Tallahassee – Governor Ron DeSantis organized a two-day golf tournament at a luxury resort in Panama City Beach last year. The event aimed to raise funds for the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit linked to the first lady that is currently under investigation.

The May 2024 tournament reported a loss of over $17,000, according to the foundation’s overdue federal tax return submitted in April.

However, the foundation has announced plans to amend its tax return, citing missed donations related to the golf fundraiser. They’ve called the event an “extraordinary success,” but even if the IRS modifications are made to the foundation’s 990 tax form, it would still show a financial loss.

The situation surrounding Hope Florida’s tax return has raised concerns, pushing state legislators to begin investigating charities this spring. There’s been considerable discussion about how Ron and Casey DeSantis are positioned as a means for Floridians to gain access to government assistance.

“It’s astonishing incompetence,” remarked Rep. Alex Andrade from Pensacola in an email regarding the tax return revisions.

Andrade utilized his role on the House Healthcare Budget Committee this spring to scrutinize the Hope Florida Foundation. This scrutiny followed a $10 million transfer from the state’s Medicaid settlement. Funds intended for healthcare were reportedly appropriated to a Political Action Committee established by DeSantis’ former Chief of Staff, James Usmierer, in a bid to defeat a marijuana legalization initiative. Andrade contends this reallocation was illegal and detrimental to serving the poor in need of healthcare.

Uthmeier, who is backed by the Attorney General appointed by DeSantis, has denied any fraudulent actions.

Investigations from the House revealed that the foundation had not filed its tax returns, neglected audits, and failed to maintain essential documents.

Andrade concluded his investigation in April, stating that there was evidence suggesting that the DeSantis administration and others may have been implicated in a potential conspiracy involving money laundering and wire fraud concerning the Medicaid funds. Both DeSantis and those associated have similarly denied any fraudulent behavior.

Andrade has forwarded his findings to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Leon County State Attorney’s Office for further investigation, as he confirmed.

The golf fundraiser coincided with a press conference where DeSantis and his wife presented a $140,000 check to seven local nonprofits and churches. Interestingly, this announcement wasn’t made in advance by the governor’s office or the Hope Florida Foundation and barely gained attention on social media.

Now, the foundation is attempting to turn the initial fundraising losses into positive narratives.

“The Governor’s Cup was an extraordinary success that didn’t use taxpayer money, raising nearly $700,000 in net profit for the Florida Foundation’s hopes,” stated the foundation through a recent message from Jeff Aaron, an external lawyer enlisted to address financial and other matters within the foundation.

Aaron provided a list of donations that were not recorded on Hope Florida’s tax forms and assured that a revised form will be submitted soon.

He claimed the tournament raised $785,000 and incurred expenses of $95,547, resulting in a total profit of $689,452.

Yet, the foundation’s tax returns tell a different story, indicating it only brought in $22,000, incurring a loss of $17,000 from costs of $40,000.

The IRS stipulates that donations should be deducted from total revenue to reflect what the event actually generates from selling related products and services. Consequently, the foundation $400,000 in donations does not count as revenue derived from the fundraiser.

Expenses related to donations arise, as the tournament did not generate sufficient revenue to cover its costs, pointed out Laurie Chaney, CEO of Charity Watch, an independent nonprofit oversight group.

“That’s not a good thing,” Chaney noted.

New figures from Aaron suggest that the golf tournament attracted more donations than previously reported. However, under IRS guidelines, this won’t augment the revenue’s validity. The newfound expenses identified by Aaron further indicate a total loss of $73,000 beyond what the foundation’s 990 tax form reflected.

Chaney mentioned that few charities manage golf tournaments successfully as a fundraising method.

“For organizations that rely primarily on golf tournaments for fundraising, it may seem like they’re subsidizing board members’ golf activities more than efficiently supporting their charitable missions,” she commented.

The foundation’s tax returns were handled by Carol & Company, an accounting firm in Tallahassee that also managed the books for the Political Action Committee.

This firm also has ties to DeSantis’ Florida Freedom Fund, which was created to combat the Marijuana Legalization Initiative and address voting corrections related to women’s reproductive rights.

Currently, Sen. Ashley Moody and Sen. Kelly Kundinger are key figures in the Florida Freedom Fund, dealing with golf tournament finances. However, they did not respond to requests for comments.

“Essentially, the accounting for the event should align with the 990,” suggested Glenn Kaysel, a former Florida nonprofit figure with over three decades of experience.

“It’s not typical to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he added.

Among the sponsors for the golf tournament was Centene Corp., Florida’s largest Medicaid managed care provider, which was involved in a $67 million legal settlement with the state, of which $10 million was designated for political nonprofits aligned with the Florida Foundation’s opposition to the marijuana legalization initiative.

According to Aaron’s list of donors, Centene contributed $100,000 to the tournament—$100,000 more than what was reported to the IRS.