Florida fines TV station $10K for not letting congressional nominee debate due to vaccine status

"This is happening all across the United States of America," Scotty Moore said. "We need freedom back."

Published: February 9, 2023 6:36pm

Updated: February 9, 2023 8:14pm

The Florida Department of Health fined a television station in Orlando $10,000 as a late punishment after it refused to let a GOP congressional candidate and staffer participate in a debate due to their COVID-19 vaccine status.

"On September 15, 2022, the Department received evidence demonstrating that on September 8, 2022, WESH-2 prohibited Scotty Moore, candidate for Florida Congressional District 9, from entering the WESH-2 television studio and from taking part in an in-person debate in which WESH-2 had invited Mr. Moore to participate because he denied having received COVID-19 vaccination in his written response to a WESH-2 questionnaire," the department wrote in a letter.

Florida letter .pdf

According to the letter, the WESH-2 television studio violated Florida law Section 381.00316(1) which according to the letter, "expressly prohibits a business entity operating in this state from requiring documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination or post-infection recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or service from the entity."

Former GOP Florida congressional candidate Scotty Moore said that him being allowed to participate might have changed the outcome of the congressional race.

"We ran a strong campaign," Moore told "Just the News, No Noise" Thursday. "We only lost by 6%. And the question is, what could that debate have done? Could it have changed the thoughts and minds of people? We will never know."

The letter sent to the TV station by the health department says that it is authorized to impose a $5,000 fine per individual whose rights were violated.

Moore noted while this was a minor victory, it is still happening around the country and Americans need to fight the government overreach that's occurring.

"This is happening all across the United States of America," he said. "We need freedom back. We need to restore the people's voice. This is our country and I gotta tell you, these woke corporations are trying to destroy it."