1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am writing to express serious concern about recent reporting from the Tampa Bay Times revealing that the DeSantis administration diverted at least $36.2 million in taxpayer funds originally allocated for child welfare and medical purposes to pay for consultants and advertisements during the campaign to defeat constitutional amendments 3 and 4. These funds were designated to serve Florida's most vulnerable populations, including children in need of protective services and residents requiring medical assistance. Instead, they were redirected to political campaign activities. This represents a fundamental breach of public trust and a misappropriation of resources that were meant to address critical human needs in our state. Child welfare services in Florida are already strained, with caseworkers managing heavy caseloads and families struggling to access necessary support. Medical programs serve thousands of Floridians who depend on these resources for their health and wellbeing. When $36.2 million is diverted from these purposes to fund political messaging, real people suffer real consequences. Children may go without needed interventions, and medical services may be delayed or denied. The use of taxpayer dollars to influence ballot measures raises fundamental questions about the appropriate use of public funds. Floridians across the political spectrum should be troubled when money earmarked for child protection and healthcare is instead spent on consultants and advertisements for political purposes, regardless of one's position on the amendments themselves. I urge you to launch a thorough investigation into this spending, determine the full scope of the diversion, and take action to ensure such misuse of designated funds cannot happen again. Florida taxpayers deserve accountability and transparency in how their money is spent, particularly when it involves funds meant to protect children and provide medical care. I request that you publicly commit to investigating this matter and implementing safeguards to prevent future misappropriation of child welfare and medical funds.