Gov. Ron DeSantis held a media event in Kissimmee, Florida, to tout the Florida Department of Transportation’s early completion of its Interstate 4 project. Communications Director Bryan Griffin tweeted that Gov. DeSantis also responded to a “plot uncovered in the FL House to attack and smear Hope Florida.”
Griffin provided a three-minute clip:
- “I just want to say one thing. So when you’re in this business, you get used to a lot of baseless attacks that just go with the territory, but I do think it’s really sad to see manufactured smears against the First Lady and the program that’s Hope Florida,” DeSantis said, standing before a huge U.S. flag.
He described Hope Florida as “an example of government succeeding in lifting people up.” He praised the nonprofit for not asking the Florida Legislature for any money. “Just through the First Ladies initiative that we are going to reimagine the way we provide services to those in need.”
- “Instead of the job of somebody working in these agencies to just try to get people on as many government programs as possible and keep them on indefinitely, we’re transforming the role to be a Hope navigator where the job of government is to link those people in need to all the wonderful resources that we have throughout our Florida communities,” DeSantis said.
“So we’ve enlisted the faith-based community, we’ve enlisted charitable organizations, we’ve enlisted businesses, and we’ve enlisted individual volunteers who answer the call when somebody comes in, need the needs, go into a care portal, and all of a sudden you have a single mom that doesn’t have a place to stay. It’s not the bureaucracy that’s going to lift her up. It’s the church that comes over or the charity that comes over to do that.”
- He continued, “And what are the results? Since this has been implemented, we’ve gotten 30,000 people off welfare and save the state of Florida $100 million.”
Not So Fast
On my podcast last, Rep. Andrade said the Hope Navigators are state employees: “These are state agency employees that have had their titles changed from whatever they were doing at a state agency to HOPE Navigator, and the whole premise is essentially that these Hope Navigators state employees are supposed to just be doing their jobs better.”
He added, “It was disclosed yesterday that Hope Navigators are just state employees. So I don’t understand why the Hope Florida Foundation can fundraise off the concept of state employees just doing their job well. It’s all very bizarre.”
- In Escambia County, school navigators were with the Children’s Home Society through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), which was part of the CARES Act (PNJ,”ECSD’s navigators making a difference,” 6/22/22).
In an earlier podcast. Andrade also stated the governor is overstating the number off people that got off welfare because of Hope Florida: “They claim they’ve helped 30,000 people get off welfare, but those numbers track with the number of people who’ve rolled off of Medicaid anyway, so I’m not sure if those numbers match up.”
Threatened by Success?
“That’s a great success story,” said DeSantis. “Now, that’s a success story that threatens some people. That’s a success story that’s going to invite attacks because people have their own political agenda.”
While he didn’t name Andrade, he accused the Florida House leadership of smearing him and his wife.
“And I got to tell you, I’m used to the baseless smears from liberal media. I’m used to the baseless smears from Democrats. I’ve been dealing with it for over six years. It’s par for the course. But I think now we have Republican leadership in the Florida House joining with liberal media and joining with Democrats to launch baseless smears against Hope Florida. And by extension, myself and the First Lady, let me tell you something.”
He continued, “None of these Republican leaders got elected on the platform that they were going to launch baseless attacks against the governor and First Lady. That is not why they got elected. Had they run on that, they would’ve lost their primaries. They would never have been elected in the first place.”
The governor asserted they were elected to continue his Florida First agenda.
“And what are they doing with their actions? Not only are they trying to sabotage that agenda, but they are stabbing the voters in the back with their behavior. Shame on you in the Florida House and your terrible behavior and leadership.”
- BACKGROUND: The “plot” is Rep. Alex Andrade investigating whether the governor’s office directed a Medicaid settlement to include $10 million for First Lady Casey DeSantis Hope Florida Foundation. The foundation then handed out two $5,000,000 grants to the Florida Chamber’s Secure Florida’s Future and SOS (Save Our Society from Drugs), who then passed $8.5 million to the PAC fighting Amendment 3.
Tuesday Drama
- When Gov. DeSantis is in Pensacola tomorrow touting his higher education reform, Andrade’s committee will be discussing Hope Florida, the $10-million settlement, and whom they will subpoena.