• Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday his intent to petition the Florida Supreme Court
• The petition will seek to impanel a statewide grand jury to “investigate any wrongdoing” with respect to the COVID-19 vaccines
• DeSantis claims that manufacturers and lawmakers misled and misrepresented the efficacy of the vaccine for public administration
• DeSantis also announced the formation of a Public Health Integrity Committee that he stated would aim to “counter misinformation” from federal agencies like the Center for Disease Control, National Institute of Health, and Food and Drug Administration

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced his intent to petition the Florida Supreme Court to impanel a statewide grand jury to “investigate any wrongdoing” with respect to the COVID-19 vaccines.

If granted, the jury would investigate the administration of COVID-19 vaccines and any potential health issues caused as a result of potential side effects.

The announcement came during a medical roundtable event alongside state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo and a series of physicians.

During the event, DeSantis claimed that manufacturers and lawmakers misled and misrepresented the efficacy of the vaccine for public administration.

The governor, who proclaimed that he expects approval of the petition, stated a grand jury would likely be impaneled in the Tampa Bay area.

“That will come with legal processes that will be able to get more information and to bring legal accountability for those who committed misconduct,” said DeSantis.

DeSantis also announced the formation of a Public Health Integrity Committee that he said would aim to “counter misinformation” from federal agencies like the Center for Disease Control, National Institute of Health, and Food and Drug Administration.

“Our CDC, at this point, you just assume that it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on,” DeSantis said. “It’s not serving a useful function. It’s really serving to advance narratives, rather than do evidence-based medicine.”

The committee will be comprised of a series of expert researchers, according to DeSantis, that will be able to assess recommendations and guidances posted by federal health agencies.

DeSantis explained that the formation of the Integrity Committee follows a series of discussions with governors across America and that similar committees will be put together in other states in due time.

Ladapo also said during the event that there is evidence of sudden deaths linked to mRNA shots, which his team intends to investigate further.

Ladapo and the DeSantis administration have received criticism since the onset of the pandemic for expressing distrust toward the COVID-19 vaccine.

The criticism carried over to Ladapo’s confirmation hearing when all four Democrats on the Senate Committee on Health Policy walked out in protest to abstain from voting on his appointment.

‼️BREAKING‼️ Democratic Senators abstain and walk out from this sham of a confirmation hearing. Senate Democrats know Floridians deserve better than a doctor of disinformation as the top public health official of the state. pic.twitter.com/sSgmoufDkk

— Florida Senate Democrats (@FLSenateDems) January 26, 2022

Tuesday’s announcement drew quick criticism from Democrats, who questioned the timing of the announcement, which was concurrent to the ongoing property insurance special session in the state legislature.

“Why is DeSantis announcing this, right now, at this very moment?” Said Democrat Rapid Response Director Ammar Moussa on Twitter. “Because his minions in the state legislature are actively working to raise rates on Florida property owners while lining the pockets of big insurance companies.”

The tweet was also republished by Samantha Ramirez, who works in communications for DeSantis’ former gubernatorial opponent Charlie Crist.