>> NIKKI FRIED IS THE LONE DEMOCRAT ELECTED STATEWIDE AND OFTEN THE MAIN VOICE OF
OPPOSITION TO DESANTIS
ADMINISTRATION POLICIES AND SHE
WAS THAT VOICE AGAIN THIS WEEK.
>> FLORIDA’S COMMISSIONER OF
AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER
SERVICES HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF
THE GOVERNOR’S DIRECTION ON
COVID HEALTH AND SAFETY.
SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO
DEFEND THE FORMER STATE DATA
ANALYST.
REBECCAH JONES WHO WAS SERVED
WITH A SEARCH WARRANT THIS WEEK
WHO POSTED THE VIDEO FROM THAT
OF THAT DAILY OPERATION, ALL
OVER SOCIAL MEDIA.
NIKKI FRIED IS WITH US VIA SKYPE
FROM JACKSONVILLE, GOOD MORNING.
NESS GOOD MORNING.
>> HOW ARE YOU.
>> I’M GREAT T IS SO GOOD TO BE
WITH YOU ALL, TODAY IS MY
BIRTHDAY.
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> ANOTHER YEAR MORE FABULOUS.
>> WE WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> COMMISSIONER, LET’S BEGIN
HERE WITH THE REBECCAH JONES
INCIDENT WHERE THE AGENTS WENT
TO HER HOME AND EVEN THOUGH THE
ALLEGATION IS THAT SHE SHOW
HACKED INTO THE STATE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH COMPUTER SYSTEM, SHE
IS A DATA ANALYST.
AND YET WE SAW, YOU SAW, WE ALL
SAW THE GUNS COME OUT AS THE
AGENTS WENT IN, ALTHOUGH THERE
WAS NO THREAT FROM HER.
AND YOU ISSUED A STRONG
STATEMENT CONDEMNING THAT, SO
WHAT WAS WRONG, WHAT DID THE
AGENTS DO THAT ANGERED YOU AND
CONCERNS YOU.
>> WELL, AS MOSS MOST PEOPLE
KNOW I’M A PAST PUBLIC DEFENDER
AND HAVE HAD CLIENTS THAT WERE
ACCUSED OF MUCH MORE HE GREEJOUS
CRIMES THAT WERE MET WITH LESS
AGGRESSION.
AND I AM A CERTAINLY NOT HERE TO
REALLY CRITICIZE THE FRONT LINE
OFFICERED AND I APPRECIATE ALL
THAT THEY DID.
BUT ANY TIME THAT YOU SEE A
SITUATION LIKE THIS AND YOU SEE
GUNS PULLED WHERE THERE IS
CHILDREN IN THE HOUSE, IT IS
VERY ALARMING.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO GET EVERYONE
BACK TO HOW WE GOT HERE.
HOW WE’RE HERE IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
AND THAT GOES BACK TO THE
TRANSPARENCY AND LACK THEREOF
GOVERNOR DESANTIS.
IF HE HAD EVER BEEN OPEN AND
HONEST WITH THE CITIZENS OF
FLORIDA REBECCAH JONES DOING HER
JOB, TRYING TO BRING LIGHT TO
SOME OF THIS, AND THE REALITY OF
THE SITUATION WAS, HE HAS LACKED
LEADERSHIP DAY ONE.
AND THAT’S WHAT GOT US HERE FOR.
IS BECAUSE OF HIS LACK OF
TRANSPARENCY AND HIS DATA
SPINNING ALL ALONG THIS.
>> IN THE ABSENCE OF SOMEONE TO
REBUT AND REFUTE LET ME JUST
PLAY DEVIL’S ADVOCATE FOR A
MOMENT HERE.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE ACTUAL
OPERATION.
I WILL SAY, HAVING COVERED
POLICE OPERATIONS AND SEARCH
WARRANTS SERVICES, SEARCH
WARRANT SERVICE IS ONE OF THE
MOST DANGEROUS THINGS POLICE
OFFICERS DO.
WE HAVE BEEN PRIVY TO THANKS
TO-- SORT OF THE OTHER SIDE OF
THE STORY, THE OFFICERS WE SAW
REALLY DOING WHAT PROTOCOL SAYS
THEY SHOULD DO, REBECCAH JONES
DIDN’T OPEN THE DOOR FOR THEM
FOR 13 TO 17 MINUTES.
AND SO THEIR GUNS DRAWN IS
ACTUALLY PROTOCOL IN WHAT THEY
WERE DOING.
THEY WERE EXCEEDINGLY RESPECTFUL
TO HER.
AND TO YOUR POINT, THE REASON
THEY WERE THERE, WAS BECAUSE
THEY WERE SERVING A SEARCH
WARRANT ON SOMETHING SHE MAY OR
MAY NOT HAVE DONE.
SHE DE SIGH-- DENIES IT.
BUT WHAT IS INAPPROPRIATE ABOUT
THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, ONE ONCE THEY GOT
IN THE HOUSE AND SHE WAS VERY
CLEAR THAT THERE WERE CHILDREN
INSIDE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE THREE
YOUNG STEPSONS.
