Prosecutors in Florida have opened a criminal investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit tied to First Lady Casey DeSantis, following legislative findings that raised allegations of potential money laundering and misuse of Medicaid settlement funds.

The probe, first reported Tuesday by the Tampa Bay Times, was confirmed by the office of Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jack Campbell in response to public records requests.

The investigation is reportedly centered on a $10 million payment from Centene Corporation, a Medicaid managed care provider, to the Hope Florida Foundation. The donation was part of a larger $67 million settlement resolving allegations that Centene over-billed Florida’s Medicaid program for prescription drugs. Unlike the 20 other states that also settled with Centene, only Florida directed part of the proceeds to a charity, according to testimony from Rep. Alex Andrade, who chaired the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee’s inquiry into the matter.

The House panel formally concluded its investigation on April 24 and Andrade announced the end of the committee’s examination, saying further action would fall to prosecutors, not lawmakers.

Andrade alleged that the $10 million wire transfer to the Hope Florida Foundation occurred on Oct. 11, 2024, without the knowledge of the foundation’s board. He claimed the funds were later funneled to two nonprofits, Secure Florida’s Future and Save Our Society from Drugs, which then directed a combined $8.5 million to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee chaired by Attorney General James Uthmeier, according to The Center Square. That committee opposed Amendment 3, a 2024 ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida.

The governor’s office has rejected assertions that the funds were misused. In a statement earlier this year, it said the $10 million donation was negotiated separately as part of the Centene agreement and was not taxpayer money, The Center Square reported.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has dismissed the investigation as politically motivated.

“I believe in this program deeply, and I stand by it 100 percent,” he said Tuesday, according to the Tampa Bay Times.