Florida COVID data critic Rebekah Jones reaches agreement on felony charge

[Jose Garcia]

Source: Tampa Bay Times

FORT LAUDERDALE — A fired Florida health department data manager charged with illegally accessing state computers after she publicly accused officials of wanting to make COVID-19 statistics look less dire has reached an agreement with prosecutors that should result in the case being dropped.

Rebekah Jones, who helped design the state’s coronavirus website, signed an agreement with prosecutors admitting guilt to a charge of illegally accessing the state’s computer system and requiring her to pay $20,000 to cover the investigation’s costs, perform 150 hours of community service and see a mental health counselor monthly. If she completes those requirements, the charge will be dropped within two years. The agreement was filed late last week at Tallahassee’s circuit court.

Jones, who lost a bid for Congress last month, was charged in January 2021 with one count of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks and electronic devices. Investigators say that in late 2020, months after she was fired, Jones illegally accessed a state emergency-alert messaging system known as ReadyOp.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Jones downloaded and saved confidential data and sent a message to 1,750 state employees that urged them to “speak up before another 17,000 people are dead” — the number of Floridians who had died of COVID-19 by that point.

Read more: https://web.archive.org/web/20221212192927/https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/12/12/florida-covid-data-critic-rebekah-jones-reaches-agreement-felony-charge/

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The moral of today's story is to not believe someone just because they are telling a story which reinforces what you already believe.

[Lunabell]

1. I didn't read that she was wrong about her claims.

Just that she broke the law to access the data. Did I miss the part where her claims were incorrect?

[dweller]

3. She warned at the end of 2020

Not to let another 17,000 deaths … the number at that time, happen.
Now here we are at the end of 2022, Fla death count is 83k+

✌🏻

[IronLionZion]

4. Yet somehow DeathSentence's vote percentage went higher

despite encouraging his voters to die for freedom

[Jose Garcia]

5. His Democratic opponent didn't make an issue of it

He ran non-stop commercials about abortion and did worse than any Democrat since Reconstruction.

[SunSeeker]

11. Florida is the most pro-choice red state in the country.

https://time.com/6216096/ron-desantis-florida-governor-race-charlie-crist/

It was an issue that helped a lot of other Dem candidates, so it was not a crazy idea to run ads on abortion. The Florida economy is roaring, so bashing the state economy, or covid response, would have been a loser for sure. And the ads were not "non-stop." The Crist campaign was starved for money. He was written off pretty early by national Dems.

Val Demings didn't concentrate on the abortion issue, yet she didn't do much better than Crist.

But hey, it is impressive that you managed to bash Jones AND Crist AND fighting for abortion rights, all in one OP thread! Who needs Fox when there's DU?

[Lunabell]

10. Crist is not well received by florida Democrats.

He's a former republican politician. Politician being the operative word. They did not trust him.

[ramen]

9. You did not. Her claims were correct. This court judgement is garbage. nt

[Evolve Dammit]

16. exactly. She was right and should suffer (or agree to) nothing.

[Kennah]

20. I think you understand the situation perfectly

[Chainfire]

2. She paid the price for crossing DeSantis.

It was a warning to all Floridians.

[Probatim]

6. Monthly mental health counseling?

That seems to be a bit egregious - especially to publish that condition.

[SunSeeker]

7. It's all part of De Santis' effort to discredit her. nt

[Probatim]

8. Sounds like a fascist technique to discredit your opponents.

[yonder]

12. Agree. That sounds suspiciously like RDS had a hand in it.

And what happens if that counselor is a Nurse Ratchet type who eventually determines her patient has not "come around"? Will the charges still be dropped?

[Probatim]

14. This was fishy from the start.

Armed police serving her with a warrant - so much worse when you consider the entirety of his efforts to discredit her.

[Jose Garcia]

19. The State Attorney in Leon County is a Democrat

[Jose Garcia]

18. This isn't her first run-in with the law

She is also facing cyberstalking charges and was fired from a teaching job for threatening to give a failing grade to the roommate of a student she was having an affair with:

https://www.wuft.org/news/2020/07/22/criminal-stalking-case-against-fired-florida-health-data-scientist-to-drag-into-august/

[msfiddlestix]

13. not exactly the moral of THIS story... seems like prosecution of a whistle blower to me

A whistle blower against the tpbnwill get your ass locked up faster than a blink of an eye.

[Probatim]

15. That's the most important lesson in the bible.

Don't flip the moneychangers' tables - that's when shit gets real.

[live love laugh]

17. What TFG stole is a million times worse. Without consequence. Yet,

I hope. 🤞🏾

[Jeebo]

21. She said before the Nov. election she was looking forward to the Jan. trial.

That's what I remember, anyway. She said she was eagerly anticipating the opportunity to defend herself in court in January. I'd like to know, why did she change her mind? Also, what the hell is wrong with the voters in her district? Why did so many of them vote for that loathsome sleazeball who was her opponent? That district must be a really stinky right wing sewer.

-- Ron