Casey DeSantis, wife of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, is at the center of a growing scandal. If left unchallenged, this reality risks undercutting her political future. She’s the president’s closest adviser, an extraordinary television news reporter. It’s fair to say that her insights have been instrumental in shaping his governance and his campaign efforts. Yet recent backstory about her flagship program, Hope Florida, has left some excellent fodder for speculation about her prospects in state politics.
Hope Florida, an initiative launched by current First Lady Casey DeSantis in 2021, is designed to improve the state’s delivery of welfare services. The initiative has had a lot of press for its somewhat altruistic goals. Its charity arm is currently embroiled in a major scandal for not having filed the necessary IRS Form 990s. This apparent mismanagement has since thrown a shadow over the entire initiative and, by extension, Casey DeSantis’s own nascent gubernatorial campaign.
The DeSantis administration has since faced sharp criticism for funneling $10 million into the charity’s coffers. This action was made possible by a $67 million overbilling settlement. According to published accounts, this transaction was done in near secrecy – out of view, “in the dead of night.” Critics counter that these actions erode the public transparency and administration accountability promised by the administration itself.
Twirling baton and all, Casey DeSantis has made herself her husband’s chief cheerleader and confidante throughout his meteoric rise in politics. Her authentic personal story, not least of which is her experience as a breast cancer survivor, has inspired Floridians from all walks of life. That’s a big reason why the ongoing controversy surrounding Hope Florida has left even some supporters of the initiative questioning it. They think her hopes of running for governor are in dire peril.
Political observers are calculating the political fallout from this scandal. Polling taken in February shows Casey DeSantis with a 30 percent overall approval rating. That number soars to a staggering 57% when looking just at registered Republicans. Indeed, just months after the scandal broke, it remains to be seen how these figures will change under the weight of bad press.
Michael Binder, a political analyst, said it remains to be seen how Casey DeSantis will guide her husband through this chaotic stretch. “It’s really her first test of negative publicity and some negative attention in the media,” he stated. “We’ll see ultimately how that plays out.”
Ron DeSantis has responded personally and publicly to the growing criticism of his wife. He characterized the allegations as “manufactured smears against the first lady and the program that’s Hope Florida.” He further posited that this backlash is part of deeper frustrations with the political establishment.
“To the extent that Casey is involved, it’s the fact that she would be in that wing of the party, and holding that banner,” Ron DeSantis remarked. “I don’t think this is being done to undermine Casey as much as it is saying to Ron: ‘We’ve been under your thumb for six years, and we’re not going to take it anymore.’”
This sentiment seems to be shared even among some critics who see the move as an ill-conceived machination to undermine Ron DeSantis’s power. Representative Alex Andrade voiced a specific frustration over the administration’s planned allocation of funds. “The reference to that $10 million not being taxpayer dollars I find offensive,” he said, adding that it raises questions about legality. “This was a policy decision that I believe was illegal.”
With this new wrinkle continuing to play out, supporters of Casey DeSantis now must ponder her long term prospects given such controversies. Those pundits now think this scandal will finally kill any chance she might have had to make a gubernatorial run.
Michael Binder was more optimistic for her future in politics. “I don’t know that it’s a death knell for her candidacy,” he stated, referencing other politicians who have weathered similar storms. “Rick Scott was a Medicare embezzler and it didn’t necessarily prevent him from not only winning a governor’s race twice but getting elected to the Senate.”