A new internal report debunked the left-wing media’s promotion of false accusations that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis manipulated COVID-19 data throughout the height of the pandemic.
The Florida Department of Health’s former dashboard manager, Rebekah Jones, claimed she was fired in May 2020 for her refusal to forge COVID numbers at the governor’s behest. Florida’s COVID data had no significant flaws. After her firing, Jones created her own dashboard that contained heavily inflated statistics, National Review senior writer Charles C.W. Cooke reported in the New York Post.
Jones frequently appeared on MSNBC’s “TheReidOut” and CNN to promote her accusations against the governor. She joined at least 5 interviews with former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, the brother of former Democratic Florida Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who covered up nursing home deaths during the pandemic.
Digital media outlets also promoted Jones’ narrative in published headlines. NPR published a May 19, 2020, piece titled, “Florida Dismisses A Scientist For Her Refusal To Manipulate State’s Coronavirus Data.” “Rebekah Jones Tried To Warn Us About COVID-19. How Her Freedom Is On The Line,” wrote Cosmopolitan.”Florida Scientist Vows To Speak COVID-19 ‘Truth To Power’ Despite Police Raid,” wrote the Huffington Post.