Florida Grand Jury Finds Misappropriation of Medicaid Funds Linked to DeSantis Administration

A state grand jury investigation has revealed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration misappropriated funds. Medicaid money was diverted to a nonprofit, which ultimately funded political committees that supported the governor’s agenda. Despite these findings, the jury didn’t find enough evidence for criminal charges against anyone involved.

The grand jury report was first obtained by CBS Miami and released on Wednesday evening. It detailed how $10 million out of a $67 million settlement in 2024 between Florida and Centene Corp., a state Medicaid program vendor, was allocated to the Hope Florida Foundation. This foundation is linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis. From there, the money was split equally between two nonprofit groups: Secure Florida’s Future and Save Our Society From Drugs.

Shortly after, $8.5 million was transferred from these two groups to Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee led by James Uthmeier. At the time, Uthmeier was DeSantis’ chief of staff. Later, DeSantis appointed Uthmeier as Florida Attorney General. Keep Florida Clean then disbursed $9 million to the Republican Party of Florida and $1.23 million to the Florida Freedom Fund, a political committee chaired by Uthmeier. This committee worked to oppose two 2024 ballot measures: one for a constitutional right to abortion and another to legalize recreational marijuana. Both measures fell short of the required 60 percent vote to pass.

The grand jury found that Uthmeier had authority over those negotiating the settlement with Centene. Witnesses noted his involvement in directing funds once they reached Hope Florida. However, no one would specify who directed the initial $10 million to Hope Florida, a significant obstacle in pursuing criminal charges. Many involved, being lawyers, acted on legal advice, which the report stated would hinder criminal prosecution. The document concluded taxpayer money was used for political ends and recommended changes to avoid future occurrences.

Virtually everyone involved is a lawyer and acted on the advice of other lawyers. We recognize that this would be an impediment to criminal prosecution. While we can’t prove who is responsible, we can plainly see that taxpayer money was misused for political purposes and we would like to see changes made to prevent this from happening again.

DeSantis’ communications director, Alex Lanfranconi, dismissed the grand jury report and CBS Miami’s coverage as a “baseless smear” and claimed the story had been debunked. He alleged any leak of the grand jury report to the press constituted the only crime committed.

The report mentioned Ashley Moody, Florida’s attorney general at the time, who authorized the settlement with Centene. She later secured an appointment to the U.S. Senate by DeSantis. Both Moody and Uthmeier face reelection in November.

The grand jury investigation began after Representative Alex Andrade, chair of the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee, examined the matter during the 2025 legislative session. Andrade accused Uthmeier and Jeff Aaron, a lawyer linked to the Hope Florida Foundation, of breaking the law through the settlement and subsequent grants. Though initially quiet on the issue, Andrade decided against commenting for the story.

Since last October, State Attorney Jack Campbell had subpoenas issued for witnesses to testify in front of the grand jury. Results from this investigation remained confidential until CBS Miami’s report was published. Republican leaders, including DeSantis, dismissed the scandal, the governor labeling it a “hoax.”

On the other hand, Democrats responded forcefully. Senator Tracie Davis of Jacksonville criticized the findings as “an egregious abuse of power” and vowed to introduce legislation to prevent similar future incidents. Similarly, Jacksonville Representative Angie Nixon, the Democratic Senate candidate opposed to Moody, called for Moody’s resignation due to her involvement.

“None of this is leadership. None of this shows good judgment. None of this shows courage,” Nixon stated. “She has broken the public trust, and she must resign immediately.”