--- title: "Grand jury: $10 million in taxpayer funds diverted for political use" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/grand-jury-10-million-in-taxpayer-funds-diverted-for-political-use" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/grand-jury-10-million-in-taxpayer-funds-diverted-for-political-use" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/grand-jury-10-million-in-taxpayer-funds-diverted-for-political-use.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/grand-jury-10-million-in-taxpayer-funds-diverted-for-political-use" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-27T02:45:38.595Z" source_reported: "2026-08-26T22:59:15.000Z" updated: "2026-08-27T02:45:38.595Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-27T02:30:17.850897+00:00" --- # Grand jury: $10 million in taxpayer funds diverted for political use *Report finds money intended for poor children's health insurance used to defeat marijuana legalization* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to a named body, and two independent outlets published full reports. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. The reporting includes quotes from those affected and states what is still unknown. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. The headline uses loaded adjectives like 'damning' and 'jeopardy'. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - A state grand jury found the DeSantis administration "misappropriated" $10 million in taxpayer funds. - The money, intended for health insurance for poor children, was diverted to the Hope Florida Foundation and then to political groups. - These funds were used in 2024 to oppose Amendment 3, a citizen initiative to legalize marijuana in Florida. - The grand jury found insufficient evidence to file criminal charges, citing a lack of memory regarding who made the diversion decision. A state grand jury determined that $10 million in taxpayer money was "misappropriated" by the DeSantis administration. The funds were diverted from a Medicaid settlement, which was intended to provide health insurance for poor children, to the Hope Florida Foundation. The grand jury report stated that the money was then transferred to political action committees and the Republican Party of Florida. These entities subsequently used the funds in 2024 to campaign against Amendment 3, a citizen initiative aimed at legalizing marijuana in Florida. Despite concluding that the money was misused, the grand jury found insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges. The report noted a lack of memory among individuals regarding the decision to divert the funds. However, the grand jury identified current Attorney General James Uthmeier as having been involved in directing the money after it reached the Hope Florida Foundation. The report also concluded that Ashley Moody, who was attorney general at the time, was aware of the diversion plans and authorised her chief deputy to sign the settlement agreement. ## Disagreement on settlement signing The grand jury report stated that Ashley Moody, as attorney general, authorized her chief deputy, John Guard, to sign the settlement agreement. It noted Guard signed "without conducting his due diligence to ensure the proper appropriation of taxpayer funds." Guard told CBS News Miami that requests for the Department of Legal Affairs to join settlements were not uncommon and that this settlement was handled in the ordinary course by the department. He declined further comment, citing his position as a judge. ## What the coverage left out None of the reports printed below mention the specific amount of the original Medicaid settlement, which was approximately $67 million, nor do they detail the specific amounts transferred to political action committees and the Republican Party of Florida beyond the initial $10 million diversion. The full reports from CBS News Miami and WGCU Public Media do not include direct quotes from Ashley Moody or Ron DeSantis regarding the grand jury's findings, although they note their general responses or lack thereof. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 33% (3) - Centre: 67% (6) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-27T02:30:17.850897+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-27T03:15:23.032Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led with the grand jury's finding that $10 million in taxpayer money was "misappropriated" for political purposes. WGCU Public Media highlighted that the money was intended for poor children's health insurance and was ultimately used to defeat marijuana legalization, noting the funds were sealed for seven months. Raw Story's headline stated the "damning jury report leaves Ron DeSantis in jeopardy over $10 million charity scheme." Orlando Sentinel and Sun-Sentinel digests also focused on the misuse of public money for politics and blamed key DeSantis officials. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on the grand jury's conclusion that taxpayer dollars were "misappropriated" to the Hope Florida Foundation. CBS News Miami, which obtained a full report, detailed the diversion of funds from a Medicaid settlement and their use in political activities, including defeating Amendment 3. Tampa Bay Times and WKMG digests also reported the "misappropriation" finding and mentioned Attorney General James Uthmeier's involvement. Palm Beach Post's digest noted the allegation that the DeSantis administration used Medicaid funds for politics, citing CBS News Miami. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 5 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Tallahassee Democrat](https://tallahassee.com/story/news/state/2026/08/26/hope-florida-grand-jury-report-leaked-heres-what-it-says/91481836007) — Report: Grand Jury Finds DeSantis Admin Used Medicaid Funds for Politics - [Orlando Sentinel](https://orlandosentinel.com/2026/08/26/hope-florida-grand-jury-describes-public-money-misused-for-political-purposes) — Hope Florida grand jury finds Medicaid settlement money ‘misused for political purposes’ - [Sun-Sentinel](https://sun-sentinel.com/2026/08/26/hope-florida-grand-jury-describes-public-money-misused-for-political-purposes) — Hope Florida grand jury describes public money ‘misused for political purposes’ - [Palm Beach Post](https://palmbeachpost.com/story/news/state/2026/08/26/hope-florida-grand-jury-report-leaked-heres-what-it-says/91481836007) — Report: Grand jury finds DeSantis admin used Medicaid funds for politics - [Tampa Bay Times](https://tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/08/26/hope-florida-grand-jury-report-desantis-uthmeier-moody-medicaid) — Hope Florida grand jury says state leaders ‘misappropriated’ taxpayer money - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/hope-florida) — Damning jury report leaves Ron DeSantis in jeopardy over $10 million charity scheme - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/26/report-taxpayer-dollars-misappropriated-to-hope-florida-grand-jury-finds) — REPORT: Taxpayer dollars ‘misappropriated’ to Hope Florida, grand jury finds - [CBS News](https://cbsnews.com/miami/news/grand-jury-report-hope-florida) — Grand jury finds DeSantis administration "misappropriated" $10 million in taxpayer money to Hope Florida - [WGCU Public Media](https://wgcu.org/investigation/2026-08-26/sealed-for-seven-months-grand-jury-found-10-million-misappropriated-to-hope-florida-but-no-one-will-be-charged) — Sealed for seven months: Grand jury found $10 million “misappropriated” to Hope Florida, but no one will be charged ## Questions **What did the grand jury find regarding the $10 million?** A state grand jury found that the DeSantis administration "misappropriated" $10 million in taxpayer funds. This money, intended for health insurance for poor children, was diverted to the Hope Florida Foundation and then used for political activities, including defeating a 2024 marijuana legalization initiative. **Were any criminal charges filed?** No, the grand jury found insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally. The report cited a lack of memory among individuals regarding who made the decision to divert the funds, which the jury noted would be an impediment to criminal prosecution. **Who was identified as being involved in directing the money?** The grand jury identified current Attorney General James Uthmeier as having involvement in directing the money after it went to the Hope Florida Foundation. It also concluded that Ashley Moody, then attorney general, was aware of the plans and authorized her chief deputy to sign the settlement agreement. **What was the money used for?** The $10 million was transferred to political action committees and the Republican Party of Florida. These funds were then used in 2024 to defeat Amendment 3, a citizen initiative to legalize marijuana in Florida. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/grand-jury-10-million-in-taxpayer-funds-diverted-for-political-use. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Grand jury: $10 million in taxpayer funds diverted for political use", https://mediabias.news/politics/grand-jury-10-million-in-taxpayer-funds-diverted-for-political-use