{"id":1493985,"date":"2022-05-27T07:14:54","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T11:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1493985"},"modified":"2022-05-27T07:15:03","modified_gmt":"2022-05-27T11:15:03","slug":"ig-report-exposes-faux-florida-whistleblower-who-claimed-state-underreported-covid-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ig-report-exposes-faux-florida-whistleblower-who-claimed-state-underreported-covid-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"IG Report Exposes \u201cFaux\u201d Florida Whistleblower Who Claimed State Underreported COVID Deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fig-report-exposes-faux-florida-whistleblower-who-claimed-state-underreported-covid-deaths%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1493985&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p>This story won\u2019t come as much of a surprise to anyone who remembers what <em>NRO<\/em>\u2018s Charles Cooke wrote about Rebekah Jones <a href=\"https:\/\/hotair.com\/john-s-2\/2021\/05\/18\/charles-cooke-on-rebekah-jones-the-whistleblower-who-wasnt-n390867\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a year ago<\/a>. In case you\u2019ve forgotten, Jones claimed that she\u2019d been asked to falsify data on Florida\u2019s COVID website. At the time, when <em>CNN<\/em> was busy making Gov. Andrew Cuomo into a pandemic hero and liberals were eager to trash Gov. DeSantis, this became a big story.<\/p>\n<p>Today, <em>NBC News<\/em> reports that the Florida Department of Health\u2019s Office of Inspector General has looked into Jones\u2019 claims and reached <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/florida-ig-report-insufficient-evidence-desantis-critics-claims-covid-rcna30647\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the same conclusion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"\">The 27-page report from the Florida Department of Health\u2019s Office of Inspector General said it found \u201cinsufficient evidence\u201d to support Rebekah Jones\u2019 accusations that she was asked to falsify Covid positivity rates or misrepresent them on the state\u2019s dashboard she helped design. The report also \u201cexonerated\u201d officials accused by Jones of wrongdoing because they removed a data section from the website to ensure that private individual health information was not released publicly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The independent report paints a portrait of an employee who did not understand public health policy or the significance of epidemiological data, did not have high-level access to crucial information and leveled claims that made professional health officials \u201cskeptical.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The report did not examine one of Jones\u2019 most explosives claims: that Florida intentionally hid deaths to make the pandemic seem less deadly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">That conspiracy theory, which Jones alternately\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MaxNordau\/status\/1395550429325369344\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">promoted and recanted<\/a>\u00a0on Twitter before her account was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/augustinefou\/2021\/06\/07\/the-curious-case-of-rebekah-jones-suspension-from-twitter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">suspended\u00a0<\/a>for violating the platform\u2019s terms of service, has persisted on social media for more than a year, despite the lack of evidence.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Of the four specific claims considered by the IG, all four were found to have \u201cinsufficient evidence\u201d and though he\u2019s not as conclusive about what did happen, the report does spell out that Jones\u2019 claims don\u2019t <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/22039765-oig-report?responsive=1&#038;title=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make much sense<\/a>. [emphasis added]\n<blockquote>\n<p>Allegation 1: Dr. Roberson directed the complainant and other DOH staff to falsify COVID- 19 positivity rates.<\/p>\n<p>Allegation 2: Ms. Coppola pressured the complainant to falsify COVID-19 positivity rates as directed by Dr. Roberson\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Conclusion (Allegations I and 2): Unsubstantiated. Based upon an analysis of the available evidence, there is insufficient evidence to clearly support a violation of a law, rule, or policy, as described by the complainant, due to conflicting testimonial evidence and the lack of witnesses to the April 26, 2020 meeting between the complainant, Dr. Roberson, and Ms. Coppola.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, <strong>the totality of the information obtained by the OIG indicates no reasonable cause for Dr. Roberson or Ms. Coppola to have directed and\/or pressured the complainant or other DOH staff to falsify or otherwise alter COVlD-19 data as alleged<\/strong>, because achieving ~10% positivity was not a criterion for reopening according to the WH and Florida reopening plans.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, without system access to COVlD-19 surveillance data in Merlin and ESSENCE, the complainant only had the ability to change or otherwise alter the dashboard\u2019s visualization of\u00a0 the COVlD-19 data analysis that had already been published and distributed in final daily reports by the time the complainant received the dataset from the BOE. Therefore, <strong>if the complainant or other DOH staff were to have falsified COVID-19 data on the dashboard, the dashboard would then not have matched the data in the corresponding final daily report. Such a discrepancy would have been detectable by BOE staff conducting data quality assurance, as well as other parties, both within and outside the DOH<\/strong>, including but not limited to CHDs, local governments, researchers, the press\/media, and the general public.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The IG was more definitive about allegation #3: [emphasis added]\n<blockquote>\n<p>Allegation 3: At the direction of Dr. Roberson and Dr. Blackmore, the calculation of new case positivity was misrepresented on the DOH COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Conclusion: Unfounded. <strong>Based upon an analysis of the available evidence, the alleged conduct, as described by the complainant, did not occur. