Health officials worried after Florida Supreme Court approves DeSantis' COVID-19 vaccine probe

Blaze ^ | December 27, 2022 | JOSEPH MACKINNON

[Red Badger]

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis petitioned the state's supreme court earlier this month for an order to impanel a statewide grand jury to probe any wrongdoing related to COVID-19 vaccines. The court gave him the green light on Thursday.

This has a number of health officials and so-called experts worried about the impact that this truth-finding mission may have on vaccine hesitancy and the public's faith in the medical establishment.

What are the details?

Earlier this month, DeSantis sought approval from the Florida Supreme Court to impanel a grand jury to look into "crimes and wrongdoing committed against Floridians related to the COVID-19 vaccine."

The governor's petition noted that the "pharmaceutical industry has a notorious history of misleading the public for financial gain. Questions have been raised regarding the veracity of the representations made by the pharmaceutical manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly with respect to transmission, prevention, efficacy, and safety. An investigation is warranted to determine whether the pharmaceutical industry has engaged in fraudulent practices. The people of Florida deserve to know the truth."

On Dec. 22, the seven-member court complied with DeSantis' request to "get more information and bring legal accountability for those who committed misconduct."

The grand jury will also be able to consider "other criminal activity or wrongdoing that the statewide grand jury uncovers during the course of the investigation" or behavior that is part of an "organized criminal conspiracy," reported the Orlando Sentinel.

Five members were in favor, one abstained, and the lone "no" vote was DeSantis appointee Justice Renatha Francis.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the resultant grand jury will be impaneled for 12 months with the chief judge for Florida's Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Ronald Ficarrotta, serving as the presiding judge.

This outcome has some health officials rattled.

Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration principal deputy commissioner Joshua Sharfstein told The Hill, "This is turning a matter of health and science into a political wedge issue, with the likely consequence that many people will be misled into placing themselves and their families at risk of serious illness and death."

Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, concurred, accusing DeSantis of having a mistaken understanding of the facts and suggesting that the investigation would amount to a "waste of taxpayer money and time and effort."

While conceding that the mRNA vaccines rely upon "brand-new technology" and various "assumptions," Benjamin suggested their deployment "turned out to be a whole lot better than most people thought it would be."

William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University's Department of Health Policy, also expressed concern about the impact such an investigation would have, claiming that the panels responsible for advising federal agencies on vaccine policy adhered to a "rigorous, externally vetted, very critical process."

Schaffner and Benjamin further downplayed myocarditis as a consequence of the vaccines, suggesting that COVID-19 infections present greater myocarditis risk than do vaccinations.

TheBlaze previously reported that Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo issued guidance for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines on Oct. 7, stating that with "a high level of global immunity to COVID-19, the benefit of vaccination is likely outweighed by this abnormally high risk of cardiac-related death among men" in the 18-39 age group.

The guidance cited analysis that showed an 84% increase in the relative incidence of cardiac-related deaths in this demographic within 28 days following mRNA vaccination.

Brian Castrucci, CEO and president of the de Beaumont Foundation, told The Hill that DeSantis "appears to be focused on creating fear around vaccines that have been shown to be safe and effective."

Castrucci claimed such an investigation would make vaccine safety a "partisan issue" and would "put lives at risk."

"It is preposterous," said Kenneth Goodman, director of the Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy at the University of Miami. "The idea that there was malign intent, when it comes to what the governor is interested in, is a total knee slapper."

So-called digital health expert Bruce Lee recently penned an article for Forbes claiming that DeSantis' initiative is "like being still in the middle of a fire and calling for an investigation into hoses."

Lee suggested that DeSantis' government should at least work with the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when looking into possible malfeasance by pharmaceutical companies, despite both organizations being highly politicized.

When DeSantis first petitioned the Florida Supreme Court, Dr. Anthony Faucitold CNN, "We have a vaccine that unequivocally is highly effective and safe and has saved literally millions of lives. ... We need to pull together and recognize that the common enemy is the virus."

Extra to its statewide grand jury investigation, the DeSantis administration announced two additional actions to "hold the federal government and Big Pharma accountable."

Florida "will conduct surveillance into sudden deaths of individuals that received the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida, based on autopsy results."

DeSantis is also establishing the Public Health Integrity Committee, which will "assess federal public health recommendations and guidance to ensure that Florida’s public health policies are tailored for Florida’s communities and priorities."

The committee will overseen by Ladapo.

