By Lawrence Mower, Tampa Bay Times
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier seized on a news report Wednesday that cited an anonymous source saying that President Donald Trump’s Justice Department would not bring charges in the Hope Florida scandal.
Citing a report in the online publication The Floridian, DeSantis and a spokesperson for Uthmeier asserted that the probe into whether the governor’s administration illegally diverted millions of taxpayer dollars to a political campaign in 2024 was a “hoax.”
No federal investigation into the money has ever been confirmed. A separate state grand jury probe in Tallahassee has yet to announce any findings.
“Another hoax bites the dust,” DeSantis wrote on X. “The only difference is this one was manufactured by FL RiNOs working in conjunction with the leftist media.” (RINO is an acronym that stands for “Republican in name only.”)
The Floridian cited an unnamed U.S. Department of Justice official who said federal charges wouldn’t be brought. Spokespeople for the department did not respond to requests for comment to the Times/Herald on Wednesday.
Rumors have circulated in Tallahassee all week that charges would not be brought against DeSantis administration officials and allies over the diversion of $10 million from a Medicaid settlement.
In October, the state attorney’s office in Leon County convened a criminal grand jury to look into allegations related to the money that moved through the Hope Florida Foundation, a state-created charity championed by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis.
State Attorney Jack Campbell, who opened the state-level investigation, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday about whether the grand jury had concluded its deliberations. On Tuesday, his office’s records custodian said it couldn’t turn over records in the case because it was an “open and on-going investigation.”
Shortly after DeSantis’ statement, Uthmeier was asked by reporters in the Capitol whether he’d received any notification from Campbell’s office. He declined to say.
“I don’t know what I’m allowed to say publicly or not on that. I direct you to the State Attorney’s Office,” Uthmeier said. “What I will say is what I’ve said from the beginning: nobody did anything wrong, certainly no legal issues.”
When a reporter asked him for his comment on The Floridian’s report about the federal case, he said, “Nothingburger.”
Uthmeier’s spokesperson wrote on X: “We appreciate the Department of Justice putting this sideshow to bed once and for all.”
The Hope Florida Foundation, created by the DeSantis administration, fell under scrutiny last year when the Times/Herald found it held a secret board meeting in 2024 to accept $10 million from a $67 million legal settlement between the state and Medicaid contractor Centene.
The Hope Florida Foundation then gave $5 million each to two politically connected nonprofits, which then gave nearly all the money to a DeSantis-connected political committee focused on fighting a proposed marijuana legalization amendment.
Former prosecutors told the Times/Herald last year that several federal charges, including theft of government funds, could be investigated related to the dollars that passed through the Hope Florida Foundation.
Uthmeier, who was then DeSantis’ chief of staff, controlled the political committee. Last February, DeSantis swore Uthmeier in as attorney general.
President Donald Trump in October endorsed Uthmeier for attorney general in 2026.
Republican state Rep. Alex Andrade, who questioned representatives for the Hope Florida Foundation through his role as House Health Care Budget chairperson last year, has said he believed Uthmeier and Jeff Aaron, a lawyer for the Hope Florida Foundation and an ally of the governor, had “engaged in a conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.”
Andrade turned over his records to the State Attorney’s Office in Leon County, as well as the FBI. In October, he and other witnesses appeared before the grand jury in the state case.
When reached for comment Wednesday, Andrade said he didn’t know whether the state grand jury was still deliberating. He stood by his own conclusions on the case.
“If a decision not to prosecute proves innocence, then the entire (Jeffrey) Epstein client list is innocent,” Andrade said in a text message. “Facts are stubborn things.”
Uthmeier and top DeSantis officials have refused to answer key questions about the diversion of $10 million in funds, such as what the money was ultimately spent on.
When asked on Wednesday how the money was spent, Uthmeier wouldn’t say.
“I’ve said what I can,” Uthmeier said. “Nobody did anything wrong.”
State grand jury proceedings, including their decisions not to prosecute, are secret. But grand juries can also issue public reports detailing their findings and issuing recommendations.
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(Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee bureau reporter Romy Ellenbogen and Times investigative reporter Justin Garcia contributed to this report.)
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