A Florida appeals court panel has ordered the full expungement of a grand jury report that alleged Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer funds by redirecting the money to a charity linked to the governor’s wife. The unanimous ruling, issued Wednesday by the state’s First District Court of Appeal, determined that the grand jury exceeded its authority by accusing individuals of a “sophisticated scheme” without issuing any indictments.
The grand jury, convened last year in Leon County, examined financial activities involving Hope Florida, a charity founded by First Lady Casey DeSantis in 2021 with the aim of assisting families on public assistance by connecting them with churches and aid organizations. The investigation centered on a $10 million donation received by the Hope Florida Foundation, the charity’s fundraising arm, from Centene, a healthcare company under state scrutiny for Medicaid overbilling. Centene also paid $7 million to Florida as part of a settlement. The funds were transferred shortly thereafter to political committees supporting a campaign led by DeSantis opposing a marijuana legalization ballot measure.
Judge Lance E. Neff, who wrote the appeals court opinion, described the grand jury report as “careless in its grammar, mistaken in its law, and unfaithful to its own record.” Neff, appointed by DeSantis earlier this year, emphasized that grand juries do not possess unlimited power and must either indict or exonerate when finding potential legal violations. The report, finalized in January but never officially released, had named several state officials and suggested criminal misconduct; however, it acknowledged that no crime could be proven due to witnesses’ lack of recollection regarding the direction of the funds.
The ruling also criticized Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell’s office for distributing the confidential report to at least 49 recipients, a breach of statutory confidentiality. Campbell declined to comment on the decision. Prior to the appeals court ruling, a Leon County judge ordered significant redactions after advocacy groups sought public access to the report, but Campbell withdrew an appeal against a later unauthorized publication of the full document by a local news outlet in August.
Alex Lanfranconi, a spokesman for DeSantis, declared the ruling a “complete and total vindication.” Meanwhile, Michael Barfield, executive director of the Florida Center for Government Accountability, described the appellate process as biased, arguing that grand juries have historically issued critical reports of public officials without necessarily charging crimes. The watchdog group is considering further legal action on the matter.
The controversy surrounding Hope Florida persists, with Monique H. Worrell, the state attorney for the Orlando area, reportedly investigating the case. DeSantis suspended Worrell, a Democrat, in 2023 citing alleged incompetence, though she was subsequently re-elected by voters.
DeSantis is set to leave office in January due to term limits, but questions arising from this financial controversy continue to draw political attention in Florida.