Florida state lawmakers ended their investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, an organization linked to first lady Casey DeSantis’s signature welfare assistance program known as Hope Florida, but questions about the program and the foundation remain, as she and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) chart their political future.

The state House subcommittee investigating a $10 million donation to the charity abruptly ended its probe last week after two witnesses did not show up to testify.

At question is whether the $10 million donation to the Hope Florida Foundation was money from a settlement agreement involving the state’s largest Medicaid contractor, Centene Corp., after Florida was overbilled for Medicaid.

Critics say a portion of that settlement, all of which was intended to be returned to state and federal coffers, was sent to the Hope Florida Foundation and eventually ended up in the hands of political groups that campaigned against a ballot measure to legalize marijuana last fall. Ron DeSantis was among the politicians opposed to the measure’s passage. DeSantis and his allies deny the money was not from the settlement.

The governor has also maintained the investigation was part of a “manufactured” smear campaign against him and his wife.

“It was all political,” Ron DeSantis told reporters this week. “People smear what they fear. If Hope Florida represents a threat to their world view, they’re going to go after it.”

Will there be a federal investigation?

The investigation in the state House was led by state Rep. Alex Andrade (R), chair of the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee and a critic of the governor.

While the state Legislature wrapped up its........

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