David Jolly, a Democratic candidate for Florida governor, said he believes First Lady Casey DeSantis was used as a distraction after a leaked grand jury report concluded the Hope Florida Foundation scandal did not identify a definitive ringleader. The controversy centers on $10 million taken from a Medicaid settlement and routed to the Hope Florida Foundation, a charity associated with the DeSantis administration, and then transferred to political committees supporting the governor’s re‑election effort. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Jolly said, “I think she was used,” and added that the First Lady provided a “convenient distraction” from a plan in which the $10 million was moved through her charity to two other entities for the governor’s benefit. He explained that after the foundation received the funds, the nonprofits Secure Florida’s Future and Save Our Society from Drugs each sought $5 million from the foundation; the groups then donated $8.5 million to the “Keep Florida Clean” political action committee, which was chaired at the time by James Uthmeier, then the governor’s chief of staff and later the state attorney general. Uthmeier has characterized the transaction as “totally perfect” and “100% legal.” Jolly said that the promotions of Uthmeier and former attorney general Ashley Moody, as well as the judicial nomination of John Guard, suggested a cover‑up intended to prevent any of them from being called before the grand jury. He indicated he would pursue efforts to reopen the investigation. DeSantis and Uthmeier have emphasized the leak of the grand jury report. DeSantis stated there would be consequences for the individual who leaked the report, while Uthmeier suggested that questions from the media about the report constitute criminal solicitation. The investigation’s status remains undetermined, and it is not clear whether additional scrutiny will be applied to the foundation’s handling of the funds.