Editor's note: Jenna Ellis is a resident of Florida.
Her column this week focuses on a smear campaign targeting Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Governor Ron DeSantis is no stranger to hostile media coverage or politically motivated attacks. But the latest smear campaign – targeting his wife's signature initiative, Hope Florida – crosses the line from partisan sniping to outright deceit. Let's be clear: this coordinated effort to discredit a program that is transforming lives and saving taxpayer dollars is not only dishonest – it's shameful.
The left-wing media, aided by a few Florida Republican legislators eager for headlines or higher office, has tried to manufacture a scandal where none exists. Their narrative? That $10 million in Medicaid funds were "diverted" into a charitable foundation somehow tied to the governor's office. That claim was flatly debunked – not by conservative media, but even by Politico and other outlets that followed the actual facts.
Here's the truth: Hope Florida is a government philosophy, not a charity. It's a coordinated effort across several state agencies to connect people in need with resources that promote self-sufficiency – not dependency on government. It's helped over 30,000 Floridians reduce or eliminate their reliance on public assistance and is projected to save taxpayers over $1 billion in the next decade. That's not spin; it's data from the Florida Department of Children and Families, which tracks these outcomes by matching program participants against state benefit records.
Critics also conflate Hope Florida with the Hope Florida Foundation – a private, separate, and legally distinct direct-support organization that raises funds from private donors. The Governor and First Lady do not direct or oversee the foundation. It has its own independent board, meets publicly, and files tax documents that are readily available to anyone with an internet connection.
Despite these facts, Representative Alex Andrade – a Republican who appears to be more interested in his own political future than the well-being of Florida's families – has waged a personal vendetta against the program. After leading a failed committee hearing that ended with no findings and no action, he has now admitted he's shopping around his narrative to find a venue willing to launch a politically motivated investigation. That's not oversight. That's lawfare.
Even more disturbing are allegations that Rep. Andrade used threats and coercion to influence witnesses during his hearings. One official has gone on record claiming that she was intimidated and bullied. These tactics are not only unethical; they expose the malicious intent behind this crusade.
And let's not ignore the role of Florida's liberal print media in all this. Outlets with an open disdain for Governor DeSantis have amplified baseless claims, refused to correct errors, and ignored contrary facts – because the goal was never to report truth, but to score political points. This isn't journalism. It's activism with a press badge.
Thankfully, Hope Florida continues to do what it was designed to do: empower people to become self-reliant, restore dignity, and lift lives without growing government. Testimonials shared on Hope Florida's official social media feed paint a powerful picture of hope, healing, and transformation. And it's being done without taxpayer expense.
The real scandal here isn't Hope Florida – it's the lengths to which opponents will go to destroy something good simply because it's succeeding under the leadership of Ron DeSantis. This is what happens when political ambition and media bias collide: the truth gets buried, and the people who need help become pawns in a power game.
Governor DeSantis has made it clear that he won't back down from defending what works – and neither should we. It's time to reject the smear campaign for what it is – dishonest, destructive, and deeply cynical – and stand up for a program that is helping Floridians build better futures, not dependency.
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