A $10 million donation from healthcare giant Centene to HOPE Florida, a nonprofit initiative championed by First Lady Casey DeSantis, became the center of intense scrutiny and political conflict following a state House subcommittee hearing Tuesday.
Lawmakers questioned the foundation’s financial practices and the alleged use of funds for political purposes, drawing a fiery rebuke from Governor Ron DeSantis against members of his own party.
The House Health Care Budget Subcommittee convened Tuesday morning to examine the significant donation made to the HOPE Florida foundation. HOPE Florida, launched by Mrs. DeSantis in 2021, operates as a direct support organization for the state Department of Children and Family Services (DCF), aiming to guide families toward self-sufficiency.
However, House members, led by Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola), are demanding the return of the $10 million contribution.
They allege the funds were improperly channeled to political committees, including Governor DeSantis’s Florida Freedom Fund PAC and the Republican Party of Florida, to oppose unsuccessful 2024 ballot initiatives that sought to legalize recreational marijuana and guarantee abortion access. Proponents of those initiatives reportedly raised a combined $261 million.
During the hearing, Rep. Andrade pressed HOPE Florida Foundation President Joshua Hay on the use of the Centene grant. “Do you believe that donating the money to the Republican Party of Florida, donating it to Governor DeSantis’s Florida Freedom Fund PAC or paying for legal services and advertising are proper uses of those funds out of Hope Florida Foundation’s account?” Andrade asked, citing information from the Florida elections database.
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Hay, who stated he serves as president on a volunteer basis for the currently unstaffed foundation, acknowledged operational shortcomings. “In recent weeks, the public reporting has made evident that mistakes were made,” Hay told the committee, attributing issues to a lack of staffing and oversight. He testified that required financial documents, like the IRS Form 990, were not filed but pledged to rectify the situation.
Hay stated he and the foundation’s general counsel initially saw nothing unusual about the grant but conceded funds could potentially be recovered if found to be used inappropriately, though he declined to offer a “personal opinion” on the matter during the hearing. He announced that the foundation’s board would meet publicly online this Thursday to address necessary changes and promised to release the foundation’s bank statements within the next 10 days.
Governor DeSantis responded forcefully to the House inquiry, accusing Republican leadership in the chamber of collaborating with opponents. “You got a cabal of them in the leadership,” DeSantis stated. “They are colluding with liberal media and the Democratic Party in Florida to try to manufacture smears against HOPE Florida, against me, against the first lady.”
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The Governor further criticized the House members for focusing on the donation instead of legislative priorities. “When they’re doing that and they’re not cutting your property taxes, they’re not fixing the condo crisis… they are stabbing you in the back. They are refusing to do their jobs,” he asserted.
The controversy also touched upon figures within the administration, with Andrade’s line of questioning referencing groups allegedly opposing the ballot measures, including one reportedly run by James Uthmeier.
Uthmeier, the current state Attorney General, is running in 2026 after an appointment to replace Ashley Moody following her move to the U.S. Senate.
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