The Hope Florida Foundation investigation is just the tip of the iceberg of DeSantis’ alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars.
A damning new investigation has uncovered how Gov. Ron DeSantis orchestrated an unprecedented misuse of taxpayer funds, spending up to $40 million in public money to campaign against two citizen-led ballot amendments that most Floridians actually supported.
Background: In fall 2024, Florida voters faced two crucial ballot measures: Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana, and Amendment 4, which would have protected abortion rights by overturning the state’s abortion ban. Both measures earned impressive majority support from voters—56 percent for marijuana legalization and 57 percent for abortion rights—but fell just short of the 60 percent supermajority required to amend Florida’s constitution.
What many Floridians didn’t realize was that their own tax dollars were being weaponized against their democratic choices.
Hidden Consultants and Bent Rules
According to hundreds of pages of documents obtained through public records requests by investigative journalist Jason Garcia of “Seeking Rents,” the DeSantis administration employed a playbook of questionable tactics to flood the airwaves with misleading “public service announcements” attacking both amendments.
The investigation reveals that DeSantis hired campaign strategists through hidden subcontracts, rushed payments under false pretenses, and raided state reserves—all while blurring the lines between legitimate public governing and partisan political campaigning. Five state agencies were enlisted in this effort: the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of Children & Families, the Department of Education, the Department of Health, and the Department of Transportation.
Even more troubling, several vendors were simultaneously working on both the taxpayer-funded government campaign and private political campaigns against the amendments—a clear conflict of interest that raises serious ethical questions.
The Mounting Costs
Beyond the staggering $35-40 million advertising budget, DeSantis’ administration also spent at least $370,000 in legal fees related to the campaign. This included not just defending the state-sponsored ads, but threatening television stations to remove commercials from groups supporting the abortion rights measure. One law firm billed Florida taxpayers $750 per hour for these services.
- The taxpayer-funded campaign was also supplemented by millions in private donations from special interests who received favorable treatment from the governor, including hemp industry executives and tobacco giant Philip Morris International, which secured a lucrative tax break after donating $500,000.
Hope Florida Foundation Reminder: The scandal has already spawned a criminal investigation. A grand jury is examining the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis, which allegedly funneled $10 million from a legal settlement into dark-money groups fighting the marijuana amendment.
Still More to Uncover
Perhaps most concerning is what we still don’t know. Nearly a year after the election, the Governor’s Office continues to withhold key records. Three state agencies have yet to fully comply with public records requests, and the paper trail remains frustratingly incomplete.
For a governor who once positioned himself as a rising star on the national stage, this investigation reveals a desperate politician willing to abuse government resources to salvage his political future—all at taxpayers’ expense.
For the complete investigation, including detailed documentation and ongoing updates, visit Jason Garcia’s “Seeking Rents” newsletter at seekingrents.substack.com.
This week’s Outtakes column focuses on how badly DeSantis has run the state government. From a spectacularly mismanaged $4.3 billion state voucher program that can’t track where taxpayer money is going, to 2,300 state-owned vehicles worth $57 million that simply vanished from records, the pattern of incompetence is staggering.State auditors, federal investigators, and lawmakers have uncovered a cascade of mismanagement scandals: over $6 billion in emergency contracts hidden from public view in violation of state transparency laws, a reconstituted State Guard plagued by accountability issues, and multiple state agencies failing basic oversight responsibilities.
Outtakes—Lacking Business Sense
Republicans often favor candidates with strong business backgrounds. Rick Scott’s business experience was key to his success in winning the Florida governor’s office.
When Republicans championed Scott’s business experience in 2010, they recognized that running a state requires the same discipline, accountability and attention to detail that successful businesses demand.
Unfortunately, his successor, Ron DeSantis, is a career politician with no business acumen. Florida’s experience under DeSantis shows that political savvy alone can’t replace real management ability.
Read more.
