson, who is also the chairman of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Save Our Society from Drugs. Those groups in turn gave $8.5 million to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee chaired by James Uthmeier, then DeSantis' chief of staff. In February, DeSantis appointed him to be Florida's attorney general. Keep Florida Clean was set up to oppose an amendment on the 2024 ballot to legalize recreational marijuana. The group has given $1.2 million to the Florida Freedom Fund, another political committee chaired by Uthmeier and used by DeSantis to fight both the marijuana amendment and an amendment that would've installed a right to an abortion into the state's constitution. During the event's Q&A, DeSantis said the state's Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) sent documentation to the House that 'totally debunks the bogus media narratives.' 'Partisan journalists were told this was coming and they still tried to produce these phony narratives," DeSantis said, adding the documents show how AHCA 'negotiated' the funds. 'So that debunks the phony narrative.' Hope Florida has done 'an enormous amount of good, and I'm proud of the program, soup to nuts," the governor said. DeSantis is facing criticism because under Florida law, money from settlements must be deposited into the state's general revenue fund and reported to the Legislature for oversight. The $10 million donation was not. In an earlier press conference, DeSantis said the $10 million was not part of the $67 million agreement signed in September 2024, one not disclosed to the Legislature. "When you do settlements, you can try to get as much money as you can, but this was in addition to what they were getting," he told reporters at a press conference in Miami. He described it as "kind of like a cherry on top, where they agreed to make an additional contribution, and so we were served well by what AHCA did.' Jim Rosica of the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau contributed. This story also contains previously reported material. This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: DeSantis defends $10M Hope Florida gift from House, media scrutiny
CBS News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
State House halts investigation into Hope Florida, Casey DeSantis-linked foundation, amid lack of cooperation
After weeks of investigation, a state House leader said Thursday his panel is halting a probe into a foundation linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis' signature economic-assistance program, Hope Florida. Rep. Alex Andrade, a Pensacola Republican who chairs the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee, announced the decision after the Hope Florida Foundation's lawyer, Jeff Aaron, and leaders of nonprofits that received $5 million grants from the foundation refused to appear before the panel. Record keeping under scrutiny Andrade has spent weeks scrutinizing the foundation's receipt of $10 million as part of a $67 million legal settlement that Centene, Florida's largest Medicaid managed-care company, reached last fall with the Agency for Health Care Administration. After receiving the money from the settlement, the foundation gave $5 million grants to Secure Florida's Future, a nonprofit tied to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Save our Society from Drugs. Mark Wilson, the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, also serves as chairman of Secure Florida's Future. Amy Ronshausen, the executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation, also serves as executive director of Save Our Society from Drugs The groups, within days, made contributions to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee headed by James Uthmeier, who was then Ron DeSantis' chief of staff and is now state attorney general. Keep Florida Clean fought a proposed constitutional amendment in November that would have allowed recreational use of marijuana. During a brief meeting Thursday, Andrade laid out a timeline of the settlement and the roles Uthmeier and Aaron — a close ally of Uthmeier and a member of the governor's inner circle — played in steering money to the foundation and the nonprofits. "We are not judges or prosecutors. While I am firmly convinced that James Uthmeier and Jeff Aaron engaged in a conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud, and that several parties played a role in the misuse of $10 million in Medicaid funds, we as legislators will not be the ones making the ultimate charging decisions," said Andrade, who later told reporters he has had "discussions" with the U.S. Department of Justice about the transactions. Aaron lashed out at Andrade, an attorney, in a social media post after the meeting. "Now I have more time to draft my defamation lawsuit and bar complaint. @RAlexAndradeFL should be ashamed of himself. I hope there are members of the legislature with the courage to stand up and call for this ridiculous behavior to end," Aaron posted on X. Jeremy Redfern, a spokesman for Uthmeier, said Andrade's accusations were baseless. "These ridiculous allegations are false and not based on any judicial finding or evidentiary record," Redfern said in a statement. Andrade's conduct "not only surpasses what should be proper decorum between Florida officials but also represents potential legal ramifications for the representative," Redfern warned. State House vs. governor's office The House probe became a flashpoint in a feud between House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and the governor, who has staunchly defended the Hope Florida program. The program, launched by the first lady, is rooted in the Department of Children and Families and operates across several agencies through "Hope navigators" that help connect people and families in need with faith-based or community services. The program also operates a hotline. The governor and Casey DeSantis held a news conference Thursday morning in St. Augustine shortly after Andrade's panel met. They were joined by Hope navigators and people who said the program had provided critical assistance to their families. Speaking to reporters after the news conference, the governor accused unidentified House leaders and "lefty journalists" of trying to "impugn" the program. "The reality is this has done an enormous amount of good. I am proud of the program, soup to nuts," DeSantis said. DeSantis also suggested that Casey DeSantis, who is mulling a possible run for governor next year, is being targeted because "they view her as a threat." Andrade has requested numerous documents from DeSantis' office and the Agency for Health Care Administration about the Medicaid settlement agreement, the grants and other transactions. He's also asked Wilson and Ronshausen for details about the grants. Andrade said his panel will continue to dig into the DeSantis administration's spending and other issues when lawmakers return to Tallahassee for committee meetings this fall. The 2025 legislative session is scheduled to end next week. "I'm not a prosecutor or an FBI agent. I know now that I will never trust Gov. DeSantis again with taxpayer money, let alone Medicaid money. So that's going to frame my policymaking decisions until I'm done in public office," he said. Aaron told Andrade this week he was "disappointed" that he had to decline to appear before the panel because some of the foundation's board members did not waive their attorney-client privilege with him. In an email to Andrade early Thursday morning, Ronshausen also said she "must decline" to appear. "I must do so to preserve all privileges on behalf of SOS [Save our Society from Drugs], legally or otherwise," she said. Wilson also sent Andrade a lengthy email Thursday, noting that, during a meeting earlier this month, Wilson pointed the lawmaker to public information about his nonprofit's involvement. "Because I already have shared what I am able to share, and consistent with my obligation to maintain and uphold the rights of my organization and its donors, I do not believe a further discussion would be productive or a good use (of) the committee's time," Wilson wrote. "Further inquiry into these topics is likely to re-address matters implicating the constitutional rights and privileges of Secure Florida's Future."
