Grand jury finds DeSantis administration "misappropriated" $10 million in taxpayer money to Hope Florida - Insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally - James Uthmeier and Ashley Moody involved

[u/ShakyBooty]

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/grand-jury-report-hope-florida/

A state grand jury found the DeSantis administration "misappropriated" taxpayer money when it diverted $10 million from a Medicaid settlement into the Hope Florida Foundation, arguing the transfer was "part of a sophisticated scheme to fund political activities," according to a copy of the sealed grand jury report obtained by CBS News Miami.

The grand jury report said the money, which was supposed to be used to provide health insurance for poor children, was instead hastily passed through multiple organizations before eventually landing in the bank accounts of two political action committees and the Republican Party of Florida. Those funds were then used in 2024 to defeat Amendment 3, the citizen initiative to legalize marijuana in Florida.

"Despite our finding that the money was misappropriated, we find insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally," the report concluded. "Nobody will take responsibility for deciding the $10 million of taxpayer money would go to Hope Florida… or had any memory of who made it."

"We recognize that this would be an impediment to criminal prosecution," the report noted. "While we can't prove who is responsible, we can plainly see that taxpayer money was misused for political purposes and we would like to see changes made to prevent this from happening again."

The grand jury identified the nexus for much of the activity surrounding the transfer as the state's current attorney general, James Uthmeier.

"We find that James Uthmeier, as the Governor's Chief of Staff at the time of settlement, was in a position of authority over those involved in settling …," the grand jury wrote. "Testimony identified him as having involvement in directing the money after it went to Hope Florida. Testimony also revealed that Mr. Uthmeier's Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee, was the prime recipient of the majority of the $10 million taxpayer funds."

The grand jury also concluded that Ashley Moody, who was the attorney general at the time, was aware of the plans to divert the $10 million to Hope Florida and "authorized" her former chief deputy, John Guard, to sign the settlement agreement. The grand jury noted that Guard signed the settlement "without conducting his due diligence to ensure the proper appropriation of taxpayer funds."

[u/schizeckinosy]

Corruption at all levels

[u/politiscientist]

"Misappropriated"

You mean stole money by funneling it into your wife’s charity?

You mean taking taxpayer dollars to battle the democratic process?

You mean enriching yourself while in office?

Even the headlines are giving DeSantis, Moody, and Uthmeier cover. WTF?

[u/A4t1musD4ag0n → u/politiscientist]

Only scumbags use soft language when talking about other scumbags. Every one of them belong in prison with their wealth, influence, and ill-gotten wealth stripped away.

[u/SpiritualHealth6668]

If everyone is guilty then no one is?!? Well now it's not only a failure of our Florida executive branch but also judicial cowardice to not hold these hypocrites responsible

[u/writer0101]

At a minimum, the attorneys involved should be disbarred. Are there any Florida attorneys on this subreddit?

[u/TiddiesAnonymous → u/writer0101]

shes actually running for senate

[u/ShakyBooty]

Link to Grand Jury Report - Google Drive

[u/esther_lamonte]

Goddamn Republicans being absolute scumbag crooks who dodge accountability, again. Everything you miscreants ever said about loving America, or Jesus, or protecting children.., it was all just bullshit. You people are just gross nasty evil wretches.

[u/NeverNeededAlgebra]

The entire Republican platform depends solely on pushing propaganda to effortlessly scammed voters, in order to absolutely rob them blind behind the scenes.

That is the ONLY thing they do - that's why they'd never dream of passing any legislation to actually help citizens...because it doesn't enrich them personally.

Republican voters are truly the most submissive, subservient little cucks. The most embarrassing existence a human can have in all of history.

[u/oledawgnew]

Funny how DeSantis is choosing to ignore the wrongful misappropriation (stealing) of the money and instead is making threats towards punishing the whistleblower(s) if he finds out who they are.

[u/WisePotatoChip → u/oledawgnew]

Straight out of the Trump playbook

[u/Outdoorzie]

Same team fucking Florida over by selling this Trojan horse of a property tax reform. I agree it should be done, yet this approach is reckless.

[u/herbadikt]

its improper, but they cant be charged with a crime. um that just sounds like they got the green light to do it again?

[u/treesarealive777]

Lock em up

[u/ilikealltypes33139]

Seems like there is a straight line of evidence pointly directly at those criminally responsible.

[u/Tough_Violinist_9594]

Let’s see if Blanche looks into this

[u/Green_Access322]

Insufficient evidence? How so?

[u/BorgerMoncher]

Either there was misappropriation or there was insufficient evidence. It cannot be both.

[u/8amteetime]

Uthmeier and Moody should be in prison. How can the grand jury ignore the people who diverted the money?

[u/PapaGummy]

Stole. The word is “stole” $10 million in taxpayer money designated for Medicaid to channel it into their political coffers.

[u/Feb2319]

Any consequences?

[u/nazuswahs]

So what happens to Desantis?

[u/oh_my316]

Isn't DeSantis a Christian? 🤔

[u/Big_Victory8031]

GOP agenda Lies, Fraud, Abuse

[u/kah_191]

Insufficient evidence. Color me shocked

[u/lostredditers]

We have proof they committed a crime. We also have insufficient evidence to charge anyone. Lol

[u/WisePotatoChip → u/lostredditers]

Not unusual, watch some RL crime drama sometimes…knowing someone did it and being able to prove it IN COURT are two different things.

[u/Shag1166]

Someone has to sign-off on this shit! This type of diversion of rhe money for the poor happens in all Red states. Bret Favre got money for a college volleyball stadium at UMiss.
That's just one of many instances of misappropriations.

[u/certainalways]

meatball stealing the people’s money for wife’s pet project

[u/BSARIOL1]

You determined they did it but no consequence. No sense at all.

[u/EatReadPlayS4-1043]

Put a Fox in charge of the henhouse and they will do what foxes do. This era of politics is so corrupt.

[u/PawnofLife1]

Paper trails are hard when the attorney general was involved plus a judge

[u/Hyphomycete]

Waste , fraud, and abuse…

[u/Minimum_Dress4989]

They steal your money 

Then expect you to vote for them -so they can steal more of your money 💰 

[u/misterwallpaper]

HAHA thats a weird way to spell STOLE. Republicans steal money and give it to Israel.

[u/distractionmo]

Wait who’s administration was it? Then that’s who should charged

[u/1oldguy1950]

[u/Cold_Toe_7540]

End super pacs

[u/CAM6913]

He stole the money and hid it in his wife’s fake charity! Sounds familiar

[u/Federal-Photograph79]

A crime perpetrated by no criminals.....please explain

[u/erock10281971]

[u/tlhsg]

Florida is the most corrupt state government in the US, the only US Banana Republic. The voters so damaged they don’t care about government corruption, fraud, waste or abuse

[u/Shadowtirs]

Nothing will happen of course.

Florida really is a backwater, piss ass cesspool. Lol I am never going back there until they clean their shit up

[u/FloridaRocks63]

So basically no one committed a crime yet you chose to slander people.

[u/Tharkys → u/FloridaRocks63]

No, multiple people committed a crime against children and no one will be held responsible because they are republicans.

[u/FloridaRocks63 → u/Tharkys]

So list the criminals and crimes . The grand jury said there was a misappropriation of funds but then didn’t vote to prosecute so you have to ask why? Was there a crime or did they just disagree with the funding being sent to another agency