![\"Florid\u0430](\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2021\/04\/16\/Ron-DeSantis-Tallahassee_MH-1200x675.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nFlorid\u0430 Gov. Ron DeSantis listens to a report from a member of his administration during a meeting at the governor’s office in Tallahassee, Fla., on April 1, 2021. (Screenshot via Epoch Times)<\/h5>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n\nFlorida Gov. DeSantis Will Pardon Anyone Who Broke Mask Mandates, COVID-19 Rules<\/h1>\n
BY JACK PHILLIPS
\nThe Epoch Times<\/p>\n
Florida<\/a>\u00a0Gov. Ron DeSantis is pledging to pardon any state resident who was arrested for not following\u00a0COVID<\/a>-19-related restrictions.<\/p>\n\u201cFloridians should not be penalized for rejecting the overreach of local authorities through unnecessary mask mandates,\u201d DeSantis wrote on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0on May 13.\u00a0He linked to a Fox News video of him appearing alongside a Broward County, Florida, couple\u2014Mike and Jillian Carnevale\u2014who were arrested several times for not requiring masks in their gym.<\/p>\n\u201cAs soon as I heard that Mike and Jillian Carnevale were facing criminal penalties, like possible jail time, for not requiring masks at their gym, I stepped in to shield them from this local government overreach,\u201d DeSantis, a Republican, added in a subsequent\u00a0tweet<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe Carnevales were facing possible jail time for allegedly not enforcing mask orders. They both appeared before a judge in March and had a trial set for May 18.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow they\u2019re looking to take it a step further. They want to put us in jail, and we\u2019re not backing down to this,\u201d Mike Carnevale\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0CBS Miami. \u201cWe have an attorney that\u2019s going to fight this until the very end. I\u2019ll be fighting this until the very end. I won\u2019t be backing down, that\u2019s where we stand.\u201d<\/p>\nBut DeSantis on May 13 told Fox News that their arrests were \u201ctotal overreach\u201d on behalf of the local government.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen our clemency board meets in the coming weeks, we\u2019ll issue pardons not only for Mike and Jillian but for any Floridian that may have outstanding infractions for things like masks and social distancing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact is, it\u2019s not even right to be wearing masks when you\u2019re exercising,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cThe World Health Organization advises against it. It\u2019s not healthy for people to be doing that in the first place. So it was a bad restriction. But these things with health should be advisory. They should not be punitive.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so we are happy to use our constitutional authority. I think they\u2019ve been treated poorly, and fortunately, they\u2019ve got a governor that cares.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeSantis in recent months has taken executive action to curb lockdowns imposed because of the pandemic, while also banning COVID-19 vaccine passports.<\/p>\n
Speaking to The Epoch Times\u2019 \u201cAmerican Thought Leaders\u201d program in April, DeSantis\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0he believed the lockdown orders were a \u201chuge mistake,\u201d including the one that was implemented in Florida.<\/p>\nRecalling the mantra pushed by health officials to lock down for two weeks last year, DeSantis said he now realizes that it likely didn\u2019t have any effect.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to mitigate the damage. Now, in hindsight, the 15 days to slow the spread and the 30\u2014it didn\u2019t work,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t have gone down that road.\u201d<\/p>\n
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the\u00a0CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n
Florida Gov. DeSantis Will Pardon Anyone Who Broke Mask Mandates, COVID-19 Rules<\/h1>\n
BY JACK PHILLIPS
\nThe Epoch Times<\/p>\n
Florida<\/a>\u00a0Gov. Ron DeSantis is pledging to pardon any state resident who was arrested for not following\u00a0COVID<\/a>-19-related restrictions.<\/p>\n \u201cFloridians should not be penalized for rejecting the overreach of local authorities through unnecessary mask mandates,\u201d DeSantis wrote on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0on May 13.\u00a0He linked to a Fox News video of him appearing alongside a Broward County, Florida, couple\u2014Mike and Jillian Carnevale\u2014who were arrested several times for not requiring masks in their gym.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as I heard that Mike and Jillian Carnevale were facing criminal penalties, like possible jail time, for not requiring masks at their gym, I stepped in to shield them from this local government overreach,\u201d DeSantis, a Republican, added in a subsequent\u00a0tweet<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Carnevales were facing possible jail time for allegedly not enforcing mask orders. They both appeared before a judge in March and had a trial set for May 18.<\/p>\n \u201cNow they\u2019re looking to take it a step further. They want to put us in jail, and we\u2019re not backing down to this,\u201d Mike Carnevale\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0CBS Miami. \u201cWe have an attorney that\u2019s going to fight this until the very end. I\u2019ll be fighting this until the very end. I won\u2019t be backing down, that\u2019s where we stand.\u201d<\/p>\n But DeSantis on May 13 told Fox News that their arrests were \u201ctotal overreach\u201d on behalf of the local government.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen our clemency board meets in the coming weeks, we\u2019ll issue pardons not only for Mike and Jillian but for any Floridian that may have outstanding infractions for things like masks and social distancing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact is, it\u2019s not even right to be wearing masks when you\u2019re exercising,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cThe World Health Organization advises against it. It\u2019s not healthy for people to be doing that in the first place. So it was a bad restriction. But these things with health should be advisory. They should not be punitive.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so we are happy to use our constitutional authority. I think they\u2019ve been treated poorly, and fortunately, they\u2019ve got a governor that cares.\u201d<\/p>\n DeSantis in recent months has taken executive action to curb lockdowns imposed because of the pandemic, while also banning COVID-19 vaccine passports.<\/p>\n Speaking to The Epoch Times\u2019 \u201cAmerican Thought Leaders\u201d program in April, DeSantis\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0he believed the lockdown orders were a \u201chuge mistake,\u201d including the one that was implemented in Florida.<\/p>\n Recalling the mantra pushed by health officials to lock down for two weeks last year, DeSantis said he now realizes that it likely didn\u2019t have any effect.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to mitigate the damage. Now, in hindsight, the 15 days to slow the spread and the 30\u2014it didn\u2019t work,\u201d DeSantis said. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t have gone down that road.\u201d<\/p>\n COVID-19 is the disease caused by the\u00a0CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus<\/a>.<\/p>\n