Calls for Disclosure of Grand Jury Report on Hope Florida in Escambia County

NewsWK — Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried is urging Attorney General Ashley Moody to release a grand jury report concerning the $10 million in taxpayer funds allocated to the Hope Florida Foundation in 2024. This initiative, launched by First Lady Casey DeSantis in 2021, aims to provide community-based welfare assistance across the state.

The funds in question were part of a legal settlement that was subsequently redirected to political committees, including one associated with Governor Ron DeSantis‘s former chief of staff, James Uthmeier. This money was used to oppose a 2024 ballot measure that sought to legalize recreational marijuana. The situation triggered an investigation by the Florida House of Representatives in 2025, followed by a grand jury inquiry led by State Attorney Jack Campbell in Tallahassee.

While no charges resulted from this investigation, state law mandates that the grand jury report be released within 15 days unless an individual involved requests redactions. Moody had sanctioned the transfer of the funds to Hope Florida as part of a larger $67 million agreement with Centene Health Plan, a managed care provider contracted to deliver health services to vulnerable populations.

State Representative Alex Andrade, a Republican from Pensacola, emphasized his respect for Moody but noted that her office was a signatory to the settlement that allowed the funds’ diversion. Andrade pointed out that inquiries regarding the situation could primarily be answered by Moody herself.

As Moody campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat this November, her involvement in the Hope Florida controversy has drawn criticism from her opponents, Alex Vindman and Angie Nixon. During a recent press conference, Fried stated, “Floridians deserve answers. What did Ashley Moody know? When did she know it?” She called for transparency, asserting that the public has a right to understand the findings of the grand jury report.

Uthmeier has declined to comment on whether he has sought a court order to keep the report confidential, claiming that he cannot confirm or deny its existence. He has previously characterized the situation as a politically motivated distraction, suggesting that it only concerns the “liberal media.” Fried has labeled the lack of public access to the grand jury findings as a “travesty,” emphasizing the importance of transparency in government dealings.