A charity with ties to Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is being investigated by prosecutors in the state, according to multiple reports.
The details of the Leon County prosecutors’ investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, which was first reported by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times, are not immediately available. However, the news comes months after Republicans in the state House launched a probe into a $10 million payment that the charity received.
The news of the investigation presents a threat to the potential political future of Casey DeSantis, a possible contender in the Florida governor race next year after her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, hits a term limit. If she runs, she would go up against Rep. Byron Donalds, whom President Donald Trump has endorsed, and possibly former Rep. Matt Gaetz, another Trump ally.
In 2021, Casey DeSantis launched Hope Florida, an initiative to connect people in need with private support from nonprofits and churches instead of government assistance. The Hope Florida Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the initiative.
In late 2024, the foundation donated $10 million to two nonprofits, which then gave the money to a political committee backing Ron DeSantis’ agenda. The money came from a state Medicaid settlement and is 10 times more than the foundation made in the previous year, according to an Associated Press timeline detailing the controversy.
