Florida Republican legislators investigate the way $ 10 million in state money have been diverted for use in a political campaign with the wife of Governor Ron Desantis.
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Miami – Florida Republican Ron Desantis is on the defensive On questions about how $ 10 million in state money were used to finance a political campaign.
In two terms of governor, Desantis benefited from strong support from the legislature under republican control. But now, the Republicans of the House of Representatives of the State claim that the alleged funds may justify a criminal investigation.
The allegations relate to $ 10 million paid to Florida by Centene, a company that provides care managed to the beneficiaries of Medicaid. The money was part of a regulation of $ 67 million per company after being accused of training taxpayers too much for drugs. Ten million dollars of the regulation were paid directly to a non -profit group, Hope Florida. It is a charitable organization founded by the wife of Governor Desantis, Casey, to help people get government assistance in community programs.
A survey carried out by state legislators revealed that after having received it, Hope Florida transferred the $ 10 million to two “dark” political groups – groups that are not required to disclose their donors. The two groups then sent some $ 8.5 million to a political committee which campaigned against an amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. He was a group controlled by the personnel manager of Desantis, now the prosecutor general of Florida James Uthmeier.
Republican legislators, including representative Alex Andrade, say they believe that the transaction was illegal.
During a hearing of the health care subcommittee in the Florida House of Representatives, Andrade said: “There is no doubt that these were Medicaid funds, led by the Governor’s chief of staff through secret and clandestine actions to his own political committee.”
Florida House’s investigation has not targeted DESANTIS directly. But the political campaign to defeat the Marijuana initiative – which managed to scuttle the amendment – was led by Desantis. Since these allegations, Desantis has denied any reprehensible act by his administration. He retaliated in a series of press conferences where he attacked the media and republican legislators.
“All that the management of the room is doing is manufactured fraud,” said Desantis during a recent appearance in Fort Myers. “It’s a hoax. They try to dirty one of the country’s most successful programs.”
Among the many questions, the legislators are angry, is that the administration of DESANTIS did not inform Florida’s legislature on the regulation of $ 67 million or out of the $ 10 million which went directly to a charitable organization supervised by the wife of Desantis. The survey is the most visible indication of an increasing flaw between Desantis and the Republican leaders of the Legislative Assembly. The president of the State House, Daniel Perez, recently responded to the governor’s attack, calling him “a crisis of anger”, saying that “the house will not be the victim of intimidation”.
The other head of the State at the center of these allegations is the prosecutor general of Florida, James Uthmeier.
According to the investigation of the Chamber, Uthmeier was the person who had initiated the plan to divert part of the money from the regulations towards groups campaigning against the referendum on marijuana. At the time, he was the chief of staff of Desantis. In February, months after these events occurred, Desantis appointed the Attorney General of Uthmeier to replace Ashley Moody. Desantis named Moody in the American Senate To fill the term of Marco Rubio after Rubio was Appointed Secretary of State by President Trump.
Uthmeier denies allegations that he was the brain behind the agreement. “I was not involved in the settlement negotiations related to the contribution of hope in Florida,” he said. “Looking, everything seems legal.”
Casey Desantis, the wife of Florida. Governor Ron Desantis founded a non -profit charity in 2021 to help people go from government aid to community programs. The charitable organization, Hope Florida, received $ 10 million thanks to a state settlement with the largest Medicaid entrepreneur in Florida.
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Uthmeier says that the $ 10 million that went to the “Dark Money” groups was not Midicaid money. He called it a “sweetener” – the money added by Centene in addition to the largest colony in Medicaid. The Andrade representative says that it is a legalist argument and that he does not buy it. “Ten million dollars is a lot of money,” he said. “In the real world, if someone frauded the state or a charitable organization of ten million dollars, he would go to prison.”
Andrade says he has concluded his investigation and it is up to federal prosecutors to decide to continue criminal charges. He said he spoke to the Ministry of Justice. The American lawyer for the North District of Florida refused to comment.
Even if there are no criminal charges, a person marked by this investigation is Casey Desantis. She made appearances in the state with her husband and seems to prepare her own attempt to stand in the United States. President Trump has already approved a candidate in the race, the member of the Republican Congress byron Donalds.