Soto Urges Committee on Energy and Commerce to Investigate Florida COVID Reporting
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) co-led a letter with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) to Chairman Frank Pallone requesting the House Committee on Energy and Commerce investigate possible irregularities in the State of Florida’s daily COVID-19 death tally. The letter comes after it was reported that a possible inconsistent pattern in the calculation of deaths emerged before the general election.
“To maintain the highest level of safety, the residents of Florida must have complete transparency on the methodology and calculation of the daily COVID death tally,” wrote the Members. “As cases surge nationwide, Floridians must be assured of truthful reporting by their Department of Health.”
Changes to the system came within three days of Governor DeSantis’s announcement of audits of all COVID suspected deaths before inclusion in the daily numbers. It appears the State of Florida Health Department excluded the long-backlogged deaths in daily death counts during election season beginning October 24, only to resume inclusion of these deaths on November 17, 2020.
The letter was signed by Reps. Alcee L. Hastings, Ted Deutch, Charlie Crist, Kathy Castor, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Al Lawson, Jr..
The full letter can be read here.