Florida - Monday August 8, 2022: "I'm not going down without a fight," said Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren in a video he posted on his Facebook account Sunday after Florida Governor suspended him from office last Thursday for "neglect of duty."
"Ron DeSantis is trying to overthrow democracy in Florida," said Warren in his video. "His plot to suspend me blatantly violates the most fundamental basis of our democracy … he's trying to overturn the results of a fair and free election."
Warren has been elected Hillsborough County State Attorney twice. He is a democrat and a former federal prosecutor. He's been a frequent critic of the republican Governor.
Click HERE to view Warren's video statement on his Facebook page.
"DeSantis is trying to take away my job for doing my job. He came down to Tampa, to Hillsborough County, to illegally remove me as part of some political circus,” said Warren in the video.
"He did it because he wants to throw women and their doctors in jail based on a law that has already been found to violate Florida’s Constitution. He did it because he wants to enforce a law that discriminates against our LGBTQ community, a law that, at this point, doesn’t even exist. We won’t let him get away with it.”
Suspension, Not Removal
During a news conference in Tampa last Thursday DeSantis accused of Warren of putting "himself above the law". He pointed out that Warren signed on to letters, along with other prosecutors around the nation, vowing not to pursue criminal cases against people who seek or provide abortions or gender transition treatments.
The Governor cited his authority to suspend a state officer for reasons of neglect of duty. The Executive Order he issued states that the period of suspension "shall be from the effective date hereof, until a further executive order is issued, or as otherwise provided by law."
Click HERE to download and read the Governor's Executive Order suspending Andrew Warren and appointing Susan Lopez to replace him "for the duration of the suspension" states the Executive Order.
Lopez Statement
In a statement posted on the Facebook page for the State Attorney's Office for the 13th Judicial District, Susan Lopez said she was "grateful to the governor" for entrusting her "to ensure that the rule of law is followed" in Hillsborough County. She said she would "work to regain the confidence of law enforcement."
Click HERE to view the statement from Susan Lopez.