Florida court grants DeSantis' petition to investigate pharmaceutical companies
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis compared vaccine mandates to a 'social credit system'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Florida Supreme Court, on Thursday, granted a petition from Gov. Ron DeSantis to have a grand jury investigate any wrongdoing by COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.
DeSantis has claimed that "authoritarians" wanted to mandate the vaccination of people, and he did what he could to protect Floridians from having that happen and instead leave the choice up to individuals whether to get vaccinated or not.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves as he arrives for a news conference at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, on Key Biscayne, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
"The authoritarians wanted to institute a vaccine passport system almost like a social credit system, so that people who dissented from this would be marginalized from society entirely. We rejected that, and we banned it," the Florida governor told Laura Ingraham on "The Ingraham Angle" last week. "At the end of the day, what we’re looking for is to provide truth, to provide accurate data, and provide accurate analysis."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS SAYS THERE WILL BE NO CHILDREN'S COVID VACCINE MANDATE
In his request to the Florida Supreme Court, DeSantis suggested a grand jury could seek out additional information from pharmaceutical companies about the vaccines and their potential side effects.
DeSantis argued in his request that the vaccine developers incited an environment that led people to think getting a coronavirus vaccine meant they could not spread the virus to others.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A health worker administers a dose of COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic in Reading, Pa. COVID-19 vaccinations are at a critical juncture as companies test whether new approaches like combination shots or nasal drops can keep up with a mutating coronavirus — even though it’s not clear if any change is needed. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The governor announced his petition for a grand jury on Dec. 13.
"In Florida, it is against the law to mislead and to misrepresent, particularly when you’re talking about the efficacy of a drug," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The grand jury, oftentimes made up of 18 members, will convene for 1 year.