"What It Is Ain't Exactly Clear...."

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article269954192.htmlDeSantis: "Today, I'm announcing a petition with the Supreme Court of Florida to enpanel a statewide grand jury to investigate any and all wrongdoing in Florida with respect to covid-19 vaccines." pic.twitter.com/zcNeFCrPhH

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 13, 2022

A) Is DeSantis campaigning for President on this?

B) Does he think anyone still cares about the covid vaccine? (I understand the rates of people getting the third booster are very low, contributing to the continued rise in covid hospitalizations.  Well, that and flu patients who won't get that vaccine.)

C) Is that a thing in Florida?  The state Supreme Court can empanel a statewide grand jury?  Seems to me that's the job of a prosecuting attorney, not a court.  This ain't France, after all.  I'm pretty sure they don't do that even in Louisiana.*

D) I know DeSantis' surgeon general just plays a doctor on TeeVee.  Now DeSantis is playing a lawyer, as well.

E)  I suspect Florida's constitution is similar to that of Texas in some fundamentals.  Even New York state doesn't give the state AG the power to conduct criminal investigations, something also true in Texas.  So Ken Paxton couldn't empanel a statewide grand jury if he wanted to.  Maybe the Florida AG could (seems odd and unlikely, to be honest), but it would require evidence of violation of specific criminal laws, not just this "LOCK 'EM UP!" brand of nonsense.  I don't see how the state Supreme Court has any role in it at all (separation of powers, and all).

Quite a contrast today between science at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and anti-science at the Ron DeSantis Quackatorium in Florida. https://t.co/qSQQXRISze

— RSchooley@socel.net (@Rschooley) December 13, 2022

F) I guess that explains why DeSantis did it.

Republicans have gone from running on taking away healthcare to challenging the basic concept of health as too woke. No wonder they had such a fantastic mid-term.

— RSchooley@socel.net (@Rschooley) December 13, 2022

G) Florida voted for this.  Have fun with it.

P.S.

“Stage this to emphasize what a tiny man I am.” pic.twitter.com/mtTd9ZLgL4

— RSchooley@socel.net (@Rschooley) December 13, 2022

Ron DeSantis' staff hates him. The truth continues to be revealed.

like i keep saying, DeSantis is a sincere crank and I think it will be off-putting on a national stage. https://t.co/C0HvOSb8Xi

— b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) December 13, 2022

Exactly.

The primary difference between Trump and DeSantis is that Trump is a lazy narcissist who wasn't interested in doing the job of president, while DeSantis is a hard-working authoritarian with well-thought out plans to remake the United States in the image of Viktor Orban's Hungary. https://t.co/lNGTz9StV0

— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) December 13, 2022

No, no! Be afraid! Be very afraid!

DeSantis is going to campaign on replacing the CDC with the "Public Health Integrity Committee of Florida"?  And this is supposed to be scary and authoritarian and win the hearts of people who love Viktor Orban? (Most of whom go to CPAC on the regular.  Quick, when was the last time CPAC put somebody behind the Resolute Desk?)

I'm pretty sure the national reaction to DeSantis is going to be:  "Sell crazy somewhere else.  We're all full up here."

*Turns out Florida does have a statute allowing the governor to ask the Supreme Court to impanel such a grand jury. Which is just supremely weird to me. It has to be for “good and sufficient reasons,” which frankly you could drive a truck through; sideways. The reasons DeSantis gives are that the Feds persuaded people to get vaccinated, and the vaccines were not 100% effective so maybe there was fraud?

In light of the foregoing information, Petitioner has determined that there are good and sufficient reasons to deem it to be in the public interest to impanel a statewide grand jury to investigate criminal or wrongful activity in Florida relating to the development, promotion, and distribution of vaccines purported to prevent COVID- 19 infection, symptoms, and transmission. 27. Specifically, such investigation should consider any crime or wrong listed or described in section 905.34 that relates to the following:

“The following” is basically any individual or company DeSantis can connect to Covid vaccines in Florida.

A fishing expedition, in other words. There is no basis presented for a criminal investigation. Does this statute contemplate an investigation illegal under any other authority, including the Constitution? I doubt the court will think so.

I think DeSantis is jealous of the attention Georgia is getting. But there’s no way what’s alleged (I use the term loosely; think Kari Lake’s “make me the winner!” lawsuit.) is anything close to criminal fraud (Grand juries don’t investigate civil cases.). If the Florida court grants this petition, that’s on them. Because this is a waste of government and legal resources, and any indictments coming out of such an investigation would be thrown out on at least a dozen grounds I can think of.