State Attorney Suspended by DeSantis Calls Him ‘Weak Dictator’

State attorney Monique Worrell on Wednesday said she has been targeted for political reasons and called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a “weak dictator” after DeSantis suspended her on Wednesday morning. 

“Under this tyranny, elected officials can be removed simply for political purposes and by a whim of the governor,” Worrell said during a press conference. “No matter how you feel about me, you should not be okay with that.”

Worrell noted that she plans to fight the suspension, which she called a “smokescreen” for the governor’s “failing and disastrous presidential campaign.” 

In the executive order announcing the suspension, DeSantis claimed Worrell exhibited “neglect of duty” and “effectively nullified” certain laws in selecting which cases to take up. He appointed former judge Andrew Bain to oversee the state’s 9th Judicial Circuit for the duration of the suspension. 

DeSantis also suspended state attorney Andrew Warren last year after he refused to enforce an abortion ban. Warren unsuccessfully sued the Florida governor in federal court, where a judge ruled that the state’s constitution gives governors the power to suspend officials from office.