'Censored By The State Of Florida': Fired COVID-19 Data Scientist Rebekah Jones Tweets On Day She Is Set To Turn Self In To Face New Charge

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Sunday, the day Florida's former COVID-19 data scientist Rebekah Jones said she was turning herself in to police after a warrant was issued for her arrest, she posted on Twitter,  "Censored by the state of Florida until further notice."

An hour earlier, she posted, "Insurrectionists planning attacks across the country this week and Florida is jailing scientists for the crimes of knowing and speaking."

Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials said Rebekah Jones has been under investigation since early November after someone illegally accessed the state's emergency alert health system, warning employees "to speak up before another 17,000 people are dead. You know this is wrong. You don't have to be a part of this. Be a hero."

Federal authorities raided her home in December, seizing her computers and other data equipment. Right after the raid, she tweeted a video of agents entering her house and accused DeSantis of sending the "Gestapo" after her.  She said they pointed guns at her and her kids.

She has since filed a lawsuit over the search of her home.

The exact charges Jones may face are still not known but Jones tweeted Saturday "there would be only one and speaking to the media may result in police stacking additional charges. All of this just to silence a critic of a governor who failed to do his job and got thousands killed as a result."

The DeSantis administration fired Jones in May of 2020 after she accused state health officials of manipulating data to suppress the number of reported COVID-19 cases and deaths. After her dismissal, Jones set up a competing COVID-19 dashboard to display data about the virus.