A grand jury investigation in Florida ordered by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis uncovers a “pattern of fraudulent and concealed 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 the regulatory oversight captured.
This morning the twenty-second statewide grand jury released its final report. This grand jury was tasked with investigating vaccine manufacturers and their vaccine production processes following the COVID-19 pandemic.
While we are still reading the report and its…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 7, 2025
Citing the grand jury findings, DeSantis noted in a social media post on Tuesday:
“These sponsors have collected billions of taxpayer dollars to develop and sell their vaccines; they cannot be sued if something goes wrong with them; they have access to important information about deaths related to an adverse reaction to their products; “However, the public does not have access to this information.”
The grand jury report delivered a stark assessment of pandemic policy, noting:
“This wasn’t an ‘information’ problem, it was a ‘judgment’ problem.”
They found that there was already solid scientific research on how to deal with pandemics before COVID-19, but it was widely dismissed by health authorities and the media.
Lockdown losses and weakening of the mask debate
One of the most striking findings of the inquiry concerned lockdowns, which the jury concluded were “not a good trade”. The data showed that areas with strict lockdown measures often had higher overall mortality rates than regions where protection efforts were focused on vulnerable populations.
On the question of masking, the grand jury was clear:
“We have never had solid evidence of their effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”
Instead of acknowledging this, federal authorities promoted what the report calls “flawed observational and laboratory studies.”
Regulatory rendezvous and reform
DeSantis pointed to a troubling and troubled relationship between federal agencies and pharmaceutical companies. Instead of acting as independent regulators, these agencies have become “unpaid advertisers” for Big Pharma, according to the report.
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The governor stressed that “the status quo cannot continue,” called for greater transparency in how drug companies apply taxpayer money and called for regulators to return to their oversight role.
DeSantis wrote:
“The grand jury made a number of recommendations that should be followed. The status quo cannot continue. The American people deserve transparency about how Big Pharma uses their federal tax dollars, and they deserve regulators to act as watchdogs, not cheerleaders.”
In its conclusion, the grand jury wrote:
“Somehow, due to panic, hubris, ineptitude, or an unfortunate combination of the three, this widely rejected idea not only made its way back into scientific discourse in 2020, but became law in most of the United States between 2020 and 2022. For this Grand Jury is clear that these mandates were not worth the price, regardless of the benefits they brought.”
DeSantis has once again set the stage for a national conversation about the failure of tough pandemic measures and the need for accountability from the pharmaceutical industry.
