A charity with ties to Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is being investigated by prosecutors in the state, according to multiple reports.
The details of the Leon County prosecutors’ investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, which was first reported by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times, are not immediately available. However, the news comes months after Republicans in the state House launched a probe into a $10 million payment that the charity received.
The news of the investigation presents a threat to the potential political future of Casey DeSantis, a possible contender in the Florida governor race next year after her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, hits a term limit. If she runs, she would go up against Rep. Byron Donalds, whom President Donald Trump has endorsed, and possibly former Rep. Matt Gaetz, another Trump ally.
In 2021, Casey DeSantis launched Hope Florida, an initiative to connect people in need with private support from nonprofits and churches instead of government assistance. The Hope Florida Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the initiative.
In late 2024, the foundation donated $10 million to two nonprofits, which then gave the money to a political committee backing Ron DeSantis’ agenda. The money came from a state Medicaid settlement and is 10 times more than the foundation made in the previous year, according to an Associated Press timeline detailing the controversy.
During a Tuesday news conference, Ron DeSantis defended the foundation in response to a question from a Tampa Bay Times reporter.
“Well, I mean, I can tell you, this has been a very successful program,” the governor said. “Everything that’s been thrown at it is pure politics.”
“I believe in this program deeply, and I stand by it 100%,” he added.
He also defended the $10 million payment during a news conference last month, calling it “100% appropriate.”
“This is kind of like a cherry on top where they agreed to make an additional contribution,” he added.
Regardless, the payment sparked concerns about the foundation’s recordkeeping and transparency.
Republicans in the state House of Representatives created a subcommittee on the matter, which shuttered last month. It was chaired by state Rep. Alex Andrade, a Republican. Andrade reportedly turned over documents from the subcommittee’s investigation to the state attorney’s office.
“I believe that crimes were committed, and that the people engaged in this public corruption should face justice,” Andrade told The New York Times in a text message on Wednesday. “I don’t know what law enforcement will ultimately choose to do though. I hope their investigation at least allows us to understand what happened more fully.”
Andrade told the Times that the $10 million payment may represent a possible “conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.”
Joshua Hay, chairman of the Hope Florida Foundation, acknowledged last month that “mistakes were made” when talking to the House committee.
“In recent weeks, the public reporting has made evident that mistakes were made. There are lapses in reporting procedures. The foundation was not provided with the staffing support necessary to ensure all matters were being quickly and appropriately handled,” Hay said.
HuffPost reached out to Casey DeSantis, the communications office for Ron DeSantis, Andrade and the state attorney’s office but did not immediately hear back.
