Steve Cody files Florida Bar complaint vs James Uthmeier over Hope Florida

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Turnabout, meet The Florida Bar.

Palmetto Bay Councilman Steve Cody, who Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier publicly demanded resign last year over an admittedly awful Facebook post about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has now filed a Florida Bar complaint against Uthmeier over his role in the Hope Florida $10 million money shuffle.

Ay, karma.

The 16-page complaint, signed Saturday, asks Bar investigators to determine whether Uthmeier violated professional conduct rules involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, as well as rules prohibiting lawyers from inducing others to commit misconduct or engaging in acts “contrary to honesty and justice.”

And before anybody screams partisan hit job, Cody is pretty careful about what he is — and is not — alleging.

He says right up front that he filed the complaint in his individual capacity, that he has no personal knowledge of the underlying Hope Florida transactions and that his allegations are based principally on the now-public Leon County grand jury report.

He also specifically says he is not accusing Uthmeier of theft, conspiracy, fraud or any other crime.

He is asking a different question: Does what the grand jury uncovered about Florida’s attorney general warrant an investigation into whether Uthmeier violated the ethical rules required of every Florida lawyer?

That could be a little harder for Uthmeier to dismiss as another political “witch hunt.”

Especially because the grand jury already did some of the homework.

Read related: Hope Florida scandal follows James Uthmeier, Blaise Ingoglia onto ballot

The complaint walks Bar investigators through the same money trail that has become increasingly problematic for Gov. Ron DeSantis and his former chief of staff, who is running for the role he was appointed to against former State Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez.

Centene Corp. originally offered Florida roughly $67 million in 2023 to resolve claims involving Medicaid overbilling. But when the settlement was finally executed in September 2024, roughly $57 million was going to the state and another $10 million was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation, which is First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature initiative. The grand jury ultimately characterized the entire $67 million as reimbursement of public Medicaid money.

And that $10 million didn’t exactly sit around helping Floridians very long. Hope Florida split it into two $5 million grants.

One went to Save Our Society From Drugs, whose executive director, Amy Ronshausen, testified that Uthmeier contacted her personally on Oct. 11, 2024, told her to apply for a Hope Florida grant and connected her with Hope Florida attorney Jeff Aaron. Aaron suggested she ask for $5 million and even provided a sample application, according to the complaint. Seven days later, the application was approved.

Fast service.

Particularly for government-adjacent money.

But here is where Cody wants Bar investigators to start sniffing around.

The SOS application reportedly said the money would be used for drug prevention, access to care and recovery — and represented that the organization would not engage in political activity or electioneering and had not solicited money to support a third party.

Within a week of receiving the $5 million, SOS transferred $4.75 million to Keep Florida Clean, the political committee chaired by Uthmeier and fighting the 2024 marijuana amendment. The grand jury noted that political use wasn’t described in the application and appeared contrary to its language.

Oops.

The second Hope Florida grantee, Secure Florida’s Future, sent another $3.75 million to Keep Florida Clean, meaning the Uthmeier-chaired committee received at least $8.5 million of the $10 million.

Keep Florida Clean then transferred $7 million to the Republican Party of Florida. The party sent $2 million back. And when Uthmeier dissolved Keep Florida Clean, remaining money went to the Florida Freedom Fund — another committee chaired by Uthmeier.

This is apparently what Tallahassee calls recycling.

Read related: James Uthmeier says ‘Nobody cares’ about Hope Florida’s $10 million scam

Cody’s complaint focuses particularly on what Uthmeier knew and when he knew it.

The grand jury found Uthmeier, who was DeSantis’ chief of staff at the time, was in a position of authority over officials involved in the settlement and that testimony identified him as being involved in directing the money after it reached Hope Florida. It also found his political committee was the principal recipient of most of the $10 million.

And the jury concluded that the $10 million had been misappropriated, citing the unusual grant process, the proximity to the November election, lack of notice to the Legislature and the use of Medicaid reimbursement money for partisan political purposes.

But there were no criminal charges because nobody apparently remembered who made the original decision to send the $10 million to Hope Florida.

Tallahassee amnesia strikes again.

The grand jury said it couldn’t establish who was responsible for that first decision.

Cody argues that shouldn’t necessarily end the inquiry for The Florida Bar.

His complaint points to Rule 3-4.3, under which conduct that is unlawful or contrary to honesty and justice can be grounds for discipline even when a lawyer isn’t acting as a lawyer.

The specific question he wants investigated is whether Uthmeier, when he contacted Ronshausen and steered her toward the grant, already knew or intended that most of that money would quickly wind up in the political committee he chaired and then with the Republican Party of Florida.

Then there is Rule 4-8.4(c), prohibiting dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.

