Florida
John Guard
Judge of Florida's Second District Court of Appeal, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January 2026. As chief deputy attorney general he signed the 2024 Centene Medicaid settlement that sent $10 million to the Hope Florida Foundation.
In the records
- Education: bachelor's degree, Florida State University; law degree, Tulane University. (Office of the Governor, “Governor Ron DeSantis Makes One Judicial Appointment (John Guard)”, Jan. 14, 2026)
Offices and candidacies
- Earlier Assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida; later a partner at Quarles & Brady. (Office of the Governor, “Governor Ron DeSantis Makes One Judicial Appointment (John Guard)”, Jan. 14, 2026)
- Until 2025 Chief deputy attorney general under Ashley Moody, and acting attorney general. (Office of the Governor, “Governor Ron DeSantis Makes One Judicial Appointment (John Guard)”, Jan. 14, 2026)
- Sept. 27, 2024 Signed Florida's Medicaid settlement with Centene for the Attorney General's Office. The grand jury report said he signed with Moody's authorization after raising reservations. (CBS News Miami, “Grand jury finds DeSantis administration "misappropriated" $10 million in taxpayer money to Hope Florida”, Aug. 26, 2026)
- 2025 Senior counselor to Attorney General James Uthmeier. (Office of the Governor, “Governor Ron DeSantis Makes One Judicial Appointment (John Guard)”, Jan. 14, 2026)
- Jan. 14, 2026 Appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Second District Court of Appeal. (Office of the Governor, “Governor Ron DeSantis Makes One Judicial Appointment (John Guard)”, Jan. 14, 2026)
- 2026 Represented himself in the appeal that ended in the Oct. 7, 2026, order expunging the Hope Florida grand jury report. (Florida First District Court of Appeal, “In re: Leon County Grand Jury Presentment, Fall of 2025, No. 1D2026-2435 (copy via WFLA)”, Oct. 7, 2026)