TALLAHASSEE, Fla — Fred Piccolo, Gov. Ron DeSantis' spokesperson, resigned from his position last week, reports say.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Piccolo said he gave the governor's office his resignation letter on Dec. 23. Now, he says he will transition to the Department of Education next week and work for Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. The Orlando Sentinel says Piccolo used to work for Corcoran at the state House Speaker's office.
The news was also confirmed by ABC 27.
Piccolo grabbed widespread attention on Christmas Eve after reports he deactivated his Twitter account after receiving backlash for a tweet about people who have died from COVID-19.
The now-deleted tweet reportedly read "I'm wondering since 99% [of] Covid patients survive shouldn't you have 99 photos of survivors for every one fatality? Otherwise, you're just trying to create a narrative that is not reality."
This, in response to Corrinne Perkins' thread of photos from Reuters, which highlighted what she called "the reality of COVID-19 in hospitals across the U.S."
Piccolo became the governor's spokesperson in mid-July, replacing Helen Ferré, the Miami Herald reported.
The Sun-Sentinel says Piccolo has used his personal Twitter account to spread misinformation about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He's questioned the efficacy of mask mandates and mask-wearing more than a dozen times, according to the news outlet. And, on at least three occasions, he has claimed COVID-19 is less deadly than the flu, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
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