Grand Jury Investigates Desantis Administration Funds

JOINING US. A GRAND JURY REPORT LEAKED TO CBS NEWS. MIAMI IS SHAKING UP FLORIDA'S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE JUST PRIOR TO THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION. CBS NEWS, MIAMI SAYS ACCORDING TO THIS SEALED GRAND JURY REPORT, THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION MISSED APPROPRIATED 10 MILLION DOLLARS OF MEDICAID SETTLEMENT MONEY BUT NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO BRING CRIMINAL CHARGES. CBS MIAMI REPORTS THE TAXPAYER MONEY WAS FUNNELED TO A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE AND THEN USED TO HELP DEFEAT AN AMENDMENT ON THE 2024 BALLOT ABOUT LEGALIZING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IN FLORIDA. JOINING ME NOW TO BREAK DOWN THE REPORT'S FINDINGS. >> AND EXPLORE WHAT THE POLITICAL FALLOUT HAS BEEN IS WGCU HOST AND REPORTER. >> JOHN DAVIS AND JOHN, FIRST OF ALL, CAN YOU GIVE US EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND ON THIS RATHER COMPLICATED SUBJECT AND HELP US FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL, RIGHT? SO THIS ACTUALLY GOES BACK TO 2021 WHEN WE LEARNED ABOUT HEALTH CARE GIANT, 17. >> HAD BEEN OVERBILLING. FLORIDA AND MIKE, MORE THAN 20 OTHER STATES. >> FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOR FLORIDA. THIS WAS THROUGH THE FLORIDA HEALTHY KIDS PROGRAM. MOST OF THESE OTHER STATES QUICKLY WORKED WITH SEN TEAM TO HAMMER OUT A SETTLEMENTS AND GET THAT TAXPAYER MONEY RETURNED. FLORIDA DID NOT DO ANYTHING WITH THIS UNTIL JUST A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE 2024 ELECTION. SO FOR YEARS THEY EVEN IGNORED SEND TEAMS REQUESTS TO TRY TO JUST COME AND GET THEM BEHIND US AND GET THIS SETTLEMENT WORKED OUT. FLORIDA'S SHARE WAS CALCULATED OUT TO BE ABOUT 67 MILLION DOLLARS THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION ALTERED THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND WOUND UP ONLY RETURNING 57 MILLION ABOUT TO FLORIDA TAXPAYERS AND AVERTING THE OTHER 10 MILLION TO THE FLORIDA HOPE CHARITY AND THAT'S THAT A CHARITABLE FOUNDATION THAT HIS WIFE FIRST LADY CASEY DESANTIS, IS THE PUBLIC FACE OF NUMBER. THE REPORT EVEN FOUND THE GRAND JURY REPORT FOUND THAT SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE THE 10 MILLION WAS REQUIRED TO BE TRANSFERRED WITHIN 7 DAYS WHILE THE REST OF THE 57 MILLION DOLLARS THAN TEAM HAD A FULL YEAR TO PAY BACK. PAY THAT BACK TO THE STATE AND THE MONEY WAS ON THE IN THE BANK ACCOUNT OF THE HOPE FOR THE FOUNDATION FOR LESS THAN A MONTH VAN. IT WAS GIVEN IN TO 5 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT TO THESE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. THOSE NONPROFITS COLLECTIVELY TRANSFERRED 8 AND A HALF MILLION TO A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. JAMES UTHMEIER AT THE TIME HE WAS RON DESANTIS IS CHIEF OF STAFF FROM AIR 7 MILLION WENT TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA. 1.2, 3 MILLION WENT TO ANOTHER POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY MEYER CALLED FLORIDA FREEDOM FUND. AND THAT'S WHERE THIS TAXPAYER MONEY WAS USED TO CAMPAIGNED HEAVILY AGAINST THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA BALLOT AMENDMENT THAT WAS GOING TO GO BEFORE VOTERS IN JUST A FEW WEEKS. NOW DURING LAST YEAR'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION, PENSACOLA, REPUBLICAN ALEX AND RODDY. HE CHAIRED THIS STATE HOUSE HEALTH CARE SUBCOMMITTEE. HE BEGAN INVEST BEST A GATING. THE 17 SETTLEMENT BECAUSE HE WAS QUESTIONING WHY THE 10 MILLION DOLLARS WAS DIVERTED AND BASICALLY THE KIND OF ACCUSED OF MIERS AND OTHERS OF POTENTIAL WIRE FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING. HE TURNED HIS FINDINGS OVER TO THE STATE ATTORNEY JEFF. CAMPBELL'S OFFICE. AND THAT'S WHEN THE GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION. BUT CAM AND THE REPORT WAS RELEASED IN JANUARY. SO IT IS KIND OF A COMPLICATED MONEY TRAIL >> AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS. >> NOW, HOW IS THE PUBLIC RELEASE OF THIS SEALED REPORT? HOW DOES THIS COME INTO PLAY WITH REGARDS TO POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING AHEAD OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION? >> WELL, IT'S HAVING A HUGE