Ladapo said in a statement, "With these new actions, we will shed light on the forces that have obscured truthful communication about the COVID-19 vaccines."

Notwithstanding the alarm raised by his critics in the medical establishment, DeSantis noted, "We’ll be able to get the data whether they want to give it or not."

[packrat35]

The vaccine did not and they have admitted prevent the transmission of COVID while also admitting that it did cause permanent harm to many people.

Just what is the justification for taking the (so-called) vaccine anyway. You could still catch COVID after getting the “vaccine”!

[packrat35]

COVID hysteria from the government and health officials has operantly made me NEVER to trust either again with iron-clad justification.

NEVER AGAIN EVER!

[packrat35]

Yes they have and yet we are still pelted with BS about getting more shots. Exactly what is the agenda here?

[RetiredTexasVet]

“This has a number of health officials and so-called experts worried...”

Why should they be worried if they practiced ethical, legal, and expert care in keeping with their oath to do no harm?

[politicianslie]

Vigilantes all too often get the wrong targets.

In this case, the VAXXXXXXXINE injured could carpet bomb BIG PHARMA and DC, plus many state capitals, and PROBABLY would not hit a wrong target.

Calling these places target rich is a serious understatement.

I understand vigilantes are checking out neutron bombs again which kill the people but do not destroy buildings. Seems appropriate in this case.

[Iron Munro]

If they were honest, ethical and honorable they would not have a problem with an aboveboard investigation to determine if there was criminality and/or wrongdoing.

[9YearLurker]

I wouldn’t be worried about much. He filled his committee of advisors on it with Establishment middling types. The types who are still recommending jabs for the elderly, etc.

[politicianslie]

Yes they have and yet we are still pelted with BS about getting more shots. Exactly what is the agenda here?

How are they going to kill you if you don't get shots? Rounding up people, putting them in boxcars and taking them to showers is so complicated. It's genius, pure genius to get the excess eaters to stand in line, get injected and then get buried by their estate.

So get in line and get up to date on your shots so we can get back to normal. And we can protect others. And we can reduce population by 90% to meet WEF goals. Bill Gates is counting on you to comply.

AND don't worry about the USA. President Biden is letting in millions of future citizens who are not vaccinated. He is so far ahead of the average American! This plan is so much better than the neutron bomb.

[matthew fuller]

"the public's faith in the medical establishment. "

The public's faith in the medical establishment can only be favorably compared to the Milwaukee PD after the Floyd George funeral.

[matthew fuller]

Who’s got the Branch Covidian Ping list, Dugway Dude? Gaslite Dr?

[taxcontrol]

It has often been pointed out that the vaccine laws prohibit lawsuits against vaccine manufactures. That is true but it comes with an asterixis.

Reporting of information of the vaccine trials requires honest reporting. I am of the opinion that intentionally misrepresenting Covid clinical trial data qualifies as fraud under 18 U.S. Code § 1341 - Frauds and swindles

Whoever, having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, or to sell, dispose of, loan, exchange, alter, give away, distribute, supply, or furnish or procure for unlawful use any counterfeit or spurious coin, obligation, security, or other article, or anything represented to be or intimated or held out to be such counterfeit or spurious article, for the purpose of executing such scheme or artifice or attempting so to do, places in any post office or authorized depository for mail matter, any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by the Postal Service, or deposits or causes to be deposited any matter or thing whatever to be sent or delivered by any private or commercial interstate carrier, or takes or receives therefrom, any such matter or thing, or knowingly causes to be delivered by mail or such carrier according to the direction thereon, or at the place at which it is directed to be delivered by the person to whom it is addressed, any such matter or thing, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. If the violation occurs in relation to, or involving any benefit authorized, transported, transmitted, transferred, disbursed, or paid in connection with, a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency (as those terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)), or affects a financial institution, such person shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.

Further, I believe that such fraud would be actionable via lawsuit.

Disclaimer - I am not a lawyer and do not play one on tv.

[lurk]

Step one, grant a 50% reduction in prison time and lawsuit judgments to anyone who wants to cooperate within 30 days of the probe beginning.

[wjcsux]

“The Branch Covidians have been quiet on FR as of late. Wonder why?”
I’ve noticed that over the past several weeks as well. We continue to get the “public service” proclamations from the CDC pushing the vaxx over the radio waves every 15 minutes.

[clearcarbon]

Ask the new medical establishment how it feels to walk the mile in the shoes of the old tobacco industry, except the latter never forced anyone to smoke.