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DCF sends cease and desist to reporter working on Hope Florida story

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The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has sent a cease and desist letter to an Orlando Sentinel reporter who has been digging into the Hope Florida scandal.

Jeffrey Schweers, the Sentinel’s Tallahassee bureau reporter, has broken some scoops regarding the embattled charity backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis.

Schweers recently wrote about a woman who made a social media post complimenting Hope Florida who had actually been paid $588 by the organization a few days earlier. Another story covered a woman who had been promoted in Hope Florida’s marketing who was still living in poverty despite receiving assistance from the charity three years ago.

Now, as Schweers is apparently working on his next piece, the DCF is accusing the reporter of “threats and coercion.”

“We have heard that @jeffschweers with the @orlandosentinel is calling foster families in Florida and threatening or coercing them to say things about Hope Florida. This is unacceptable,” the agency said in a post that received 150,000 views in 90 minutes.

“The Hope Florida Foundation supported foster families with donations from non-taxpayer funded sources that allowed these families to repair and restore their homes following the hurricanes last year.”

The cease and desist letter said Schweers was working on a story about foster families and “asserting that the families are implicated in fraudulent activity by accepting financial assistance from Hope Florida Foundation Inc., a charitable Director Support Organization affiliated with this department.”

It did not, however, cite any specific examples of Schweers doing anything beyond reporting out a potential story.

Hope Florida has been under fire this year following the revelation the state gave $10 million from a Medicaid settlement to the charity. Some of the money was funneled to help DeSantis fight last year’s ballot initiative to legalize marijuana.

Leon County prosecutors have opened a criminal probe on Hope Florida, according to media reports.

It’s not the first time the state has sent cease and desist letters to the media.

Under orders from DeSantis’ attorneys, the Department of Health sent cease and desist letters to TV stations playing pro-abortion rights ads during last year’s failed Amendment 4 campaign.

Florida Politics reached out to Orlando Sentinel for comment and will update the story when the newspaper responds.


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Erin Gillespie joins Presidio’s Florida practice

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Erin Gillespie, a veteran of Florida state government and a recognized expert in technology-driven public sector solutions, has joined Presidio’s growing Florida.

Presidio, which has partnered with state agencies, local governments, and educational institutions across Florida for decades, announced Gillespie’s addition as part of its ongoing expansion of State, Local and Education (SLED) solutions.

“Erin’s diverse background in Florida state government, paired with her experience in innovative technology services, makes her the perfect choice to continue expanding our presence here in Florida,” said Dustin Caldwell, Presidio Vice President of SLED solutions. “We are so excited to add her to our team.”

Gillespie brings more than 20 years of experience in government operations, economic development, disaster management, and technology modernization. She spent over a decade in Florida state government, including roles as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (now FloridaCommerce), and leadership positions at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Since leaving state service, Gillespie has advised governments across the country on digital transformation strategies — supporting modernization of IT infrastructure, disaster recovery, grants management, call centers, and more.

“I could not be more thrilled to join the incredible Presidio team here in Tallahassee, and to continue serving state and local government,” Gillespie said. “Presidio works hand-in-hand with agencies across a wide range of technology solutions to help them deliver better services to constituents all across the state.”


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Moore earns spot on Inc.’s 2025 Best Workplaces list

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Moore, a globally recognized marketing and communications agency headquartered in Tallahassee, has once again been named to Inc.’s annual Best Workplaces list — an honor that highlights companies with standout cultures and team-first values.

“We are honored to once again be recognized on a national stage for the culture we’ve built and the values we live by. Our people are the heart of Moore, and this honor belongs to each of them,” said Karen Moore, the agency’s founder and CEO.

The 2025 list, compiled by Inc. in partnership with Quantum Workplace, evaluated companies across the country on employee engagement, benefits, management effectiveness, professional development, and overall workplace experience. Moore was among just 514 honorees selected nationwide.

“This recognition is a celebration of our people and the intentional culture we’ve cultivated together,” said Terrie Ard, President and COO of Moore. “Being named to Inc.’s Best Workplaces affirms that our commitment to collaboration, growth, and purpose-driven work truly makes Moore a place where people thrive.”

Moore’s team retention rate stands at 92%, while client retention reaches 98%—figures the agency credits to its deliberate investment in people and culture.

“Inc.’s Best Workplaces program celebrates the exceptional organizations whose workplace cultures address their employees’ welfare and needs in meaningful ways,” said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc.

“As companies expand and adapt to changing economic forces, maintaining such a culture is no small feat. Yet these honorees have not only achieved it—they continue to elevate the employee experience through thoughtful benefits, engagement, and a deep commitment to their teams.”

With team members positioned across the U.S., Moore provides full-service capabilities in public affairs, branding, digital marketing, crisis communications, media relations and more—serving Fortune 500 companies, state agencies, and nonprofits alike.


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Florida Hospital Association applauds ‘meaningful health care investments’ in budget

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Count the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) among the organizations praising lawmakers for considerations in the state’s 2025-26 spending plan.

The Tallahassee-headquartered nonprofit trade group, which represents hospitals and health systems across the Sunshine State, applauded the Legislature for making “strategic investments in health care” prioritizing research, infrastructure, mitigation grants and expanded patient access.

That includes:

— $15 million to support hospitals performing intestinal transplants.

— $10 million for the Cancer Connect Collaborative incubator lawmakers created this year to advance pediatric cancer care and treatment research by specialty children’s hospitals.

— $10 million to support a statewide grant pilot program for integrated residential treatment services for women with persistent mental illness and substance use disorders.

— Funding for hospital hardening and mitigation.

— Language directing the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Health to seek the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ approval of a prospective payment system for behavioral health ambulatory services provided by Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

— Full funding of the most recent Social Services Estimating Conference estimates for Florida Medicaid.

FHA President and CEO Mary Mayhew said in a statement that her organization is “grateful to Senate President Ben Albritton, House Speaker Daniel Perez and members of the Florida Legislature for their commitment to strengthening Florida’s health care delivery system.”

“The Florida Legislature’s commitment to invest strategically in emergency preparedness, innovation and access to care for Florida’s most vulnerable residents will have a lasting impact,” she said. “These investments give our hospitals great confidence to deliver modern, sophisticated health care as our population and their health care needs continue to grow.”

After more than a month of extended Session work, lawmakers adjourned Monday after agreeing on a $115 billion spending plan for 2025-26. The budget, a middle ground between the Senate and House proposals, is now headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for vetoes and approval.

Other groups praising the budget include the Florida Retail Federation, Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, National Federation of Independent Business, Florida Conservation Group and Florida Citrus Mutual.

Florida TaxWatch, meanwhile, flagged $416 million worth of “Budget Turkeys” in the plan and highlighted $799.5 million in other proposed spending that deserves “especially close scrutiny” from the Governor.


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