The Ron DeSantis ‘House of Cards’ Is Collapsing

Earlier this year, Republicans in Florida alleged that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration diverted $10 million to a political committee controlled by the governor’s former chief of staff.

The $10 million came from a settlement with a Medicaid contractor, and that same amount was then diverted to a pair of nonprofits, with $8.5 million later sent to a political committee.

Ron DeSantis Has a Problem

Now, there’s a report that a criminal investigation has been opened in connection with information provided by a Florida state lawmaker about the Hope Florida Foundation. The foundation is meant to support Hope Florida, a charity founded by Casey DeSantis.

According to the Miami Herald, Leon County prosecutors have announced the launch of an investigation into records of that foundation provided by Republican state Rep. Alex Andrade. Andrade, who had been investigating Hope Florida, accused the former DeSantis chief of staff, James Uthmeier, and an associated lawyer of “conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.”

Last week, two Democratic members of Congress from Florida, Rep. Kathy Castor and Rep. Darren Soto, called on the federal government to investigate the Hope Florida affair.

“Federal law requires that Medicaid proceeds be used solely for health services authorized by law and for the benefit of those served by Medicaid,” the members of Congress wrote.

The letter, per the Herald, was sent to Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Juliet Hodgkins, the acting inspector general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

DeSantis has said that all actions taken by his administration were “appropriate” and “advanced the core policies of the state of Florida.”

The Fall of DeSantis?

While there’s no indication that Ron DeSantis himself or his wife is a direct target of this or any other investigation, it’s part of a recent bad run for the Florida governor, who looked not long ago like a plausible presidential candidate.

That is, before he ran against Trump and fell flat in the 2024 primary campaign. Now DeSantis, who is term-limited out of office in two years, has an uncertain path forward, as J.D. Vance, and not him, is looking like Trump’s likely successor.

The Guardian wrote this week about what it calls the governor’s “fall from grace,” suggesting that DeSantis could be “drifting to irrelevance.”

“He’s completely crashed to the ground at this point and is certainly being treated like a more standard, average governor now,” Aubrey Jewett, professor of political science at the University of Central Florida, told the Guardian.

“He’s lost the ability to push things through. He’s lost that luster he had that at one time seemed like he could do no wrong in Republican conservative circles. He’s definitely come back down to earth and some of it is his own doing because if you govern with an autocratic style, that doesn’t usually make you a lot of allies.”

DeSantis had hoped at one point that Casey, his wife, might succeed him as governor, but that is now looking less likely, with Casey not yet announcing whether she plans to run.

What About 2028?

While DeSantis’ presidential campaign in 2024 never gained much traction, the governor will be looking at a Trump-free field should he decide to go for it again in 2028. But he might not have the same momentum he did four years earlier.

“It’s notable that when Trump was asked who might follow him, he didn’t mention DeSantis at all,” Jewett told the Guardian. “When DeSantis challenged Trump for the presidential nomination, it ticked Trump off and it ticked off a lot of Trump supporters, who up until then generally liked him.”

And it isn’t only that he challenged Trump.

“It came out while he was running that he doesn’t have the great personality that a traditional politician has,” Jewett told the newspaper. “He just didn’t seem well suited for shaking hands, eating hot dogs and kissing babies, the kind of typical American political things. It destroyed his air of invincibility.”

About the Author:

Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.