Hope Florida grand jury begins work as nonprofit leader, state representative appear at courthouse

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A criminal investigation related to millions of dollars steered from a Florida Medicaid settlement to the state-created Hope Florida Foundation entered a new phase on Tuesday, with two key figures appearing to have testified before a grand jury.

State Rep. Alex Andrade, a Republican who led a House investigation this spring into whether Medicaid settlement money was passed through the foundation to a political committee controlled by the governor’s chief of staff, was seen entering the Leon County Courthouse around 12:30 p.m.

Andrade has accused Florida’s attorney general and the charity’s lawyer of using the Medicaid settlement to fund a campaign to defeat an amendment last year to legalize recreational marijuana. Money from Medicaid settlements is highly regulated.

Andrade has said he turned over records from his investigation to the State Attorney’s Office in Leon County. The State Attorney’s Office has not confirmed the existence of a grand jury investigation into the foundation, but two sources familiar with the matter told the Herald/Times last week that a grand jury had issued subpoenas to witnesses.

Andrade said he spent about two hours with the grand jury but said he couldn’t divulge what was asked or what he said.

“I was asked to come share my perspective with the grand jury, and I did so today,” Andrade told the Herald/Times.

Also seen entering the courthouse: Amy Ronshausen, whose St. Petersburg-based anti-drug nonprofit last year received $5 million from the Hope Florida Foundation. The following day, her nonprofit made the first of three donations totaling $4.75 million to the political committee run by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier, who is now Florida’s attorney general.

The Herald/Times witnessed Ronshausen enter the courthouse through a back entrance at about 9 a.m. More than two hours later, she walked away with her attorney, Ken Sukhia. Neither responded to reporters about what they were doing at the courthouse.

“No comment,” said Sukhia.

Amy Ronshausen and her attorney, Ken Sukhia, after leaving the Leon County Courthouse on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Ronshausen wouldn’t answer a reporter’s question about her testimony to the grand jury in the case involving the Hope Florida Foundation. Justin Garcia Tampa Bay Times

Andrade has alleged that Ronshausen’s group, Save Our Society from Drugs, was one of two nonprofits used by the DeSantis administration to illegally move $10 million from the $67 million Medicaid settlement the state negotiated with healthcare contractor Centene. State records show the decision to give funds from the settlement to the Hope Florida Foundation came late in a negotiation that had been dormant for years, just weeks before voters decided whether to pass the recreational-marijuana Amendment 3.

State Attorney Jack Campbell was seen around lunchtime leaving a third-floor courtroom that was being used for grand jury proceedings. With him was one of his top prosecutors, Chief Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman.

“No comments,” Campbell told reporters. “Guys, if I could talk about it, I would.”

Much remains unknown about the investigation launched by Campbell’s office, and no one would discuss what went on behind closed doors Tuesday. But the people who showed up to the courthouse helped cast an outline around the scope of its work.

Ronshausen, for instance, signed a $5 million grant application on behalf of Save Our Society From Drugs with the Hope Florida Foundation shortly after the charity received the $10 million injection from the state’s Medicaid settlement with Centene. It was one of two $5 million grants that appear to have originated from the Medicaid settlement and largely ended up in Uthmeier’s political committee. Uthmeier has since been appointed by DeSantis as attorney general.

The political committee, Keep Florida Clean, was intent on defeating the recreational marijuana amendment. The amendment ultimately failed despite having majority support.

Uthmeier has denied wrongdoing, as has DeSantis, whose administration created the foundation to support the Hope Florida program, which is meant to get Floridians off of government aid.

DeSantis has been running the Hope Florida program under his executive authority. He sought support from the Legislature to enshrine it into law this year, but lawmakers declined after the Herald/Times reported stories about the diversion of the Medicaid settlement money. First lady Casey DeSantis, who has mulled a run to succeed her term-limited husband as Florida’s governor, made it her signature initiative.

Ronshausen became an important witness during Andrade’s probe of the financial transactions this past spring.

In mid-April, Andrade said Ronshausen told him that Uthmeier directed her to apply for the $5 million grant with the understanding that it would be funneled to his political committee.

Ronshausen later said Andrade coerced her into giving him information and misrepresented Uthmeier’s involvement.

“At no time has James Uthmeier directed me or SOS on how to use funds received from an entirely appropriate grant from Hope Florida,” Ronshausen wrote in a late April letter reported on by the Herald/Times.

Andrade denied the accusations.

“She’s obviously frustrated that this information has come to light, but I categorically deny pressuring or threatening her in any way,” Andrade said at the time.

Text messages obtained by the Herald/Times show that Uthmeier asked Ronshausen to call him on Oct. 11, 2024 — weeks after the Medicaid settlement was signed, and weeks before the November election.

Additional text messages show that Hope Florida Foundation attorney Jeff Aaron told Ronshausen to model her grant application after the one from Secure Florida’s Future — a nonprofit connected to the Florida Chamber of Commerce. He then followed up to make sure Ronshausen received the wire transfer from the Hope Florida Foundation.

A text message from Save Our Society from Drugs Executive Director Amy Ronshausen on Oct. 11, 2024 to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ then-chief-of-staff James Uthmeier where they arrange to have a phone call. The message was provided from Rep. Alex Andrade to the Herald/Times on the evening of April 15 after his public hearing on the Foundation where he requested documents related to his inquiry into the Foundation. He said Ronshausen had provided them to him as part of his request. Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola

The messages show Ronshausen received the $5 million on Oct. 22. Her organization made three separate donations on Oct. 23, 24, and 28 to Uthmeier’s Keep Florida Clean committee that totaled $4.75 million.

Ronshausen had been suspended from her position as executive director of Save Our Society From Drugs over the $5 million grant in April, the Herald/Times reported. The organization’s board considered reinstating her in May, according to a letter from board Chairman James Holton, who resigned in protest after conferring with an attorney.

The Herald/Times was unable to confirm whether Ronshausen was reinstated, but her LinkedIn profile and the organization’s website state that she is executive director.

Holton explained in his letter that the board members were unaware their organization received the $5 million grant from the Hope Florida Foundation. He said the board was also unaware that the organization then gave millions to Keep Florida Clean, which camaigned to defeat the recreational marijuana amendment. Holton said he learned about the transactions in news reports.

“In light of this, I continue to believe that this situation begs a thorough investigation and audits by third parties on behalf of” Save Our Society from Drugs, Holton wrote in his resignation letter.

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