Leon County prosecutors have convened a grand jury to explore possible wrongdoing associated with Hope Florida, according to a report Friday by the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee bureau.
State Attorney Jack Campbell’s office over the past few weeks issued subpoenas for witnesses to appear before the grand jury during the week of Oct. 13, the Times/Herald report said.
The witnesses were not identified. Campbell did not comment when asked Friday by the News Service of Florida about the report.
Investigation tied to state House probe
Campbell’s office in May confirmed that records related to a state House probe of a nonprofit linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature Hope Florida assistance program were part of an “open” investigation.
House Health Care Budget Chairman Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, submitted records to Campbell’s office related to the Hope Florida 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.
Nonprofit grants and political contributions under scrutiny
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.
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.
The governor and the first lady have vigorously defended the Hope Florida program, which operates through numerous state agencies and, in part, serves as a referral service to churches and other private entities that can offer assistance to families seeking aid.