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Prior to April 30, 2020, DOH only reported COVlD-19 positivity based on \u201coverall positivity.\u201d Beginning on April 30, 2020, the BOE developed a second calculation, \u201cnew case positivity,\u201d which was reported in addition to overall positivity on subsequent daily reports and the dashboard. This second calculation was added to show current trends of positive cases in Florida separate from the overall positivity occurring since the beginning of the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>The OIG found no evidence that the DOH misrepresented or otherwise misled the public regarding how positivity rates were calculated.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And finally allegation #4: [emphasis added]\n<blockquote>\n<p>Allegation 4: Dr. Roberson, Dr. Blackmore, and Mr. Pritchard directed the complainant to restrict access to underlying data that supported what appeared on the COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Conclusion: <strong>Exonerated.<\/strong> Based upon an analysis of the available evidence, the alleged conduct, as described by the complainant, occurred but was not found to be a violation of any governing directive.<\/p>\n<p>The complainant confirmed to the OlG that COVID-19 data was not deleted; rather, access to the dashboard\u2019s underlying data was temporarily removed and then restored. Sworn subject and witness testimonies confirmed the complainant was directed to temporarily remove the \u201cdata hub\u201d from the dashboard so the BOE could review what data had been made public and determine whether PII [Personally Identifiable Information] had been released. Once the BOE completed its review and confirmed no PII had been released, <strong>the complainant was directed to restore the \u201cdata hub\u201d less than 24 hours later<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>These are not the only <a href=\"https:\/\/hotair.com\/john-s-2\/2021\/08\/13\/rebekah-jones-gets-caught-lying-again-n408761\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claims Jones made<\/a> which didn\u2019t hold up. Still, this would seem to be the last nail in the coffin for her credibility as a \u201cwhistleblower\u201d since it was this same IG who initially said she might qualify as one.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">2\/3<br \/>Last year, the same IG had said Jones qualified for \u201cwhistleblower\u201d protection. Now it finds her claims are unsubstantiated<\/p>\n<p>There was lots of media coverage about that prelim finding. This is the final report<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aGUQ5YkhjQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/aGUQ5YkhjQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarcACaputo\/status\/1529916603697090563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">May 26, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Caputo sums it up.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Just threading this media note here <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6p3m4iZw26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/6p3m4iZw26<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarcACaputo\/status\/1529918519122481171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">May 26, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>For her part, Jones has put out a TikTok video in which she says the IG \u201cfound in my favor\u201d on one charge. She\u2019s counting allegation #4 as a win even though the IG said the state was \u201cexonerated\u201d because what occurred \u201cwas not found to be a violation of any governing directive.\u201d It was a complaint about something that wasn\u2019t a problem. How exactly is that a win for Jones?<\/p>\n<p>She goes on to say the IG \u201cthrew their hands up\u201d on the first two charges. She fails to mention that the IG said there was \u201cno reasonable cause\u201d for the people she accused to have done what she claims they did since it wouldn\u2019t have changed the underlying data which was also public. In any case, Jones says she\u2019s now going to file a lawsuit so maybe this will continue to drag on for a while longer.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@georebekah\/video\/7102152929737608494\" data-video-id=\"7102152929737608494\">\n<section><a title=\"@georebekah\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@georebekah\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@georebekah<\/a> <a title=\"rebekahjones\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/rebekahjones\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#rebekahjones<\/a> <a title=\"florida\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/florida\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#florida<\/a> <a title=\"whistleblower\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/whistleblower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#whistleblower<\/a> <a title=\"finally\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/finally\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#finally<\/a> <a title=\"covid\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#covid<\/a> <a title=\"covid19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/covid19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#covid19<\/a> <a title=\"deathsantis\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/deathsantis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#deathsantis<\/a> <a title=\"fyp\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/fyp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#fyp<\/a> <a title=\"mattgaetz\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/mattgaetz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#mattgaetz<\/a> <a title=\"\u266c original sound - GeoRebekah\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7102152981834976043\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u266c original sound \u2013 GeoRebekah<\/a><\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This story won\u2019t come as much of a surprise to anyone who remembers what NRO\u2018s Charles Cooke wrote about Rebekah Jones a year ago. In case you\u2019ve forgotten, Jones claimed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1493985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1493985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1493985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1493985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1493985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}