Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon on Saturday defended her demand that Republican opponent Sen. Ashley Moody face jail time over allegations that she approved diverting nearly $10 million in taxpayer funds to a charity that instead financed political opposition to a marijuana ballot measure.
Appearing on CBS's Face the Nation, Nixon was pressed on whether her repeated calls for Moody to be “locked up and punished” amount to a dangerous politicization of the justice system. She rejected that framing outright.
“It's not a desire to weaponize the justice system. It's designed to actually hold corrupt politicians accountable for what they're doing,” Nixon said. She added that she wants the Department of Justice to investigate because “nearly $10 million was stolen from sick kids, and people are pointing the finger saying they don't know who did it.”
Nixon, a state representative who pulled off a surprise primary win, continued: “Look, this is Donald Trump 2.0 here in the state of Florida, and we really need to work to push back.” She questioned how many children might die because Medicaid funds meant for their treatment were diverted.
The controversy stems from a sealed grand jury report, obtained by CBS News Miami, which found that of a $67 million settlement with Centene—Florida's largest Medicaid contractor—$10 million was routed to a charity called Hope Florida. Instead of supporting community welfare programs, the money was reportedly used by organizations that campaigned against a 2024 ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana.
At the time, Moody served as Florida's attorney general. The grand jury report says she was aware of the plan and authorized her former chief deputy, John Guard, to sign the settlement agreement.
Moody, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill Marco Rubio's Senate seat, is now running for a full term. She faces Nixon in November, with recent polls showing Moody holding a double-digit lead despite a challenging national environment for Republicans. Nixon has drawn support from progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, who campaigned with her last week.
Moody's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
