The investigation of Jones comes as DeSantis is facing increasing scrutiny over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Even as coronavirus cases in Florida have spiked again over the last month and a half, DeSantis has refused to allow municipalities in the state to enforce their own mask mandates or stricter social distancing laws. That limitation of local control has been criticized by mayors from both parties.
An investigation by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel published last week found that DeSantis' administration worked to minimize bad news about the pandemic and spread misinformation. Some health department spokespeople were told in September not to issue statements until after the November election, and officials withheld crucial data about the spread of the virus, the newspaper reported.
Jones, who helped build the state's coronavirus dashboard, has become one of the governor's harshest critics, publicly alleging that DeSantis was to blame for the mounting death toll.
She said that she thought the raid was an attempt by DeSantis to silence her, and a sign of how her criticism has been a thorn in the side of his administration. "I had six straight months of success against him in destroying his reputation," she said.
But DeSantis' office says he had no advance knowledge of the raid.
"The Governor was not aware of the investigation nor will he offer his opinion on what information should or should not be used in any criminal prosecution," DeSantis spokesperson Fred Piccolo told CNN. "This is a case involving the unauthorized use of a text message system that Floridians rely on for timely, fact based updates. The Governor has every confidence in law enforcement to address the matter and the courts to adjudicate it."
