A Florida grand jury investigation ordered by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis reveals a “pattern of deceptive and obfuscatory behavior” by pharmaceutical companies and federal agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of Florida’s 22nd Statewide Grand Jury and their forward-looking recommendations highlight concerns about vaccine safety data, the effectiveness of lockdown measures, and captured regulatory oversight.
This morning, the Twenty-Second Statewide Grand Jury released its final report. This Grand Jury was tasked with investigating vaccine manufacturers and their production process for vaccines following the COVID-19 pandemic.
While we are still reading through the report and its…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 7, 2025
Citing the grand jury’s findings, DeSantis noted in a social media post on Tuesday:
“these sponsors have taken in billions of taxpayer dollars for creating and selling their vaccines; they cannot be sued if something goes wrong with them; they have access to critical information about deaths related to a side effect of their products; and the public does not have access to that information.”
The grand jury’s report delivered a stark assessment of pandemic policies, stating:
“This wasn’t an ‘information’ problem, it was a ‘judgment’ problem.”
They found that solid scientific research about handling pandemics existed before COVID-19 but was largely dismissed by public health officials and media outlets.
Lockdown Losses and Muffling the Mask Debate
One of the investigation’s most striking findings concerned lockdowns, which the jury concluded “were not a good trade.” Data showed that areas with strict lockdowns often experienced higher overall mortality rates than regions that focused protection efforts on vulnerable populations.
On the issue of masking, the grand jury was unequivocal:
“We have never had sound evidence of their effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”
Instead of acknowledging this, federal agencies promoted what the report calls “flawed observational and laboratory studies.”
Regulatory Rendezvous and Reform
DeSantis pointed to a troubling and compromised relationship between federal agencies and pharmaceutical companies. Rather than acting as independent regulators, these agencies became “unpaid advertisers” for Big Pharma, according to the report.
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The governor emphasized that “the status quo cannot continue,” calling for greater transparency in how pharmaceutical companies use taxpayer dollars and demanding regulatory agencies return to their watchdog role.
DeSantis wrote:
“The Grand Jury has made a number of recommendations that should be followed. The status quo cannot continue. The American people deserve transparency on how Big Pharma is using their federal tax dollars, and they deserve regulating entities that operate as watchdogs, not cheerleaders.”
In their conclusion, the Grand Jury wrote:
“Somehow, because of panic, hubris, ineptitude or some unfortunate combination of the three, this widely rejected idea not only made its way back into scientific discourse in 2020, it became the law of the land in most of the United States between 2020 and 2022. It is clear to this Grand Jury that whatever benefits inured from these mandates, they were not worth the price.”
DeSantis has once again set the stage for a national conversation about the failure of heavy-handed pandemic policies and the need for pharmaceutical industry accountability.
