Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly shamed the Florida House on Monday for its "terrible leadership" in probing First Lady Casey DeSantis's charity, which gave millions to groups that helped defeat a pro-marijuana ballot measure.
DeSantis's comments came at a Kissimmee press conference, where he blasted House Republicans for joining "liberal media" in their "smears" of him and the First Lady—this time over her non-profit, Hope Florida.
This is the sixth press conference in the past two weeks where the governor has ripped the blood-red lower chamber for its perceived transgressions in splitting from DeSantis's priorities, which has become more commonplace under Speaker Danny Perez's leadership.
"Shame on you in the Florida House, and your terrible behavior and leadership," DeSantis said, marking the most direct attack against the state House so far. He continued, claiming none of the lawmakers would have gotten elected if voters knew they were planning to "smear" the DeSantises.
"They would have lost their primaries," he added.
In the past few weeks, DeSantis has taken to social media and visited various statewide locations to lambast the House. He's accused them of being "obstructionists" to the Republican agenda, pointing out that they have not addressed some of his priority legislation while instead spending time overriding his vetoes from last year.
This is the first session since DeSantis took office that Republican lawmakers have openly rebelled against him.
What's Hope Florida, and Why is it in the News?
Hope Florida is a non-profit initiative founded by Casey DeSantis to help Floridians get off government assistance by connecting them with community resources. The DeSantises say it has helped 30,000 Floridians and saved the state $100 million.
But last week, The Tampa Bay Times reported that it had not filed any of its tax information, despite existing since 2023. This followed House staffers noting the organization's tax issues in a state bill designed to cement Hope Florida's status in the government.
Soon after, the Times reported that the state's Agency for Health Care Administration diverted $10 million of a $67 million settlement to the state to Hope Florida in September, prompting a House panel to call AHCA Secretary Shevaun Harris to the capital and question her on the payment's legality.
State law requires settlements to the state to be deposited into a trust fund or general fund where lawmakers can oversee them.
Harris and DeSantis insisted all was above board, arguing that because the money from the out-of-court settlement never entered state accounts, the statute may not apply.
On Friday, the Times reported that Hope Florida in October donated $5 million each to two non-profits. Less than a week later, those groups donated nearly $9 million total to a political committee created to defeat Amendment 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana.
It was chaired by DeSantis's then-Chief of Staff James Uthmeier, now the Attorney General.
“If some of those organizations were already active in the fight to oppose a dangerous constitutional amendment… there's…not a problem with that," Uthmeier said at an Orlando press conference Monday morning.
