After Governor DeSantis (R-FL) announced the suspension of Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren, gubernatorial candidate Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried (D-FL) came out in defense of the embattled prosecutor.
Yesterday the governor's office and Spokeswoman Christina Pushaw (R-FL) teased a big "announcement," that would come from the Florida governor, that being the suspension of Warren.
Gov. DeSantis began the press conference digging right into Warren, saying that, "Individual prosecutors take it upon themselves to decide which laws they like and will enforce, and which laws they don't like and won't enforce." DeSantis also said that he was putting Warren out of a job because he "put himself above the law."
Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County echoed DeSantis's remarks stating, "our criminal justice partners also take an oath to uphold the Constitution, the duly enacted laws of this state, and to be the voice for victims, and to be the protectors of public interest. The governor's suspension of State Attorney Warren is not political to me, it's about law and order," said Sheriff Chronister. "There are not Republican and Democratic victims, just victims."
The suspension appears to be based on a controversial pledge Warren made that he would not prosecute individuals who violate Florida's 15-week abortion ban. Warren has also fallen under scrutiny for his stance on gender dysphoria treatment of minors. DeSantis said that Warren "would not enforce any prohibition of sex change operations for minors."
Democrats were quick to say that the suspension was based political ideology.
Commissioner Nikki Fired, who may just be one of the state's most progressive political personalities rushed in support of Warren in a recent statement and bashed DeSantis's policy positions that were mentioned at the press conference.
"Today, Governor DeSantis suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren - a democratically elected official. Want to know why? It's because Andrew Warren said he wouldn't enforce the Florida GOP's cruel, inhumane 15-week abortion ban - because he stood up for our freedoms and stood against DeSantis' authoritarian dictatorship." - Nikki Fried's response to DeSantis's firing of Warren.
