Fired Florida data scientist files lawsuit over raid on her home
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Updated: 7:54 PM CST Dec 21, 2020
Fired Florida data scientist files lawsuit over raid on her home
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Updated: 7:54 PM CST Dec 21, 2020
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INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER GREG FOX. >> THIS APPEARS TO B RETALIATION BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. GREG: ORLANDO ATTORNEY LARRY WALTERS FILED SUIT AGAINST FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMISSIONER RICK SWEARINGEN AND HIS STAFF. >>, OUTSIDE. OUTSID GREG: IT STEMS FROM THIS RAID TO SEIZE COMPUTERS AND PHONES FROM FORMER HEALTH DEPARTMENT DATA SCIENTIST REBEKAH JONES. ARMED AGENTS WERE INVESTIGATING A NOVEMBER BREACH OF A STATE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM THEY SAY WAS TRACED TO A JONES I.P. ADDRESS. BUT HER ATTORNEY CLAIMS JONES’ FIRST, FOURTH, AND 14TH AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH, LEGAL SEARCH AND SEIZURE, AND DUE PROCESS WERE VIOLATED AND IS SEEKING MORE THAN $100,000, IN PART, FOR LEAVING HER FAMILY MEMBERS TERRIFIED AND TRAUMATIZE >> THIS WAS ABOUT SEIZING AND CONFISCATING ALL OF OUR CLIENT’S CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL, HER CONTACTS, HER COMMUNICATIONS WITH OTHER WHISTLEBLOWERS. AND WE’RE ASKING THE COURT TO PUT A STOP TO IT GREG: JONES WAS FIRED FOR INSUBORDINATION IN MAY AFTER CLAIMING GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS WAS MANIPULATING COVID-19 DATA. SHE HAS SINCE BEEN PROVIDING HER OWN DATA ON TWITTER. GOVERNOR DESANTIS DID NOT ADDRESS THE LAWSUIT MONDAY, BUT JONES’ ATTORNEY CLAIMS EVIDENCE WILL PROVE THE GOVERNOR HAD A HAND IN THE INVESTIGATION. >> WE BELIEVE IT’S CLEAR THAT THE RETALIATION IN THIS CASE W DIRECTED AT OUR CLIENT BASED ON HER CRITICAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE GOVERNOR. GREG: SWEARINGEN TOLD WESH 2 NEWS, "AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, I AM PROUD OF THE PROFESSIONALISM SHOWN BY OUR FDLE AGENTS AS THEY SERVED A LEGAL SEARCH WARRANT ON THE RESIDENCE OF REBEKAH JONES. OUR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION CONTINUES, AND WHILE I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS LAWSUIT, I BELIEVE THE FACTS WILL COME OUT IN COURT THE FDLE COMMISSIONER HAS 20 DAYS TO RESPOND