The Scandal That Soured Ron & Casey DeSantis' Reputations Forever

There was a time in 2023 when Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis was considered a potential presidential candidate. Since that dream was dashed and Ron endorsed Donald Trump in early 2024, Ron's wife, Casey DeSantis, has reportedly toyed with the idea of running for governor after her husband's term comes to an end in 2026. But while Ron is still governor, his political star has definitely dimmed, with him unable to keep Florida Republicans in line with his vision for the state. And Casey's light may never get a chance to really shine, due in large part to some purportedly shady dealings that have triggered a criminal investigation — Casey's organization, Hope Florida, made some questionable payments that helped further Ron's political agenda.

The ins and outs of what happened get a little bit convoluted, but Casey DeSantis started Hope Florida in 2021. The organization is a welfare assistance program, which we're all for, but in 2024, Hope Florida made some million-dollar grant payments that were then largely paid to a political action committee that was tied to Ron.

Hope Florida Foundation, the fundraising division of Hope Florida, received $10 million in connection to a multimillion-dollar settlement paid out by Centene in September 2024. Centene is a for-profit healthcare company that helps manage Medicaid in Florida. Hope Florida Foundation then paid $5 million each to Secure Florida's Future and Save Our Society from Drugs as grant money — both organizations were advocating against making recreational cannabis legal in Florida, which was on the ballot in 2024. Ron, notably, opposed the bill.

Both Save Our Society from Drugs and Secure Florida's Future sent nearly all of the $5 million they each received to Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee run by James Uthmeier, Ron's chief of staff in 2024 and now Florida's attorney general. Both Casey and Ron DeSantis have denied any wrongdoing, as has Uthmeier.

However, there are some who feel that money given to Hope Florida was supposed to help Floridians in need, not be used to help stop a bill about recreational cannabis that Ron didn't want to pass. People, including Republicans, weren't happy with how the funds were used. Florida House Republican Alex Andrade has been particularly vocal about what happened, referring to it as "theft" and "fraud," via WEAR News. Andrade helped lead a Florida House investigation into the matter, which ended in April 2025. A criminal investigation opened in May 2025, and a grand jury heard evidence over the incident in October 2025.

Hope Florida Foundation leader Joshua Hay testified before the Florida legislature about what happened, saying, "I cannot confirm what the funds were used for. We have no monitoring procedures. We have no staff," according to WUSF.  For his part, Ron has claimed that the investigations weren't warranted. "Some of these people, you know, view it as a way to attack the first lady," Ron said, and he noted that some saw Casey "as a threat," according to the Tampa Bay Times. Despite his denials, however, the scandal seems inextricably linked to the DeSantises, and we could see it having a long-term impact on both of their political futures. If nothing else, it could just provide fuel for more brutal nicknames for Casey.