Ron DeSantis' Wife Under Scrutiny Over Undisclosed $10 Million State Settlement That Went To Her Foundation

Florida's First Lady Casey DeSantis' Hope Florida charity received $10 million in state settlement money from the administration of her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, last year, and the money was not publicly disclosed at the time, a new investigation revealed.

The unusual injection of cash was part of an undisclosed settlement agreement involving Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration. The program, led by the first lady, aims to connect eligible residents in need with resources in the community.

According to minutes from an October 14 Hope Florida Foundation board meeting obtained by the Tampa Bay Times, The Miami Herald and Politico, the $10 million contribution followed the resolution of a "longstanding dispute" involving AHCA. The details of the dispute— or who it was with— remain unclear.

Hope Florida had already partnered with the Florida Department of Children and Families, providing agency staffers to help take calls from eligible residents. Hope Florida is the flagship initiative of Casey Desantis, rumored to be considering a run for governor next year.

AHCA Deputy Chief of Staff Mallory McManus said the money was part of a pre-lawsuit settlement that ended in the agency's favor. McManus added that no public or legislative notice was required because there was no civil action and the settlement did not involve the expenditure of state funds.

"There was no civil action and this settlement did not require the expenditure of state funds, so no notice was required," McManus said in an email to Politico. "This was a pre-suit settlement in AHCA's favor that was directed, in part, to the direct support organization which serves a population of individuals traditionally served by AHCA."

Under Florida law, money from certain settlement agreements must be deposited into a state trust fund or the general revenue fund, where lawmakers can decide how to spend it, according to Miami Herald. But it is not clear whether the law applies because the state is refusing to release the settlement's details, including the circumstances or parties involved.

The $10 million infusion could be the latest question to arise about the foundation, which was established two years ago to raise money to assist Hope Florida.

Bookkeeping questions were also raised last week in a state House bill analysis— prompting governor DeSantis to fight back and accuse the chamber of operating a smear campaign against the first lady's program, which he said has already helped more than 30,000 people. Under the contract used by AHCA to govern much of its Medicaid managed care program, Hope Florida is guaranteed to receive referrals.

Reporters for the Herald/Times visited Hope Florida Foundation's headquarters Friday to review the records it filed with the IRS. As a registered nonprofit, the IRS requires the foundation's documents be made available immediately if someone requests them in person. But an employee told the reporters their request "will be returned in the order it was received" and told them they could leave.

The foundation has never publicly disclosed its donors or the names of the churches and nonprofits receiving its funds. It has also not responded to journalists' records requests.

Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, whose committee oversees the AHCA's budget, said he didn't "want to jump to any conclusions" about the $10 million donation but that he did want more information.

"I'm still unclear about Hope Florida's mission and purpose," Andrade told the Herald/Times. "Without details and transparency, I can't say if this transfer was done for a proper purpose or not."

Originally published on Latin Times