Jones first gained notoriety in May after she claimed she was fired for “refusing to falsify data” on the COVID-19 pandemic. A vocal critic of Gov. Ron DeSantis, she recaptured national interest on Dec. 7 when state police executed a search warrant at her Tallahassee home.
State police seized her hardware, tech and other electronics in connection to a DOH cyber hack on Nov.10, FDLE said at the time.
“They entered her home with guns drawn, terrorizing her family,” the Leon County lawsuit filed against FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen says. “They were there to execute a search warrant for her electronics devices; however the basis of the warrant was a sham to punish Plaintiff for her protected speech.”
According to the lawsuit, Jones alleges state police violated her First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments rights. She’s also alleged violations against state law.
Jones is seeking damages of more than $30,000, according to the lawsuit. She is represented by attorneys Rick Johnson of Tallahassee and Lawrence Walters of Tampa.
In the days after the incident, Jones appeared on local and national media to speak in her defense. She’s alleged DeSantis played a role in the search warrant.
“Plaintiff’s firing captured a great deal of media attention nationally and in Florida, much of it negative toward Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely believed to have had a hand in the firing,” the lawsuit reads, later adding: “FDLE Commissioners are sensitive to the attitudes and preferences of governors.”
DeSantis on Dec. 12 denied involvement with the warrant and described Jones as a person with “issues.”
Leon County court documents show Jones was charged in July 2019 with two counts of cyberstalking and one count of sexual cyber harassment. According to court records, one of the cases remains open.
DeSantis then also accused news media of latching on and distorting the story. He takes issue with reports describing the search warrant as a police raid.
“You guys need to look at facts and stop trying to feed narratives,” DeSantis said. “I understand why you do it, but it’s not supported by facts. You should be better than that.”
This article first appeared at Florida Politics.
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This article appears in Dec 17-23, 2020.