Alex Andrade

DeSantis and his administration defend the initiative, saying it has helped transition 30,000 people off government assistance and saved the state $100 million.

A developing political scandal in Florida has put Gov. Ron DeSantis on the defensive. Republican lawmakers are investigating how $10 million in state money was diverted for use in a campaign.

Rep. Alex Andrade announced the decision after the Hope Florida Foundation’s lawyer, Jeff Aaron, and leaders of nonprofits that received $5 million grants from the foundation refused to appear before the panel.

Florida’s attorney general told reporters in Tampa that he had no role in the Hope Florida settlements. He also announced that the state would be doubling down on protecting children on social media.

This week on The Florida Roundup, we spoke with Rep. Alex Andrade, the Republican lawmaker leading the House probe into Hope Florida. Plus, updates from the mass shooting at Florida State University and more.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration deny that the Hope Florida Foundation has done anything wrong.

The governor called the settlement “100% appropriate" and said Republican lawmakers were “grasping at straws” to reflect negatively on the settlement, which he said has “nothing to do with Hope Florida.”

Republican Rep. Alex Andrade grills AHCA Secretary Shevaun Harris and her aides about $10 million from a legal settlement given to a direct-support organization that supports Casey DeSantis' Hope Florida program.