TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — During the second day of the trial between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Andrew Warren, several of the governor’s top officials took the stand.
The testimonies in the courtroom gave a behind-the-scenes look inside what went into crafting the suspension of the Hillsborough County state attorney.
Pledges signed by Warren are what called DeSantis to publicly suspend him in August and ultimately left Warren jobless.
The pledges originated from the National Advocacy Group Fair and Just Prosecution. Warren signed onto two documents vowing to not prosecute cases involving transgender healthcare and abortion.
During day two of the trial, we heard stunning testimony from DeSantis’ top advisors
First up was the governor’s chief safety czar – Larry Keefe – who oversaw the suspension and had numerous conversations with state attorneys and sheriffs across Florida, asking them if they knew of any state attorneys that weren’t enforcing the law.
Judge Hinkle zeroed in on if the conversations – and ultimately the suspension – were political.
The judge asked Keefe if any of the officials contacted were Democrats. Keefe paused before telling the court he couldn’t give specific examples.
Next to the stand was an unpaid intern for the governor who wrote up the controversial memo weighing the benefits and drawbacks of suspending Warren.
Communications director in the executive office of the governor, Taryn Fenske testified the suspension wasn’t politically motivated and would have happened even if Warren was a Republican.
The trial will continue on Thursday.