DeSantis To Pardon Floridians Who Violated COVID-19 Rules: Report

SOUTH FLORIDA — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he’ll pardon a South Florida gym owner who refused to enforce mask mandates and others who violated COVID-19 related policies.

Mike Carnevale, who owns a gym in Plantation, and his wife were interviewed by Laura Ingraham on Fox News on Wednesday evening to discuss their arrests for not following Broward County’s mask mandate put in place by emergency order, Local 10 reported. Carnevale was arrested three times last summer.

DeSantis made an appearance during this segment to tell Carnevale that both he and his wife can expect a full pardon. First, the governor will delay their court case by 60 days before granting full clemency.

Carnevale was charged with two second-degree misdemeanors and could have seen up to 120 days in jail. Meanwhile, his wife faced one second-degree misdemeanor charge that could land her in jail for 60 days.

The governor said their arrest was “total overreach” by local government, NBC 6 South Florida reported.

“The fact is it's not even right to be wearing masks when you’re exercising,” DeSantis said. “It’s 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.”

DeSantis said the state’s clemency board will pardon any Floridian who was fined or punished in any way for violating face mask mandates, social distancing policies and other COVID-19-related rules.