Again, Cody doesn’t claim the grand jury report proves Uthmeier violated that rule. In fact, he concedes the report doesn’t establish whether Uthmeier knew what the SOS application said or whether there was an advance understanding that the money would ultimately go to Keep Florida Clean.

Which is precisely why he wants the Bar to investigate.

If Uthmeier knew the nonprofit’s stated nonpolitical purpose was false while helping initiate the grant that ultimately benefited his political committee, Cody argues, that could create a serious ethics issue.

And he isn’t asking the Bar to merely reread the grand jury report. Cody wants investigators to obtain Uthmeier’s communications with Ronshausen before and after that Oct. 11 phone call — including any discussion about the grant amount, Amendment 3, Keep Florida Clean and what was supposed to happen to the money.

He wants Uthmeier’s communications with Hope Florida attorney Aaron. He wants communications between Uthmeier and Republican Party of Florida officials concerning the millions transferred there. He wants Keep Florida Clean’s governing records, bank instructions and transfer authorizations.

And he wants investigators to determine whether Uthmeier saw or approved the grant applications — and whether he knew their written representations differed from the way the money was actually going to be used.

Cody also asks investigators to determine which hat Uthmeier was wearing at each point: DeSantis chief of staff? Lawyer? Political committee chairman?

Because this is Tallahassee, where apparently everybody has six hats and nobody can remember which one they were wearing when $10 million disappeared.

The complaint specifically asks whether Uthmeier used governmental or legal authority to facilitate a transaction benefiting his political committee and the Republican Party — and whether anyone considered disclosure, recusal or other safeguards.

Ultimately, Cody asks The Florida Bar to subpoena the nonpublic evidence, give Uthmeier an opportunity to respond and determine whether the attorney general violated Rules 3-4.3, 4-8.4(a), 4-8.4(c) or any other applicable professional rule.

A complaint begins a review process. Bar intake lawyers can dismiss it, open an investigation or eventually send a matter to a grievance committee, which determines whether probable cause exists to pursue disciplinary charges. Even then, discipline isn’t automatic.

But it does open another potential front for Uthmeier just weeks into a general election in which Democrat José Javier Rodríguez is already making Hope Florida central to his argument that Florida’s attorney general is more loyal to DeSantis’ political operation than to the law.

Read related: Palmetto Bay councilman is asked to resign after ‘vile’ Charlie Kirk post

And this complaint comes from a guy Uthmeier knows.

Cody became temporarily famous — or infamous — statewide after Kirk was assassinated in September 2025. Hours after the shooting, the Palmetto Bay councilman posted on his personal Facebook page: “Charlie Kirk is a fitting sacrifice to our Lords: Smith & Wesson. Hallowed be their names.”

It was crude. Tasteless. Way too soon.

Cody later apologized and admitted it was a serious error in judgment.

But the political cavalry had already arrived.

Mayor Karyn Cunningham called for him to resign. So did other elected officials and residents. And Uthmeier jumped in personally.

“If this Facebook post is legitimate, Steve Cody should resign from his position as Palmetto Bay Council member immediately,” Florida’s attorney general posted on X.

Cody didn’t.

The council censured him and residents tried to recall him. Palmetto Bay also stripped him of committee-related duties, prompting the ACLU of Florida to sue the Village this year on Cody’s behalf, alleging unconstitutional retaliation for protected political speech. A federal judge denied the Village’s motion to dismiss in June, and the case has proceeded into discovery.

So there is definitely some history here.

And now Cody gets to throw Uthmeier’s own standard back at him: What behavior is unbecoming of public office?

Read related: ACLU sues Palmetto Bay over reaction to Steve Cody’s Charlie Kirk FB post

There is one more deliciously awkward wrinkle: Cody himself has history with The Florida Bar.

A longtime lawyer who once worked on landmark Voting Rights Act litigation that helped create Miami-Dade’s single-member County Commission districts, Cody was suspended from practicing law for one year in 2013 over disciplinary matters involving client communication, restitution and worthless checks. The Bar later publicly reprimanded him after finding he had not timely complied with provisions of the suspension order.

Cody never sought or obtained reinstatement and remains ineligible to practice law. So Cody certainly knows what a Florida Bar investigation can mean.

Which makes his decision to file one against the sitting attorney general either delicious political revenge, civic-minded accountability or — ¿porque no los dos? — a little bit of both.

Uthmeier told Floridians last year that Steve Cody’s conduct was so offensive that he should leave public office. Now Cody is asking whether Uthmeier’s own conduct — involving $10 million in Medicaid settlement money, a charitable foundation, two nonprofits, his political committee and the Republican Party of Florida — meets the ethical standards required to remain a Florida lawyer.

The Bar will decide whether there is anything there.

But Steve Cody has clearly decided one thing already. He’s not resigning.

And apparently, he’s not forgetting either.

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