Grand Jury Says Hope Florida Money Was Misappropriated
A Leon County grand jury found the DeSantis administration “misappropriated” $10 million from a $67 million 2024 Centene Medicaid settlement by sending it to the Hope Florida Foundation, then on to political committees, the Associated Press reported. The jury recommended no criminal charges, saying it could not prove who ordered the transfers.
CBS Miami published the sealed January report. The charity, started in 2021 by first lady Casey DeSantis, is meant to connect struggling families with churches and aid groups. The grand jury said the $10 million instead reached PACs that opposed the 2024 adult-use marijuana amendment, which fell short of 60 percent.
The report said James Uthmeier, then the governor’s chief of staff and now attorney general, “was in a position of authority over those involved in settling” and that his Keep Florida Clean PAC was the prime recipient. It said then-Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office knew of plans to divert the money. Moody is now a U.S. senator.
On Thursday all 12 Senate Democrats called for Uthmeier and Moody to resign. David Jolly, the Democratic nominee for governor, asked that the probe be reopened. Republican Sen. Don Gaetz said he was “deeply disturbed” and wanted a bipartisan fix, WLRN reported.
Gov. Ron DeSantis did not dispute the report’s authenticity and said the leak was the only apparent crime. Uthmeier called the renewed interest a “politically motivated hoax.” Moody said her office was one of several agencies that signed the settlement and “had no knowledge of how funds would be spent” by Hope Florida.
Tampa Council Approves Rays Stadium Share, 4-3
Tampa City Council voted 4–3 Thursday at about 6 p.m. to approve the city’s $80 million share of the $2.3 billion Rays ballpark and entertainment district at Hillsborough College on Dale Mabry Highway, Bay News 9 reported. Yes: Chair Alan Clendenin, Bill Carlson, Luis Viera, Naya Young. No: Charlie Miranda, Guido Maniscalco, Lynn Hurtak.
Carlson had been a public no on the old structure and said he now backs the rewritten terms. Mayor Jane Castor thanked the council. The Rays called the vote “incredible news” and pointed to Friday’s county meeting. The city’s $80 million is four $20 million installments for district infrastructure, repaid from tax-increment growth. Carlson: “There are no new taxes.”
Hillsborough’s share is capped at $796 million. Combined public money is capped at $876 million; the team is to cover more than $1.3 billion and all overruns, WUSF said.
The Hillsborough County Commission holds a special meeting Friday. Approval there would let the club move toward bond validation and temporary classrooms at the college.
Public comment ran more than two hours and was split, Bay News 9 said.
St. Petersburg Refers Flock Camera Contract to Committee
St. Petersburg City Council on Thursday unanimously referred the city’s Flock Safety license-plate-reader contract to the Public Services and Infrastructure Committee after Vice Chair Richie Floyd asked for a public look, Florida Politics reported. About 54 cameras are operating. The five-year contract is $730,250.
The city started a 25-camera police pilot in 2022 without an elected vote, then passed the five-year deal on the January 2024 consent agenda with no debate, the site said. Floyd wants the committee to review who can search the data, how long it is kept, and how it is shared.
Police have defended the cameras as a tool for stolen cars and suspect vehicles. Thursday is a referral, not a kill vote. The committee debate comes later.
Thursday’s action is a committee referral. It is not Wednesday’s DeSantis comments and not Walton County’s 5–0 removal of county-road cameras.
Florida Skips Multi-State Meta Deal and Will Go to Trial
Attorney General James Uthmeier said Florida will not join a multi-state settlement with Meta over claims that Facebook and Instagram features addicted teenagers. ClickOrlando put the deal at $17 billion with 47 states. FOX 35 called it nearly $18 billion.
On X, Uthmeier called the payouts “peanuts” next to harm to kids and “a slap on the wrist for a trillion-dollar corp that’ll pay more to lawyers than to the states.” He added, “We’ll see them at trial.”
FOX 35 said Meta agreed to a two-hour daily time limit for teens (parents can turn it off), a midnight-to-6 a.m. block, muted school-hour notifications, hidden likes, and stronger parental controls.
ClickOrlando said the money would be paid over 10 years, and that Meta plans to withhold about $5.3 billion unless YouTube and TikTok adopt similar safety features. The company urged those platforms to join the standard.
A second Uthmeier post, quoting Meta’s own release, said corporations will never learn if they do not incur real costs for breaking the law, FOX 35 reported. The federal case grew from a bipartisan attorneys-general investigation that included Florida. |
