Friday’s Wall Street Journal editorial board attacked Rebekah Jones, an ex-state department employee who claimed she was fired for refusing to alter COVID-19 data in Florida.
Jones claimed Jones was fired in 2020 from her position in the health department for refusing to comply with pressure to manipulate COVID-19 figures. An Inspector General Michael J. Bennett determined that Jones’ claims were false.
Bennett’s report stated, “Based upon an analysis of all evidence, the alleged misconduct as described by her complaint didn’t occur.” Bennett’s office claimed that Bennett was fired because of her insubordination. ”
The editorial boards noted several headlines that were consistent with the claims of the whistleblower. NPR’s “Florida Dismisses Scientist for Her Refusal To Manipulate State’s Coronavirus Data” was one example.
In 2021, Cosmopolitan published a glowing profile about Jones. The headline was “Rebekah Jones Tried to Warn Us About COVID-19.” Her freedom is now at risk ”
“Now, Mr. DeSantis has been exonerated by the Florida Department of Health Office of Inspection General. The IG interviewed more than a dozen people who had worked with state Covid information. Ms. Jones’ supervisors were also interviewed by the editorial board. They said that they could not confirm her claims.
Also published was an editorial by the Miami Herald titled “Rebekah’s win as whistleblower against Florida’s DeSantis government may be a winfor us all.” This article was heavily criticized.
The report states that “if the complainant, or any other DOH staff, falsified COVID-19 data on the dashboard,” the dashboard wouldn’t have matched the data in the final daily reports.
The Department of Health stated that the “differences in the data” would be detected by not only the Department of Health staff, but also local governments, researchers, and the media/media. ”
“Unfortunately many Americans distrust media because too many reports are driven partisan narratives. The editorial board stated they wish they were wrong.
Jones appeared on CNN several times during the 2020 pandemic. Chris Cuomo hosted the primetime program.
