The prosecutor who was suspended by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is alleging that this removal constituted a âblatant abuse of power.â
State Attorney Andrew Warren said on Wednesday, âIn our country, there are protections for freedom and limits on power. Ron Desantis may not like them. He may not respect them. But he does have to follow them.â
âThis morning, I filed a suit in federal court to challenge the blatant abuse of power by Governor DeSantis in suspending me as state attorney,â he continued. âThereâs so much more at stake here than my job.â
Warren alleged that DeSantis is âhoping to get away with overturning a fair electionâ and âthrowing out the votes of hundreds of thousands of Floridians.â
âBy challenging this illegal abuse of power, we can make sure that no governor can toss out the results of an election because he doesnât like the outcome,â he added.
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Warren noted that he was âforcedâ out of his office âby an armed deputyâ and said he was âreplaced with a Ron Desantis accomplice.â
âThe governorâs authority is not unlimited. He can disagree with my political views. He can disagree with my criminal justice philosophy. He can even disagree with my unwavering commitment to public safety, fairness, and justice. And he can do all those things because heâs protected by the First Amendment. But the First Amendment doesnât just protect him. It protects everyone, even those of us he disagrees with,â he added.
When asked by a reporter how he can call DeSantis âundemocraticâ since he was elected to be the governor of Florida, Warren said, âThe governor was elected in a fair and free election once, just like I was twice.â
Warren also pointed out that he won 370,000 votes in his last election, while DeSantis won 230,000 votes in the same county.
Earlier this month, DeSantis signed an executive order that suspended Warren and accused him of âneglect of dutyâ as well as âincompetence.â
The stateâs constitution gives the governor the power to suspend an official due to âmalfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties or commission of a felony.â
âState attorney for this Judicial Circuit, Andrew Warren, has put himself publicly above the law,â DeSantis said during an Aug. 4 press conference. âOur government is a government of laws, not a government of men.â
Warren had previously announced that he would not enforce abortion bans or bans on gender-transition surgeries for minors.
The governor said he decided to suspend Warren after his office heard complaints from Law Enforcement that crimes were ânot being prosecuted.â
