Another Hope Florida Foundation resignation

There have been additional resignations at the embattled Hope Florida Foundation, the nonprofit affiliated with Hope Florida, the initiative launched by First Lady Casey DeSantis.

Hope Florida Foundation President Joshua Hay announced Thursday that Tallahassee attorney Mohammad Jazil, who had been working with the foundation on completing its delinquent paperwork, had submitted his resignation.

“I know his name has come up regarding some things but, nonetheless, in my interactions, I’ve had pleasurable, nothing short of pleasurable experiences with him working on drafting the documents, getting actions cured, and also just trying to sort of brainstorm it on how we mitigate these instances of noncompliance going. So, thank you,” Hay said.

Hay was referencing comments made by House Health Care Budget Committee Chair Rep. Alex Andrade that he was “flabbergasted” to learn Jazil was working with the foundation to produce documents nonprofits are required to produce but that the board had not. The House has been probing the finances and other problems involving the foundation.

Jazil is a private attorney who frequently represents the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis in litigation and also served as an attorney for the political committee Keep Florida Clean, which campaigned against last year’s pot-legalization proposed constitutional amendment. The committee was run by James Uthemeir, former chief of staff to Ron DeSantis. Uthemeir is now state attorney general.

The Hope Florida Foundation received a $10 million one-time “donation” from health care giant Centene, part of a $67 million settlement reached with the state for Medicaid overpayments. The foundation gave $5 million grants to Secure Florida’s Future, a nonprofit tied to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Save our Society another political committee. Within days, those groups made contributions to keep Florida Clean.

Hay announced Jazil’s resignation during the second part of a virtual Hope Florida Foundation board of directors meeting. He also announced the resignation of Jake Farmer from the board during the first part of the virtual meeting. Jazil and Farmer’s resignations followed news that Hope Florida director Erik Dellenback is stepping down in May.

The board’s virtual meeting was cut short  after members of the public participating posted images of Nazi symbols and pornography as well as racial slurs. Unable to control the flow of images and sounds being shared, the board recessed for several hours before reconvening.

Hay said during the second part of the meeting that he would discuss with the foundation’s accounting firm whether there was any “illicit use of funds” and, if so, look at a potential “clawback” of those funds.

Before the forced meeting recess, Andrade told the board its nonprofit status was in jeopardy because 80% of all the funds the it had disbursed were for political purposes. “I believe that will jeopardize your 501(c)(3) status if you as the board do not take the proper steps to recoup those funds,” the Pensacola legislator told the group.