Florida’s Republican incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis takes to the stage opposite his Democratic Party challenger Charlie Crist, a former governor, on the Sunrise Theatre in Fort Pierce, Florida, U.S. October 24, 2022.
Crystal Vander Weiter | Reuters
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that he plans to petition the state’s Supreme Court to convene a grand jury to analyze “any and all wrongdoing” with respect to the Covid-19 vaccines.
The Republican governor, who is commonly mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2024, gave no specifics on what wrongdoing the panel would investigate, but suggested it might be partially aimed to jogging loose more information concerning the vaccines and potential harmful negative effects.
He made the announcement following a roundtable with Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and a panel of scientists and physicians, by which some discussion centered on the indisputable fact that pharmaceutical corporations haven’t provided their data on the Covid-19 vaccines to independent researchers.
“We’ll give you the option to get the information whether or not they want to provide it or not,” DeSantis said. “In Florida, it is prohibited to mislead and misrepresent, especially when you’re talking concerning the efficacy of a drug.”
Statewide grand juries, normally comprised of 18 people, can investigate criminal activity and issue indictments but in addition examine systemic problems in Florida and make recommendations. Recent such panels have tackled immigration issues and college safety.
DeSantis noted that Florida recently “got $3.2 billion through legal motion against those chargeable for the opioid crisis. So, it isn’t like that is something that is unprecedented.” That cash got here largely through lawsuits and settlements with drug makers, retailers and distributors.
DeSantis said he expects to get approval from the Supreme Court for the statewide grand jury to be empaneled, likely within the Tampa Bay area.
“That may include legal processes that can give you the option to get more information and to bring legal accountability to those that committed misconduct,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis also announced he’s creating an entity called the a “Public Health Integrity Committee,” which is able to include most of the physicians and scientists who participated within the roundtable on Tuesday.
He said that some people have lost faith in public health institutions, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the course of the pandemic. The governor has incessantly spoken against CDC directives, including mask and vaccine mandates, and filed lawsuits to stop many from taking effect in Florida.