>> AND I KNOW THAT IN A TIME
WHEN THEY ARE RUNNING AROUND THE
HOUSES AND PLAYING HIDE AND GO
SEEK, AND YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW,
BIG BANG ON THE FRONT DOOR AND
NOW YOU HAVE A COP COMING INTO
THE HOUSE, THAT THEY’RE SCARED.
AND WHO KNOWS IF THEY COULD HAVE
JUMPED OUT OF A HIDING PLACE,
BEHIND A CLOSET, RUN DOWN THE
STAIRS REALLY FAST, AND HAVING
THOSE GUNS DRAWN EVEN IN
EXECUTING A SEARCH WARRANT IN A
NONVIOLENT CRIME, THERE HAS BEEN
NO ALLEGATIONS THAT THERE WAS
EVER WEAPONS IN THE HOUSE OR
THAT SHE HAS ANY PAST HISTORY
OF, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING WITH
WEAPONS INVOLVED, THAT YOU TAKE
SOME EXTRA PRECAUTIONS AND
UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE QUESTIONS
OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT THAT WAS
APPROPRIATE KNOWING THAT THERE
WAS CHILDREN IN THE HOME AND
NONE OF US WANT TO SEE THAT.
BUT AGAIN I GO BACK TO HOW WE
GOT HERE.
AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FLIP
THIS AND UNDERSTAND THAT
REBECCAH WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN
FIRED IF SHE HASN’T JUST TRIED
TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS
TRANSPARENCY, THAT THE CITIZEN
OF OUR STATE WERE ACTUALLY
GETTING ACCURATE INFORMATION
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
BECAUSE THEY LOST FAITH AND
TRUST IN GOVERNOR DESANTIS.
AND SHE CERTAINLY DEFINITELY DID
NOT CONDONE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
AND REALLY APPRECIATE OUR FRONT
LINE OFFICERS.
BUT WHEN CHILDREN ARE INVOLVED,
YOU GOT TO TAKE THOSE EXTRA
PRECAUTIONS.
>> YEAH, SECRETARY FRIED, I
THINK THAT I COULD SAY
OBJECTIVELY GOVERNOR DESANTIS
HAS NOT BEEN VERY TRANSPARENT IN
RELEASING DATA ABOUT COVID-19 OR
HE’S TRIED TO SPIN IT TO LOOK
MORE POSITIVE, NOT SURE WHY.
MAYBE HE’S TRYING TO PLEASE
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
IN ANY EVENT, THE DECEMBER
6th CORONAVIRUS, WHITE HOUSE
CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE REPORT
WHICH WE HAVE NOW SEEN SAYS THAT
FLORIDA JUST SIMPLY HAS TO GET
MUCH TOUGHER IN THE FIGHT
AGAINST THE VIRUS, THAT INDOOR
DINING SHOULD BE ENDED PERHAPS,
OR MUCH MORE LIMITED.
MASKS HAVE TO BE WORN, MAYBE
ENFORCE FINES AGAINST THEM, BARS
SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN, YOU KNOW,
HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE AT A
CABINET MEETING TO SAY TO THE
GOVERNOR COME ON, GOVERNOR, DO
SOME OF THIS STUFF.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND
FORE MOST THE GOVERNOR HAS
CANCELLED A GREAT MAJORITY OF
OUR CABINET MEETINGS THIS YOOR.
AND THEN EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT
I ASKED SOMETHING, SOMETHING
ABOUT COVID-19 UPDATES,
CONVERSATIONS MONGSZ THE
CABINETS-- AMONGST THE CABINETS,
REQUESTS ON THE AGENDA, HE
DENIED ALL OF MY REQUESTSEV REE
TIME.
I HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AT THE
END TO SAY SOMETHING.
HE HAS NOT RESPONDED TO
ANY-OF-MY REQUESTS AND THIS GOES
TO HIS LACK OF LEADERSHIP.
AND OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE
TRYING TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR
OUR COMMUNITIES AND HE EVEN
BANNED OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
FROM DOING WHAT IS BEST WHETHER
IT IS MASK MANDATES, WHETHER IT
IS TRYING TO LIMIT EXPOSURE
INSIDE OF RESTAURANTS AND
NIGHTCLUBS, TO EVEN CURFEWS.
AND HE HAS SAID NOPE, ST HIS WAY
OR THE HIGHWAY, THERE WILL BE NO
MASK MANDATE.
THERE WILL BE NO PULLING BACK OF
REGULATIONS.
HIS VISION OF WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN OUR COUNTRY, IN OUR STATE AND
OUR COUNTRY IS VASTLY DIFFERENT
THAN WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING
OUT THERE.
AND WE’VE GOT TENS OF MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE ACROSS OUR STATE AND
ACROSS OUR COUNTRY THAT ARE
STILL SCARED.
THAT ARE IN VERY-- IN CENTERS
WHERE THEY ARE SEEING YUP TICKS
AND PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY
GETTING SICK AND DYING
UNFORTUNATELY.
