Wasserman Schultz on DeSantis' Whistleblower Persecution

Washington, December 9, 2020
Gov. DeSantis’ mishandling of the coronavirus in Florida has made him a global laughingstock and has caused so much needless suffering and death in our state. Now, beyond just deadly incompetence, it appears that he has chosen to abuse Florida’s law enforcement and judicial systems to persecute Rebekah Jones
Gov. DeSantis’ mishandling of the coronavirus in Florida has made him a global laughingstock and has caused so much needless suffering and death in our state. Now, beyond just deadly incompetence, it appears that he has chosen to abuse Florida’s law enforcement and judicial systems to persecute Rebekah Jones, a scientist who dared to critique his oft-maligned and suspect COVID-19 data. Given the timid complicity and lack of oversight from the Republican-controlled Legislature, the governor’s abuse of power must be investigated immediately by Florida’s relevant inspectors general. My office is also exploring various federal-level investigative options. Our state is in a public health emergency. And rather than use his executive power to protect Floridians, DeSantis abuses it to attack scientists who dare to sound the alarm about Florida’s inept, dangerous response and apparent manipulation of data. That is not leadership; it is autocratic repression.