Listen:
An organization tied to a program led by Casey DeSantis received $10 million donation stemming from a settlement with the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration.
Leaders of that agency faced heated questioning about that deal at a House subcommittee Wednesday.
The House subcommittee questioned Shevaun Harris, the secretary of the Agency for Healthcare Administration.
The topic was how and why 10 million dollars went to Hope Florida Foundation in a settlement between the agency that goes by the acronym AHCA, and healthcare organization Centene.
Republican Alex Andrade is the chair of the House Health Care Budget subcommittee.
Andrade: What are y’all doing with the 10 million dollars?
Harris: That is a question for the foundation, they are the ones that –
Andrade: That is a question for AHCA, they directed the payment!
Andrade called the lack of answers to his questions “a problem.”
“That was a policy decision made, and what I’m hearing from the secretary of AHCA is we have no idea what that money was to be used for, and we have no idea why we did it. That’s not acceptable, Secretary.” Andrade said.
AHCA Secretary Shevaun Harris attempted to defend the settlement.
“A lot of lawyers were involved in the drafting of the settlement agreement, and I have to believe all the T’s were crossed, I’s dotted,” Harris said.
Hope Florida, spearheaded by the governor’s wife, connects those on public assistance with nonprofits and faith-based communities, among other things.
At a press conference Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis called the hearing “political nonsense”, and called out Republican state legislators.
“These Republicans in, like, the leadership office, they’re working hat-in-hand with the Miami Herald and the Tampa Bay Times. Very liberal media outlets,” DeSantis said.
Ron DeSantis has floated his wife Casey to potentially run for governor.
Leave a Reply
