Hope Florida controversy
Jim DeFede explores the growing controversy surrounding Hope Florida.
The chairman of a foundation tied to Hope Florida — Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature welfare-assistance program — said under oath last Tuesday that “mistakes were made” with the foundation’s record-keeping, as a skirmish over the group’s finances continued to escalate.
Joshua Hay, chairman of the Hope Florida Foundation Inc., appeared before the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee amid a widening probe into the nonprofit’s receipt of $10 million as part of a Medicaid managed-care company’s $67 million settlement with the state Agency for Health Care Administration.
After receiving the money from Centene — the state’s largest Medicaid managed-care provider — last fall, the foundation made $5 million grants each to Secure Florida’s Future, a nonprofit organization linked to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Save Our Society from Drugs.
The groups received the grants while they were making contributions to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee headed by James Uthmeier, who was then Gov. 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.
Jim investigates what’s next now that the organization’s executive director resigns amid House scrutiny.
Guest: Rep. Robert “Alex” Andrade/(R) FL-District 2
