The woman once fired by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis amid claims that he was not properly sharing COVID-19 data within the state has now pleaded guilty to computer crimes.
Former Florida Department of Health employee Rebekah Jones rocketed to fame in early 2021, when she was arrested for allegedly tampering with Florida’s online COVID-19 dashboard she helped design.
Police said she illegally accessed the Florida Department of Health’s computer system to send a message to 1,750 people, according to WEAR-TV, which reported that Jones was also accused of downloading confidential data pertaining to Floridians and saving it to her personal devices.
That website reports that Jones’ prosecution will be deferred for two years so long as she abides by conditions set by the court. WEAR-TV reports that those conditions include:
- admit guilt of the offenses charged with
- pay $20,000 in investigative fees to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement at a rate of $200 per month until paid in full
- 150 hours of community service at a minimum rate of 13 hours per month
- see a licensed mental health professional at a minimum of one hour per month
- no new arrests
Though she faded into obscurity on the national stage, Jones was briefly a household name.
Leftist hero Rebekah Jones ADMITS GUILT as part of a tough plea deal; has to pay $20,000, perform community service, and seek mental health assistance.https://t.co/loUDRhL6Tg
— Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel) December 9, 2022
She became a left wing media darling when she claimed that her actions were meant to reveal Florida’s underreporting of COVID-19 cases, and her story became a cudgel to beat DeSantis for his pro-freedom COVID-19 policies.
More recently, Jones became a Democratic politician and mounted a long shot campaign against firebrand Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, who soundly defeated her despite his own series of wild accusations hanging over his head.
After losing her political campaign, notes Hot Air, Jones began a new career as the host of a podcast that is “dedicated to rooting out misinformation.”
