Rebekah Jones, a former Florida data scientist in the health department who says she was wrongfully fired last year, has been charged with a number of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks and electronic devices, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Send the news: Jones surrendered her Sunday night after a warrant was issued for her arrest. Authorities raided her home last month and shouted online after she tweeted a video of the incident.
- At the time, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) told local newspapers that they began an investigation on Nov. 10 after receiving a complaint from the Department of Health about unauthorized access to a departmental messaging system of Health as part of an emergency alert system that can only be used for emergencies. ‘
Fast fast in: Jones was fired last year for refusing to manipulate ‘data’ for the state, according to the Tallahassee diplomat.
- The Florida Department of Health called Jones’ initial allegations of data manipulation “false.”
- A Florida government spokesman, Ron DeSantis (R), told the Miami Herald in May 2020 that Jones had been removed from her position due to “a repeated course of insubordination,” leading to a change in COVID-19. -dashboard of the department included.
- Jones later created her own coronavirus case tracker as an alternative to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.
What they say: “The raid was based on a lie. Nevertheless, the state issued a warrant for my arrest – even though the ‘crime’ was not related to the warrant, the scope of the warrant, and they did not wait for a third party to review confidential information on my computers, ‘ Jones tweeted Saturday.
- “The new allegation was issued the day after a Tallahassee judge told police that if they did not investigate a crime, they should return my equipment. They found no evidence of anything related to the warrant,” and therefore they invented something new to come after me in retaliation, ‘she added.
- ‘To protect my family from continued police violence and to show that I’m ready to fight for whatever they throw at me, I’m turning myself into Florida on Sunday night. The governor will not win his war against science and freedom of speech. He will not silence those who speak. ‘
- After releasing her bail on Monday, she told reporters she had just tested positive for COVID-19 on CNN.
The FDLE did not immediately respond to Axios ‘request for comment, but in a statement to the WSJ, officials said: “Evidence obtained from a search warrant on December 7 shows that Jones had illegal access to the system and’ sent a message to about 1,750 people and confidential FDOH downloaded data and stored it on her devices. ‘
For the record: Jones denied sending the message or illegally accessing any website, the WSJ noted.
The whole picture: DeSantis has come under fire for its handling of the pandemic.
- An investigation by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, published in early December, reported that DeSantis’ administration was engaging in a pattern of spin and concealment that misled the public about the biggest health threat the state has ever had in the faced. ‘
Go deeper: Florida police knock on the door of scientists who have challenged the state on COVID-19 data