Florida grand jury says $10 million Medicaid settlement was misappropriated, but files no charges
A Leon County grand jury says $10 million from a Florida Medicaid-related settlement was misappropriated and routed through nonprofits to political organizations, but it filed no criminal charges because the evidence did not establish who made the original decision to send the money to the Hope Florida Foundation.
The report was filed under seal on January 28, 2026. CBS News Miami reported on a leaked copy on August 26, and additional Florida reporting and political reaction followed on August 27.
What the grand jury investigated
The investigation centered on a settlement between Florida and Centene Corp. involving claims of overbilling connected to Medicaid reimbursements. Centene initially offered $67,048,611. The final arrangement sent $57,048,611 to the state and directed $10 million to Hope Florida.
The grand jury found that the $10 million was reimbursement connected to Medicaid overpayments and therefore taxpayer money, rather than simply an unrestricted private charitable contribution. The report said the state ultimately recovered $56,248,611 from Centene, leaving $800,000 of the proposed Medicaid reimbursement unrecovered.
The report also rejected AHCA Secretary Jason Weida’s characterization of the $10 million as a “bonus,” saying that explanation conflicted with the settlement documents and the state’s treatment of the money.
How the money moved
According to the grand jury report, Centene sent the $10 million to Hope Florida on October 4, 2024. Within weeks, Hope Florida split the money into two $5 million grants.
Secure Florida’s Future received $5 million. The grand jury’s forensic accountant documented $3.75 million in transfers from that organization to Keep Florida Clean between October 17 and October 29, 2024. The report said investigators did not obtain all of Secure Florida’s bank records because Bank of America did not respond to subpoenas.
Save Our Society from Drugs also received $5 million. Within a week, it transferred $4.75 million to Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee chaired by James Uthmeier.
Keep Florida Clean sent $7 million to the Republican Party of Florida in October 2024. The party sent $2 million back during the same two-week period, producing a net transfer of $5 million. Before Keep Florida Clean was disbanded in February 2025, its remaining funds were transferred to the Florida Freedom Fund, another PAC chaired by Uthmeier. The report lists that transfer as $1,231,433.51.
What the report says about political use
The grand jury said the money was moved through the organizations so it could support opposition to Amendment 3, the 2024 ballot initiative that would have legalized recreational marijuana for adults in Florida.
Amendment 3 received more than 50% of the vote but failed because Florida constitutional amendments require at least 60% approval. The grand jury said the timing, the rapid movement of the money and the payments to political entities showed that taxpayer funds were used for political purposes.
Those are findings in a grand jury report, not court rulings or criminal convictions. The grand jury expressly declined to charge anyone.
Officials identified in the report
The report identified concerns involving several current and former officials and employees, including Uthmeier, former Attorney General Ashley Moody, former Chief Deputy Attorney General John Guard, Weida, former Florida Department of Health Chief of Staff Cassandra Pasley and former Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Strickland.
The grand jury said Uthmeier, who was the governor’s chief of staff when the settlement was completed, was in a position of authority over people involved in the transaction. It also said testimony identified him as involved in directing money after it reached Hope Florida. No witness identified who directed the original transfer to Hope Florida.
The report criticized Guard for signing the settlement despite reservations about the $10 million arrangement and without ensuring that the money had been properly appropriated. It similarly found that Pasley signed without conducting what the grand jury considered sufficient due diligence about the appropriation of taxpayer funds.
The grand jury questioned Weida’s explanation of the payment and found Strickland’s testimony not credible. Strickland testified that directing part of the settlement to Hope Florida was Weida’s idea, while saying she did not know why the decision was made or how much was involved.
Moody was attorney general when the settlement was signed. Guard testified that, after consulting with Moody, she authorized him to sign the final agreement. Moody has said her office did not know how Hope Florida would spend the money. Ron DeSantis was not called to testify, and the report did not charge him or find him criminally liable.
Why there were no criminal charges
The grand jury said the evidence showed the $10 million was misappropriated, but it could not identify a person who could be held criminally responsible for the initial diversion.
The report said witnesses either denied responsibility for deciding that the money should go to Hope Florida or could not remember who made that decision. It described that missing link as an impediment to criminal prosecution.
DeSantis said no laws were broken and criticized the leak of the sealed report. Uthmeier called the renewed scrutiny politically motivated and said he had not been indicted or involved in criminal activity. Moody has defended her lack of knowledge about the foundation’s later spending. Those statements are responses to the report and do not resolve the grand jury’s findings.
What happens next
The grand jury recommended that the Legislature require money received by the state from any source to be deposited into the General Revenue Fund, with consequences for violations.
It also recommended clearer rules for direct-support organizations such as Hope Florida, including requirements to track and monitor taxpayer funds and penalties for misuse.
A separate draft audit approved by the Hope Florida Foundation in March examined the accuracy of the foundation’s financial numbers. The audit did not address the legal or ethical questions surrounding the $10 million transfer and still required finalization, according to WUSF reporting.
The report’s public release remains contested because the copy obtained by reporters was leaked from a document filed under seal. No criminal case, conviction, penalty or automatic repayment resulted from the grand jury report itself.
For Florida residents, the central issue is how money tied to Medicaid overpayment reimbursement was handled outside the normal legislative appropriation process. Any immediate changes would require legislative action, additional civil or administrative proceedings, or further court review.
Sources
- Leon County grand jury report on Hope Florida
- CBS Miami: Grand jury finds DeSantis administration misappropriated $10 million to Hope Florida
- Associated Press: Florida grand jury finds DeSantis' office misused $10 million, but no charges
- WUSF: Hope Florida Foundation approves draft audit
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