TAMPA, Fla. — It’s been several days since Governor Ron DeSantis suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren from office. On Monday, Warren sat down with ABC Action News for the first time to share his side of the story.
Warren said he was blindsided by the decision.
“I was escorted by an armed deputy out of the office with no warning, no time to review the order, no time to even grab my things,” said Warren. “I’m the twice-elected State Attorney. I’ve spent my career as a prosecutor locking up bad guys. If they can do this to me, what can they do to you?”
The governor suspended Warren on Thursday, pointing to neglect of duty and refusing to enforce Florida law. An executive order specifically called attention to Warren signing certain statements.
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ABC Action News asked Warren to explain further.
“I signed on to two value statements, expressing my opposition to laws that violated people’s constitutional rights. One of those issues what about abortion, and the law in Florida has been held to be unconstitutional. The other issue about gender-affirming healthcare, it isn’t even a law yet in Florida,” said Warren.
Warren said he wants the voters to know he’s doing exactly what they elected him to do, both in 2016 and again in 2020.
“I was elected on a platform of building a 21st-century criminal justice system. One that’s tough on the offenders we need to be tough on, one that believes in prevention and rehabilitation and reducing recidivism and fighting for victims. That’s exactly what we’ve done,” said Warren.
As for what’s next, Warren said he’s going to fight back hard.
“The governor took away my job because I was doing my job,” said Warren.
ABC Action News followed up again on our request from the Governor’s Office for data used to justify the suspension and specific cases staff found in regards to Warren not prosecuting certain crimes.
On Monday, the press secretary pointed to the order, which they said: “thoroughly lays out the factual and legal basis for the Governor’s decision.”
