CNN – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday asked his state’s Supreme Court to green-light an investigation of “any and all wrongdoing in Florida with respect to Covid-19 vaccines,” his latest move to cast doubt on the vaccines’ effectiveness and amplify fears about side effects.
In the petition filed with the Florida Supreme Court, the Republican governor requests the empaneling of a grand jury to investigate a broad group of entities associated with the development, distribution and promotion of the vaccines, including pharmaceutical manufacturers and their executive officers, as well as medical associations.
DeSantis also said Tuesday he was launching a public health integrity committee – a panel that would counter the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which DeSantis said “is not serving a useful function; it’s really serving to advance narratives rather than do evidence-based medicine.”
The panel would assess guidance and actions from federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, US Food and Drug Administration and the CDC.
DeSantis has made Covid-19 vaccine skepticism his calling card ahead of a potential run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
The announcements Tuesday came at a roundtable focused on vaccines that DeSantis led … READ MORE.
These could be some of the reasons DeSantis hasn’t announced a presidential run (yet)
December 14, 2022 | Morning Edition | GREG ALLEN
In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won reelection by a wide margin, reinforcing his position as a strong contender for the party’s presidential nomination in 2024.
But DeSantis isn’t showing signs that he is ready to officially announce his candidacy. He says he’s focused on being governor and dismisses questions about presidential ambitions.
But for anyone who looks, there are some obvious signs that he’s preparing to run. He has an autobiography titled The Courage to Be Free due to be released early next year.
The publisher’s press release says it is the story of a governor who, “has fought—and won—battle after battle, defeating not just opposition from the political left, but a barrage of hostile media coverage proclaiming the end of the world.”
DeSantis raised more than $200 million for his reelection for governor, including $10 million in a single donation from a Las Vegas real estate developer, much more than he needed.
He currently has at least $90 million in the bank and is still fundraising. His immense campaign fund helped him beat his Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist, by nearly 20 points … read more.
