Grand jury: DeSantis admin misused $10M

Jurors found taxpayer money was misappropriated for political purposes — but no one will face charges Published August 30, 2026 1:00PM (EDT) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration is in hot water over a grand jury's findings of misappropriation of funds. But no charges have been filed. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images) A Florida grand jury found that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration “misappropriated” $10 million in taxpayer money and used it for political purposes — but concluded it could not determine who was responsible well enough to bring criminal charges. The findings, contained in a sealed grand jury report obtained by multiple news outlets last week, offer the clearest picture yet of a controversy involving Hope Florida, an initiative championed by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, and some of the most powerful figures in the governor’s administration. “Despite our finding that the money was misappropriated, we find insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally,” the grand jury wrote. The $10 million originated in a $67 million Medicaid settlement between Florida and Centene, one of the state’s largest Medicaid contractors. Rather than remaining with the state, $10 million was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit associated with Casey DeSantis’ signature welfare initiative. Within weeks, the foundation distributed $5 million each to two nonprofit organizations. Those groups subsequently sent $8.5 million to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee fighting a 2024 ballot initiative that would have legalized recreational marijuana. At the time, Keep Florida Clean was chaired by James Uthmeier, then DeSantis’ chief of staff and now Florida’s attorney general. Most of that money ultimately went to the Republican Party of Florida. The grand jury described the transfer as “part of a sophisticated scheme to fund political activities” and concluded that taxpayer money had been misused. But determining who made the decision proved more difficult. “Nobody will take responsibility for deciding the $10 million of taxpayer money would go to Hope Florida,” the grand jury wrote, adding that witnesses also claimed not to remember who made the decision. The report singled out Uthmeier as being in a position of authority during the settlement and cited testimony about his involvement in directing the money after it reached Hope Florida. It also criticized the office of then-Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody for failing to exercise sufficient oversight of the settlement. Uthmeier and Moody have denied wrongdoing. DeSantis has defended the transaction, maintaining that the $10 million was a charitable donation rather than state money. Following publication of the sealed report, the governor turned his attention to the leak itself, calling it illegal and portraying the investigation as an attempt to damage his wife. Start your day with essential news from Salon. Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course. The report has renewed calls for investigations into Hope Florida. David Jolly, the Democratic nominee for Florida governor, said he would reopen the investigation if elected, arguing that the grand jury’s inability to identify an individual responsible for the transaction does not resolve questions surrounding the money. Florida Democrats have also called for resignations and additional investigations following release of the report. The grand jury itself recommended changes to state law to prevent similar transfers in the future. “While we can’t prove who is responsible, we can plainly see that taxpayer money was misused for political purposes,” the report concluded. Related Topics ------------------------------------------ Related Articles