A charity with ties to Florida first girl Casey DeSantis is being investigated by prosecutors within the state, in keeping with a number of studies.
The particulars of the Leon County prosecutors’ investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, which was first reported by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times, will not be instantly accessible. However, the information comes months after Republicans within the state House launched a probe right into a $10 million fee that the charity obtained.
The information of the investigation presents a risk to the potential political way forward for Casey DeSantis, a attainable contender within the Florida governor race subsequent 12 months after her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, hits a time period restrict. If she runs, she would go up towards Rep. Byron Donalds, whom President Donald Trump has endorsed, and probably former Rep. Matt Gaetz, one other Trump ally.
In 2021, Casey DeSantis launched Hope Florida, an initiative to attach individuals in want with non-public help from nonprofits and church buildings as a substitute of presidency help. The Hope Florida Foundation is a nonprofit group that helps the initiative.
In late 2024, the muse donated $10 million to 2 nonprofits, which then gave the cash to a political committee backing Ron DeSantis’ agenda. The cash got here from a state Medicaid settlement and is 10 instances greater than the muse made within the earlier 12 months, in keeping with an Associated Press timeline detailing the controversy.
During a Tuesday information convention, Ron DeSantis defended the muse in response to a query from a Tampa Bay Times reporter.
“Well, I mean, I can tell you, this has been a very successful program,” the governor stated. “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 additionally defended the $10 million fee throughout a information convention final 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 fee sparked considerations concerning the basis’s recordkeeping and transparency.
Republicans within the state House of Representatives created a subcommittee on the matter, which shuttered final month. It was chaired by state Rep. Alex Andrade, a Republican. Andrade reportedly turned over paperwork from the subcommittee’s investigation to the state legal professional’s workplace.
“I believe that crimes were committed, and that the people engaged in this public corruption should face justice,” Andrade instructed The New York Times in a textual content 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 instructed the Times that the $10 million fee could symbolize a attainable “conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.”
Joshua Hay, chairman of the Hope Florida Foundation, acknowledged final month that “mistakes were made” when speaking 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 stated.
HuffPost reached out to Casey DeSantis, the communications workplace for Ron DeSantis, Andrade and the state legal professional’s workplace however didn’t instantly hear again.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/prosecutors-are-investigating-charity-connected-to-florida-first-lady_n_682e37d7e4b0a052877e7e0a