WE EVEN SAW ONE OF THE THE
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA BASKETBALL
PLAYER THIS WEEKEND COLLAPSE ON
THE FIELD, ON THE COURT AND THEY
ARE SAYING THAT IT IS BECAUSE OF
REMNANTS OF HAVING COVID-19.
>> COMMISSIONER, I WANT TO BRING
IT DOWN TARGETING SOMETHING THAT
IS IN YOUR LANE, THE
AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IN
FLORIDA, STATEWIDE, ESPECIALLY
IN SOUTH DADE AND OUR PART OF
THE TOWN.
50 BILLION DOLLAR IMPACT SO FAR
FROM COVID.
34% DECLINE IN FINANCIALS.
LATER ON IN THIS PROGRAM WE’RE
GOING TO HAVE THE PRESIDENT &
CEO OF FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA WHO
GETS A LOT OF THE SUPPLIES FROM
THE FARMERS AND GROWERS WHO ARE
NOW HERDING FOR THEIR OWN MAR ET
CANS AND THEN WE JUST HAD A
DEADLINE TO ON FRIDAY FOR THEM
TO A FLY-- APPLY FOR RELIEF,
BRING US UP TO DATE ON THE
STATUS OF THAT RELIEF WHICH
WE’RE STALE WAITING FOR CONGRESS
TO DO, AND THE PROGRESS OF HOW
THEY’RE GOING TO RECOVER.
>> SURE, FIRST AND FORE MOST OUR
AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY AND OUR
GROWERS AND PRODUCERS AND SOME
OF THE MOST RESILIENT IN THE
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
THEY GO THROUGH DROUGHTS, THEY
GO THROUGH HURRICANES BUT COVID
IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NEVER
SEEN BEFORE.
SO WE SAW ACTUALLY HALF A
BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF LOSSES
BETWEEN MARCH AND APRIL OF MOST
OF THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY
SHUT DOWN, WHETHER THAT WAS
RESTAURANTS ARE OR THEME PARKS,
CRUISE LINE INDUSTRY, WE SAW
THOSE, BUT WE PIVOTED VERY FAST
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE.
STARTED AN ONLINE MARKET PLACE
FOR OUR PRODUCERS TO KAIND OF
PUT EVERYTHING ON THERE, THE
CONSUMERS WENT DIRECTLY ONLINE,
REALLY SAVED A LOT OF OUR
AGRICULTURAL GROWERS AND
PRODUCERS ALONG THE WAY, SO NOW
THEY ARE RELYING A LOT ON THE
FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT HAD
OBVIOUSLY BEEN VERY SLOW.
WE WERE TRYING TO GET SOME OF
THOSE DOLLARS DOWN BACK IN MARCH
AND APRIL AND SOME MORE FREEDOM
AND FLEXIBILITY ON PURPOSING
POWERS FROM OUR FOOD BANKS.
>> BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS
SLOW TO COME DOWN TOO AND DIDN’T
RECEIVE ANY OF THAT UNTIL ABOUT
MAY, JUNE WHEN MOST OF OUR
HARVEST IS DON’T AS AGRICULTURE
IS PREPARING FOR THE NEXT
HARVEST, THEY ARE SEEING THE
UPTICKS OF COURSE IN ALL OF OUR
FOOD, SUPPLY CHAINS, KIND OF DE
CREASE STILL, AND ALL OF OUR
FOOD BANK LINES AROUND THE
CORNER AND THEY ARE DOING THEIR
PART, DONATING A SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT TO OUR FOOD BANKS.
BUT WE NEED THAT FEDERAL
ASSISTANCE COME DOWN SOONER THAN
LATER.
OUR FOOD BANKS ARE JUST NOT ABLE
TO COME UP.
WE KEEP TELLING PEOPLE, PLEASE
VOLUNTEER, PLEASE GIVE, PLEASE
LET OUR FINANCIALLY OR GIVE
DIFFERENT FOODS, PLEASE TO OUR
FOOD BANKS.
EVERYBODY IS IN NEED.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WE SAW
THREE MILLION OF OUR CITIZENS
ACROSS THE STATE OF FLORIDA
INTERFERE THAT WAS BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC AND THAT IS INCREASING
EVERY SINGLE DAY AS OUR
UNPLOIRMT NUMBERS CONTINUE TO
RISE AND A LOT OF THOSE JOBS,
ESPECIALLY IN KIND OF THIS
INDUSTRY IS NOT GOING TO COME
BACK.
>> WELL, FOOD SCARCITY IS HUGE
AND IT’S A BIG CONCERN OF YOURS
WE KNOW.
SECRETARY NIKKI FRIED, GREAT TO
SPEAK WITH YOU.
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND
PLEASE, EVERYBODY, MASK UP, WASH
YOUR HANDS, SOCIAL DISTANCE.
THE MESSAGE ISN’T COMING FROM
THE GOVERNOR, AT LEAST LISTEN
YOUR LOCAL AND OTHER LEADERS OUT
THERE, PLEASE MASK UP.
WASH YOUR HANDS, SOCIAL