TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The House lawmakers’ investigation into the actions of Governor Ron DeSantis’ Hope Florida Foundation has come to an end without key testimonies being heard. The probe, led by Rep. Alex Andrade, was sparked by concerns over the movement of $10 million from a Medicaid overbilling settlement to the foundation, with $5 million later being distributed to two other nonprofits.
Andrade, a Republican from Pensacola, expressed his belief that criminal acts had been committed by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and the charity’s lawyer, Jeff Aaron, in the transfer of funds. The money ultimately made its way to a political committee controlled by Uthmeier, aiming to defeat Amendment 3, a ballot initiative related to the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Despite the allegations of money laundering and wire fraud, Andrade stated that the legislative committee would not be pursuing charges against Uthmeier and Aaron. The decision to conclude the investigation was made as the legislative session was scheduled to end the following week.
The source of the $10 million was a legal settlement obtained from the state Medicaid contractor Centene for overbilling for prescription drugs. State officials directed the funds to the Hope Florida Foundation, which then dispersed the money to the two nonprofits. Subsequent actions led to the formation of a long chain that ended with the money flowing into Uthmeier’s political committee.
Attempts to gather testimonies from key figures involved in the process, such as Mark Wilson of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Amy Ronshausen of Save Our Society from Drugs, were unsuccessful as they backed out at the last minute citing legal or confidentiality concerns.
Andrade’s efforts to shed light on the situation have faced opposition, with threats of legal action and comments from the implicated parties questioning the validity of the accusations. Despite the challenges faced in acquiring testimony, Andrade remains committed to his duty to fight corruption and seek justice in the matter.