IMPACT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS NAMED IN THE GRAND JURY REPORT ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING PUBLIC OFFICE. YOU HAVE ATTORNEY GENERAL JAMES UTHMEIER WHO WAS APPOINTED TO THAT ROLE BY THE GOVERNOR. HE'S NOW RUNNING TO KEEP HIS SEAT. LIKEWISE, ASHLEY MOODY, WHO WAS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BEFORE US MEYER AND THEN APPOINTED TO THE SENATE BY GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS. HE'S RUNNING TO KEEP THAT SEAT AND SHE'S FACING DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE ANGIE NIXON AND THE U.S. SENATE RACE AND WELL, THERE WAS ANOTHER PLAYER AND THIS AND THAT MOODY'S CHIEF DEPUTY IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OF THE TIME JOHN GUARD. AND HE HAD BEEN NOMINATED BY TRUMP LAST YEAR TO A FEDERAL JUDGESHIP. BUT THAT WAS HELD UP BY FLORIDA. REPUBLICAN U.S. SENATOR RICK SCOTT OVER THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF THE 10 MILLION DOLLARS GUARD WITHDREW FROM THAT NOMINATION. BUT THEN DESANTIS APPOINTED HIM TO BE A JUDGE ON THE STATE'S SECOND DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL. SO POLITICALLY, THE OPTICS AREN'T GREAT. IT LOOKS LIKE MAJOR PLAYERS IN THIS ALL KIND OF GOT PROMOTIONS. AND NOW AT LEAST 2 OF THEM ARE RUNNING TO KEEP THEIR POSITIONS. >> AND IT'S BEEN ABOUT A WEEK NOW SINCE CBS, MIAMI FIRST BROKE THIS STORY AND RELEASED THE SEALED DOCUMENT. HOW HOW THE REACTION HAS BEEN FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE ON THIS SUBJECT. >> ATTORNEY GENERAL OUT MEYER AND SENATOR MOODY'S, DEMOCRATIC OPPONENTS HOVEY A HOT JOSE JAVIER RODRIGUEZ AND ANGIE NIXON RESPECTIVELY ISSUED A JOINT STATEMENT CALLING FOR THE INVESTIGATION TO BE REOPENED AND CALLING ON MOODY ENOUGH MEYER TO RESIGN. RODRIGUEZ SAID, QUOTE, THIS MAY WELL BE THE MOST BRAZEN ACT OF POLITICAL CORRUPTION WE HAVE SEEN HERE IN FLORIDA. NIXON ALSO CHIMED IN SAYING, QUOTE, THIS IS THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL OF WORKING FAMILIES. NOW NEITHER OF MEYER NORM MOODY HAVE REALLY SUBSTANTIVELY RESPONDED TO ISSUES BROUGHT UP IN THE REPORT. MOODY'S SAYS THIS NARRATIVE IS BEING MISCHARACTERIZED ON THE BASIS OF POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS. SHE SAID SHE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THE MONEY WOULD BE SPENT IN PLAYED NO ROLE AND HOW HOPE FLORIDA SPENT THE MONEY, EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW HER CHIEF DEPUTY OF THE TIME RAISE THOSE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT WITH HER. MY ARE LIKEWISE HAS CALLED THIS A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED WITCH HUNT AND A HOAX. HE'S EVEN THREATEN REPORTERS. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE SITUATION, HE SUGGESTED A REPORTER COULD BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED BECAUSE ASKING HIM ABOUT HIS ACTIVITY AS IT CONCERNS THIS GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION COULD AMOUNT TO SOLICITING HIM TO VIOLATE THE LAW BY DISCUSSING GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS. SO WAS IT THE TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN FLORIDA THREATENING THE PRESS OVER WHERE THIS HOW THIS MONEY WAS. MISAPPROPRIATED AND OTHER RACES. WE SEE THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, DAVID JOLLY SAYING HE'S OPEN TO REOPENING THE INVESTIGATION AND HELPING FIND SOMEONE BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. HIS REPUBLICAN OPPONENT BYRON DONALDS SAYS ENOUGH WITH THE INVESTIGATIONS, BUT HE IS INTERESTED EMBRACING THE GRAND JURY REPORTS. RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED SOME LAWS TO TRY TO PREVENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. AND THEN YOU HAVE U.S. SENATOR RICK SCOTT WHO FROM THE BEGINNING HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT HOW BAD HE THINKS THIS IS EVEN POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BACK IN DECEMBER. QUOTE, MILLIONS IN TAX DOLLARS FOR POOR KIDS HAVE NO BUSINESS FUNDING POLITICAL ADS. SO OUTSIDE THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION EXCLUSIVELY, THIS IS REALLY GETTING CONDEMNATION FROM BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS. MORE TO COME ON THIS SCENE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. JOHN DAVIS.