Monique Worrell claims she was tipped-off to 'imminent' removal as state attorney
Worrell: State removal push tied to Hope Florida probe
State Attorney for Florida's 9th Judicial Circuit, Monique W. Worrell, spoke to reporters Tuesday morning, where she addressed rumors that she may be removed from office by the DeSantis administration. FOX 35's Marie Edinger joined Garrett Wymer live to discuss the latest.
ORLANDO, Fla. - State Attorney Monique Worrell, who oversees the Ninth Judicial Court in Orange and Osceola counties, defended her leadership, her role, and her office on Tuesday, and claimed that she had received a tip recently about her "imminent" removal by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Attorney General James Uthmeier told reporters during a separate news conference that he was unaware of anything. Gov. DeSantis has not announced anything publicly, and emails to the Governor's Office seeking clarification were not immediately returned.
Worrell: Tipster told me my removal is "imminent."
What we know:
Worrell claimed that she received a phone call late Monday night letting her know that her alleged removal was "imminent."
"Last night around 10:30, I received a phone call from someone telling me my removal was imminent and that I was going to be replaced with an assistant statewide prosecutor who used to work in this office," she said.
"These rumors don't start themselves and, as I said, they have a tremendous impact on the work that is being done in this office – and it is politics. And the people who work here, did not sign up for politics. They signed up to protect the people of this community. And every time the Attorney General [James Uthmeier] or the Governor [DeSantis] invokes this office, they create chaos."
What they're saying:
Attorney General James Uthmeier said he had no idea whether Worrell was being removed or not.
"If that's happening, the governor didn't let me know," he said during questions following a press conference in Osceola County.
Gov. DeSantis has not said anything publicly about Worrell's current position as state attorney. An email from FOX 35 to the governor's communication office was not immediately returned.
DeSantis suspended Worrell in 2023. She won it back in 2024.
The backstory:
In 2023, Gov. DeSantis suspended Worrell as State Attorney of the Ninth Judicial Court via executive order and appointed then-Orange County judge Andrew Bain to replace her.
At the time, DeSantis accused Worrell of "neglect of duty and incompetence," alleging her office was soft on crime when it came to gun crimes, drug trafficking offenses, child pornography, and juvenile cases.
In 2024, Worrell defeated Bain and was re-elected as State Attorney of the Ninth Judicial Court.
Uthmeier, DeSantis at odds with Worrell
Uthmeier, DeSantis, and Worrell have long been at odds with each other since Worrell's removal in 2023, and her re-election, often trading jabs on social media or in press conferences.
Uthmeier has accused Worrell of being soft on crime, offering "sweetheart deals" in some cases, or not seeing mandatory minimums in others.
Worrell often refers to Uthmeier as the "appointed" attorney general. Uthmeier, who previously served as DeSantis' chief of staff, was appointed attorney general in 2025 to fill Ashley Moody's role after she was appointed to the U.S. Senate. Moody filled then-Sen. Marco Rubio's seat, which was vacated after he was nominated to service as Sec. of State in President Donald Trump's administration.
The Source: FOX 35 attended separate news conferences held by Attorney General James Uthmeier and State Attorney Monique Worrell on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. FOX 35 reached out to spokespersons for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for comment on Worrell's allegations. Additional background reporting pulled from DeSantis' executive order on Worrell's suspension in 2023, and FOX 35 reporting since then.