Fired FL Health Dept. Employee Rebekah Jones Made ‘Unsubstantiated’ Claims of Scrubbing COVID Data, Health Officials ‘Exonerated’
May 26, 2022 Updated 5:26 P.M. ET
TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – A new report shows a fired Florida Department of Health employee made “unsubstantiated” claims that the department fired her after she refused to falsify COVID data, according to an inspector general report obtained by NBC News.
Rebekah Jones claimed she was asked to falsify COVID positivity rates or misrepresent them on the state’s dashboard she helped design. However, the Florida Department of Health’s Office of Inspector General reportedly said it found “insufficient evidence” to support Jones’ claims.
Health officials accused by Jones of wrongdoing were also “exonerated” for removing a data section on the website to protect people’s private health information.
NBC reports that Jones was portrayed in the report as someone who did not understand public health policy and did not have access to crucial information that was not released publicly.
Jones also promoted the conspiracy theory that Florida intentionally hid deaths. National media outlets wrote stories about Jones’ theories as the Florida Department of Health rebutted Jones’ comments.
Jones reportedly faces a felony charge for downloading confidential health department data.
