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Suspended State Attorney Warren fights for job
Gloria Gomez reports
TAMPA, Fla. - It's been four days since Andrew Warren's bombshell suspension by Governor Ron DeSantis as Hillsborough County's top prosecutor. Now, Warren is more determined and defiant as ever.
"I am angry everybody should be angry" said Warren.
Warren sat down for an interview with FOX 13 on Monday. He said he is still trying to wrap his head around what happened.
"Well I was blindsided by this plot to illegally oust me from office," he said.
Warren says the day the governor’s order was issued, he had a surprise visit at his office.
"An armed deputy comes in, tells me to leave the building immediately, with no warning, no time to look at the order, no time to gather my things. I couldn’t even grab my house keys," added Warren. "I’m the twice elected State Attorney, a prosecutor who spent his career putting bad guys in jail and in prison. If they can do this to me what can they do to you?"
He said he plans to fight the governor's authority in court.
The governor announced Warren’s removal from office during a press conference last Thursday. In the governors order to suspend Warren, he accused him of neglect of duty by vowing not to prosecute women who seek abortions and the doctors that provide them.
Warren was among 90 prosecutors from across the country that signed on to the pledge after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court. The governor also points towards Warren’s commitment not to criminalize minors who have sex change operations.
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"There is no issue before my desk regarding abortion, gender-affirming healthcare, in fact, the abortion law in question has been ruled unconstitutional, and the transgender statement there’s no law on the books," Warren said. "This is Orwellian thought police where I’m being punished for not enforcing the law that doesn’t even exist. It’s hard to fathom."
The ousted State attorney also pointed out that he is being punished for something he said, not something he did.
"When an elected official can’t speak out on an issue that’s important to his job without fear of punishment by the governor, who is it that can only say what King Ron allows," Warren said. "Businesses, teachers, public servants, who’s next? You know the free state of Florida sure doesn’t seem so free to a lot of us," explained Warren.
At the press conference several law enforcement officials spoke in support of the suspension, including Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister someone Warren once saw as an ally.
"I know Sheriff Chronister, our families know each other, I believe him to be a good and honest man we’ve had a really productive relationship over the past six years, including policies that we work together on some of the ones that were mentioned by the governor," Warren said. "I can’t even imagine the pressure that he’s under to say some of the things that he said."
At the presser, Chronister said Warren was soft on criminals something he flat out rejects.
"Hillsborough County crime rate is one of the lowest in the state, lowest in the area, and lowest in the Tampa Bay Area, it’s gone down every year since I’ve been in office," Warren said.
When Warren was asked if he had ever seen a case where a governor removes a twice-elected state attorney, he responded with a smirk and quipped.
"Yes, in Russia and Venezuela in North Korea I’m sure it happens all the time. This is totally unprecedented for America," said Warren.
Warren said he is putting together his legal team and expects to have a legal response in the next week.