Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly said Thursday that he would reopen an investigation into the handling of $10 million in Medicaid settlement funds connected to the Hope Florida Foundation if elected governor, while calling on Republican nominee Byron Donalds to make the same commitment.
Jolly’s announcement follows the release of a grand jury report that found the money was “misappropriated” and described its movement as part of a “sophisticated scheme to fund political activities.” The grand jury did not recommend criminal charges.
According to the report, $10 million from a settlement involving Medicaid-related claims was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation before ultimately reaching political committees. Jolly characterized the transactions as money laundering and accused senior officials in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration of using public funds for political purposes. The grand jury, however, stopped short of recommending criminal charges against Uthmeier, Moody or other officials involved in the matter.
“As Governor, I intend to reopen an investigation into the laundering of state Medicaid funds,” Jolly said. “And I challenge Byron Donalds to do the same.”
The grand jury specifically examined the role of James Uthmeier, who was DeSantis’ chief of staff at the time and now serves as Florida attorney general. The panel said Uthmeier was in a position of authority over officials involved in the settlement and that testimony identified him as having involvement in directing the money after it reached Hope Florida.
The report also found that Keep Florida Clean, a political committee associated with Uthmeier, received most of the $10 million before distributing money to the Republican Party of Florida and the Florida Freedom Fund, another political committee Uthmeier chaired.
The grand jury also examined the role of Ashley Moody, who was Florida attorney general at the time and is now a U.S. senator. According to the report, Moody authorized her deputy to sign the settlement agreement directing the funds to the Hope Florida Foundation despite concerns raised about the unusual structure of the transaction and its potential political implications.
Jolly’s announcement came as Florida Senate Democrats unanimously called for Uthmeier and Moody to resign.
The 12-member Senate Democratic Caucus said the grand jury findings showed that the two officials had violated the public trust, describing the conduct as politically motivated and calling for immediate accountability.
“We don’t need criminal charges to know something is wrong and to demand accountability,” the caucus said in a joint statement.
