DeSantis suspends Soros-linked prosecutor over ‘neglect of duty and incompetence’

Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday morning the immediate suspension of Monique Worrell, the state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

During a Wednesday news conference, DeSantis accused Worrell’s administration of being “clearly and fundamentally derelict as to constitute both neglect of duty and incompetence.”

Worrell, a Democrat elected in November 2020, allegedly displayed a pattern of avoiding minimum mandatory sentences for gun crimes and drug trafficking offenses, according to the governor. She also avoided sentencing enhancements, limited charges for child pornography offenders, allowed juvenile offenders to avoid serious charges and incarcerations, and pursued withholding of adjudication in situations not permitted under Florida law, he added.

“Prosecutors do have a certain amount of discretion about which cases to bring and which not,” DeSantis continued. “But what this state attorney has done is abuse that discretion and has effectively nullified certain laws in the state of Florida.”

The Orlando Sentinel previously reported that a George Soros-backed political committee contributed at least $1.5 million to Worrell’s 2020 campaign.

Andrew Bain, a former Orange County judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, will replace Worrell effectively immediately.

“It is my duty as Governor to ensure that the laws enacted by our duly elected Legislature are followed,” DeSantis stated. “The people of Central Florida deserve to have a State Attorney who will seek justice in accordance with the law instead of allowing violent criminals to roam the streets and find new victims.”

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody applauded the governor’s decision to suspend Worrell.

“We are fortunate to have a Governor committed to the rule of law and holding officials — especially those elected to protect the public — accountable for not doing the jobs they swore an oath to do,” Moody said. “Ms. Worrell abdicated her responsibility as the circuit’s top prosecutor and her actions undermine the safety and security of our state and Floridians.”

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Worrell called her suspension an “outrage,” arguing that she was duly elected and “nothing done by a weak dictator can change that.” She accused DeSantis of trying to drum up media attention to help his “failing” presidential campaign. She also slammed local law enforcement as having “played a big role” in providing DeSantis with the information he used to suspend her.

Worrell reportedly stated that she plans to fight her suspension in court and will continue to move forward with her re-election campaign.

Last year, DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren, another Soros-backed prosecutor, for neglect of duty after Warren pledged not to uphold the state’s law on abortion and gender-mutilating operations for minors.

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