fox49.tv · September 4, 2026
Democrats seek Uthmeier impeachment, but history and GOP math make removal unlikely
# Democrats seek Uthmeier impeachment, but history and GOP math make removal unlikely
by Nick Karmia
Fri, September 4, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Updated Fri, September 4, 2026 at 7:45 PM
The history of impeachment gives Democrats a difficult assignment: prove the Hope Florida controversy warrants one of the state’s most serious constitutional responses, then persuade enough Republicans to act against a Republican attorney general during an election cycle.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida Democrats are calling for Attorney General James Uthmeier to be impeached over the Hope Florida controversy, but removing him from office would require something they do not have today: Republican support.
The push comes after a leaked grand jury report, first obtained by CBS Miami, said $10 million connected to a Medicaid settlement was misappropriated after flowing through the Hope Florida Foundation. The foundation is tied to First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Hope Florida initiative, which was created to connect people in need with community and nonprofit help.
The report says the money later moved through outside groups involved in the 2024 fight against Amendment 3, the unsuccessful ballot measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana.
Uthmeier was not attorney general at the time. He was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff. The leaked report says Uthmeier was involved in directing money after it reached Hope Florida.
House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said the issue demands action now.
“The people of Florida did not ask for this and given that it involves such a large abuse of power, regardless of whether it’s campaign season or not, we should be pushing for accountability now,” Driskell said.
Uthmeier has denied wrongdoing. His office did not respond to FOX49’s request for comment on the impeachment push. In a previous response to the Hope Florida investigation becoming public, Uthmeier called it politically motivated.
“This has been a politically motivated witch hunt driven by the Democrats and a far-left Democrat state attorney in Tallahassee,” Uthmeier said.
The grand jury did not issue indictments. It said it could not prove who ultimately decided the money would go to Hope Florida, in part because witnesses did not take responsibility or said they could not remember.
That has left Democrats arguing the Legislature should step in.
Under the Florida Constitution, the governor, lieutenant governor, Cabinet members and judges can be impeached for “misdemeanor in office.” Impeachment starts in the House. It takes a two-thirds vote of the House to impeach, then a trial in the Senate. The Senate would also need a two-thirds vote to convict and remove someone from office.
UCF political scientist Aubrey Jewett said that makes the Democratic push a steep climb.
“Republicans not only have a majority in both the House and the Senate, they have what would be known as a supermajority, basically more than a 2 to 1 margin,” Jewett said.
That means Democrats could not remove Uthmeier on their own. They would need Republicans to join them in both chambers.
“I would strongly doubt that you’d see many Republicans joining this effort, if any, in fact,” Jewett said.
Still, the Hope Florida controversy has not been driven only by Democrats.
Republican Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, has said the state needs consequences and reform after the money transfer.
“There ought to be consequences. There ought to be penalties. People who do things like this ought to be held to account,” Gaetz told FOX49.
That could matter because any future movement would likely have to come from Republicans who control the House and Senate. Jewett said some Republicans have been willing to criticize the handling of the money, but that is different from backing impeachment.
“What I have seen on the Republican side for the most part is some mild criticism that this was probably wrong and that they need to change the system so that it doesn’t happen again in the future,” Jewett said.
Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, helped drive early House scrutiny of Hope Florida. As chair of the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee, he questioned agency officials earlier this year about the Centene settlement, the $10 million sent to the foundation and why lawmakers were not told.
Andrade has not said whether he supports impeachment.
In a statement to FOX49, Andrade raised a constitutional question about Uthmeier’s current office. He said his reading of the Florida Constitution is that the Legislature can only impeach a Cabinet member for “misdemeanor in office.”
“That wouldn’t include acts taken prior to taking office,” Andrade said.
That is relevant because the report describes Uthmeier’s involvement as happening before DeSantis appointed him attorney general.
The impeachment power itself is rarely used in Florida.
The most recent example FOX49 could find was Judge Richard Kelly in 1963. Kelly was accused of berating witnesses and intimidating and embarrassing lawyers in court. The House initially fell short of the two-thirds vote needed to impeach him, but later did. The Senate acquitted him.
That history gives Democrats a difficult assignment: prove the Hope Florida controversy warrants one of the state’s most serious constitutional responses, then persuade enough Republicans to act against a Republican attorney general during an election cycle.
The timing could also matter.
Jewett said if impeachment has any chance of moving forward, it would likely be after the election, when DeSantis is leaving office, new legislative leadership is in place and Uthmeier may not have the same political protection.
“The chances are virtually nothing, I think, before the election,” Jewett said. “Whereas, slim to none after the election, but slightly, the odds could improve slightly afterwards.”
For now, House Democrats are asking for an investigative committee and a special session.
Whether that becomes anything more depends on Republican leaders, who control whether impeachment proceedings ever begin.