(Crankers) Rebekah Jones posted a very insensitive statement about Charlie Kirk on her X account, then Internet users pointed out information about her and some users dug up mug shots from her arrests.
Who is Rebekah Jones?
She is a former Florida data scientist who became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic after being fired from her role managing the state’s data dashboard. She gained national attention for alleging that she was fired for refusing to manipulate data, a claim state officials have denied. Her public profile and controversies continued through her 2022 congressional campaign and multiple legal issues.
In the early months of the pandemic, Jones was the architect of the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 data dashboard, which was praised for its transparency.
Why was Rebekah Jones fired?
Jones was fired in May 2020. She claimed she was instructed to censor data to make the state appear ready to reopen, but refused. State officials said she was fired for insubordination and that she made public remarks about her work without permission.
The Florida Office of Inspector General investigated her claims and found them to be unsubstantiated in 2022. The report portrayed Jones as an employee who lacked a full understanding of public health policy.
Why was Rebekah Jones arrested?
Jones faced a felony charge of unlawfully accessing a state computer system and sending an unauthorized message to employees in November 2020. She entered a deferred prosecution agreement in December 2022, in which she admitted guilt and was required to pay a $20,000 fine, perform community service, and undergo mental health evaluations.
She pleaded no contest to a separate 2019 cyberstalking misdemeanor charge in June 2023. Jones was accused of harassing and stalking a former student. She pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor cyberstalking charge. As a result of her plea, she was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to complete a Victim Awareness Program, among other requirements.
Following the official investigations and her actions on social media, Jones’s credibility has been called into question by some officials and media outlets. Some have referred to her as a “fraud” and “conspiracy theorist,” while she has been recognized with whistleblower and technology awards by other organizations.
What did Rebekah Jones say about Charlie Kirk?
Her statement about Charlie Kirk is below – it includes a few lies or things that don’t make any sense, such as suggesting Charlie Kirk should be in jail despite not committing any crimes. It appears Rebekah Jones might have taken the media bait on Kirk, as her statement parrots the biased out of context spins that the media often does. Which means the media should be held accountable for their actions. Here’s the statement she made:
Fine. I’ll say it.
The podcaster who was killed in Utah was a f*cking creep. Goofy-ass looking grown man who flunked out of college and could never let it go. He grifted off completely fabricated stories about “oppression against conservatives.” His entire persona was a gimmick steeped in theocratic and white supremacy.
He was a bigoted, racist, homophobic, sexist piece of sh*t. He participated in an insurrection against our country. He repeatedly called for the deaths of his perceived political enemies. He cheered on those who violently assaulted Americans.
He should have been in jail.
Instead, he got shot.
And by every measure, his only accomplishment is being the first American assassination that the world watched on TikTok in 4k at 120Hz.
He wasn’t a Rhodes scholar shot in the face while seeing a movie in Colorado.
He wasn’t an elected official in Minnesota murdered for defending women’s rights.
He wasn’t a first grader left bleeding to death in the company of a crazed gunman.
He wasn’t gunned down for flying a flag outside his clothing store.
He was a bad person who said horrible things on his mid-tier little podcast.
I have legitimate reasons to hate a lot of these conservative pundits. Many, like Ben Shapiro, have come after me by name. They’ve spent years vilifying me for trying to save lives during COVID. They’ve fabricated stories, promoted propaganda, and incited more death and r*pe threats than I can count.
And yet I don’t say they should be given the death penalty or publicly executed. I don’t believe they deserve that.
I would never say that children should watch DeSantis’ public execution as a rite of passage.
I would never say that Matt Gaetz and every pervert in Congress should be stoned to death. And there are so many conservative men in Congress that are into some kinky and even illegal sh*t.
Saying “good riddance,” isn’t a “celebration” of his violent, public death. I said it when Rush Limbaugh died. Does that mean I’m cheering on lung cancer? I was elated when Scalia died of natural causes. Most of our country- and the world – will be in the streets *actually celebrating* when Trump dies, regardless of how he dies.
Everybody dies. That doesn’t make up for the life they spent harming others. And when people who choose to spend their existence hurting people are gone, the world is a better place.
Kirk was a vapid demagogue unworthy of mass hysteria over his death.
And everyone should be protesting this state-mandated day of mourning on Oct. 14.