BRANDON, Fla. (WFLA) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis held a roundtable discussion touting Hope Florida in Brandon on Wednesday. This is the first lady’s signature welfare assistance initiative to direct Floridians away from public financial help and instead lean on private organizations and faith-based groups.

Hope Florida Foundation, which oversees the funds donated to the program to distribute as grants, was at the center of a Florida House investigation.

“We are not going to be dissuaded by the critics who have been captivated by willful ignorance,” Casey DeSantis said.

That’s a reference to the now-closed investigation after accusations that $10 million in Medicaid settlement funds was donated to Hope Florida Foundation.  State lawmakers who led the investigation said that money then ended up in political action committees that were run by now Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who previously was chief-of-staff.   

“We will not allow any petty politics to drown out the voices of families who have told us, for the first time, they actually feel a sense of hope,” Casey DeSantis said.

One of the critics is a Tampa Bay republican lawmaker who, the governor said, distributed material that was critical of the alleged $10 million money trail.

“All this stuff that gets put out there, so much of it is intentionally fraudulent,” the governor said.

Rep. Karen Gonzalez Pittman is a republican who represents South Tampa.

“Karen Gonzalez Pittman took propaganda that was done by far-left democrats, she re-branded it and was passing it out. That is a fraud,” the governor said.

The republican lawmaker’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

“I think Karen Gonzalez Pittman has done a poor job as the representative from South Tampa,” the governor said.

DeSantis then applauded the work of former Rep. Jackie Toledo who once represented that district. The governor has suggested he will use his political action committee to help fund challengers to defeat republican political opponents. He didn’t confirm whether he would do that in South Tampa.

Since Hope Florida is a signature program for First Lady DeSantis, many have speculated she may run for governor.

“It’s more than a year away from qualifying,” Casey DeSantis said.

First Lady DeSantis then went on to talk about her husband’s work as governor and saying the focus right now should be on the budget.

“Whoever he (governor) ultimately decides should be following after him, should be somebody that I think, obviously it’s up to the people of the state of Florida, but it should be somebody in the mold of a DeSantis who is willing to get out there and fight,” the first lady said.

The well-known politicians who have announced a run for governor are Rep. Byron Donalds, who has President Trump’s endorsement, and Sen. Jason Pizzo, who is under No Party Affiliation.

For those who would like to be connected to Hope Florida, the number is 833-GET-HOPE.