Rebekah Jones turned down a plea offer she thinks is politically inspired and claimed she is willing to go to demo and possibility jail to stand up to what she states is political retribution from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
On Tuesday, a Leon County Circuit Courtroom Choose set a demo day for Jones’ scenario for Jan. 23, 2023. Jones is going through a felony demand of accessing a laptop or computer method without the need of authority.
Jones effortlessly gained the Democratic Bash most important for the 1st Congressional District Aug. 23 immediately after facing a authorized problem to her candidacy, and is managing against Rep. Matt Gaetz for the seat in the November election.
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Jones attained nationwide notice in 2020 after remaining fired from her Florida Department of Wellbeing place and alleging DeSantis’ administration manipulated knowledge about COVID-19 instances and fatalities.
A condition inspector basic report produced previously this 12 months identified no proof of wrongdoing by the Office of Health, but Jones however has a situation pending prior to the Florida Commission on Human Relations in excess of her firing.
Prosecutors allege that after Jones was fired, she logged on to the Florida Division of Health’s pc techniques and despatched out a mass textual content concept making use of the condition crisis inform method to a lot more than 1,700 persons. The message called on point out staff members to discuss out on COVID-19.
Jones has denied the prices.
Plea problems negotiations
Jones informed the Information Journal that prior to the primary, she experienced been doing the job on a plea offer with prosecutors. Jones explained her lawyers had been negotiating on two circumstances of the offer, 1 of which demanded an admission of guilt. Jones mentioned she was eager to acknowledge she shared in the accountability for influencing an individual else to mail the mass textual content message.
Jones offered email messages in between her attorney and prosecutors