MIAMI — Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a “complete and total victory” for his administration’s signature welfare initiative, Hope Florida, following a landmark a ppellate court ruling that ordered the full expungement of a grand jury report accusing state officials of misallocating settlement funds. Speaking at a press conference in Miami alongside Attorney General James Uthmeier,…
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MIAMI — Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a “complete and total victory” for his administration’s signature welfare initiative, Hope Florida, following a landmark a ppellate court ruling that ordered the full expungement of a grand jury report accusing state officials of misallocating settlement funds.
Speaking at a press conference in Miami alongside Attorney General James Uthmeier, DeSantis blasted legacy news media outlets and political opponents for driving a “partisan hoax” against First Lady Casey DeSantis and state healthcare officials. He pointed to Wednesday’s decision by Florida’s First District Court of Appeal as absolute proof that a 2024 pre-suit settlement with healthcare giant Centene was fully lawful.
The appellate court reversed a prior decision by Leon County Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh—which had only redacted 95% of the report—and ordered the entire document sealed and stricken from public records. Writing for the court, Judge Lance E. Neff concluded that the grand jury committed a “gross misuse” of the judicial process by accusing individuals of wrongdoing without issuing formal criminal indictments, causing irreparable harm through confidential leaks.
“All the narratives crashed and burned with this opinion,” DeSantis said, describing the ruling as “probably the biggest judicial smackdown that I have ever seen in my entire career as an elected official.”
Court orders full expungement Hope Florida report
The controversy centered on a $67 million settlement reached by the Agency for Health Care Administration, or AHCA, with managed care contractor Centene over alleged billing disputes. Under the terms of the agreement, $57 million went directly to the state, while $10 million was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation—a direct-support 501(c)(3) organization tied to the initiative championed by First Lady Casey DeSantis.
Critics and media outlets claimed the $10 million was diverted from Medicaid funds owed to taxpayers. However, the appellate court explicitly rejected that premise, ruling that the $10 million was “never public money” and was paid directly by Centene to the foundation without violating state statute.
The court noted that third-party settlement payments have been standard practice in Florida for decades, citing 107 similar agreements executed by Florida attorneys general between 1996 and 2020.
“As a matter of law, what they are saying is that AHCA entered into a pre-suit settlement and fully complied with the law,” DeSantis said. “There is no misappropriation. That’s a lie. That’s a hoax.”
Smears against first lady debunked
DeSantis directed sharp criticism toward major media outlets, including The New York Times and ABC News, for what he said were inaccurate reports that First Lady Casey DeSantis founded or directed the charity that received the settlement funds.
The governor clarified that Casey DeSantis inspired the overall Hope Florida model—which partners government agencies with private businesses, local churches and non-profits to help Floridians achieve financial independence—but plays no administrative or financial role in the supporting foundation.
“She is not on the board, she is not an officer, she wasn’t involved in the AHCA settlement, and she wasn’t involved in any of the grants,” DeSantis said. “She has never gotten one red cent for anything she’s ever done. These were lies trying to smear somebody who’s done a good job.”
The governor also called out CBS during the press conference, challenging the media outlet to correct the record following the court ruling.
Since its inception, the Hope Florida program has assisted approximately 40,000 residents in reducing or eliminating their reliance on public assistance by connecting them directly with community-based support.
Demands for criminal investigation into leaks
With the appellate court ordering the grand jury report expunged, DeSantis maintained that the only crime committed during the entire probe was the unlawful leak of confidential grand jury proceedings to the media.
Under Florida law, people named in presentments have 15 days to challenge it before it can be made public. According to the court, State Attorney Jack Campbell’s office distributed the presentment via two mass emails to at least 49 recipients on Jan. 28 and 29, while it was still under seal and before that period had expired, leading to widespread coverage by local media outlets.
“To leak a report that is confidential under Florida law is criminal,” DeSantis said, urging law enforcement to hold the source accountable. “Throughout this whole ordeal, the court is very clear: there’s been one crime committed, and it’s the people that leaked the report illegally.”
Uthmeier echoed the governor’s stance, emphasizing that state prosecutors will pursue any proven violations of grand jury secrecy rules.
