TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Republican appointed to a commission that recommends judicial appointments to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is resigning because of a search warrant served on a former Department of Health employee who has criticized the state’s COVID-19 data.
Ron Filipowski announced his resignation from the 12th Circuit Judicial Nomination Commission on Twitter on Tuesday, saying a raid at the home of Rebekah Jones was unconscionable.
Jones, who designed and managed the Florida Department of Health’s coronavirus dashboard, was fired in May. At the time, Jones said she believed it was because she was too transparent. Gov. Ron DeSantis, however, called Jones “insubordinate.”
“I no longer wish to serve the current government of Florida in any capacity,” Filipowski said in his resignation letter.
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement served the search warrant Monday, saying a computer at Jones’s home was used to hack the Department of Health.
Filipowski, a Republican, has been a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, who is a close DeSantis ally. He served on the commission that recommends judicial nominees for Sarasota, Manatee and Desoto counties.
