A grand jury will be convened by the Florida Supreme Court at Republican Gov. The court confirmed Thursday that Ron DeSantis requested to investigate any wrongdoing in relation to COVID-19 vaccines.

This month, the Republican governor of Texas, often mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2024 called for an investigation. He said it was partly to get more information from pharmaceutical firms about vaccines and possible side effects.

The vaccine studies funded by pharmaceutical companies who developed COVID-19 vaccines were published in peer-reviewed journals like the New England Journal of Medicine. Data on safety and effectiveness of shots was reviewed by government panels before approval.

DeSantis requested that the pharmaceutical industry be informed that they had a financial interest creating an environment in which people believed that the coronavirus vaccine would prevent them from spreading it to others.

Grand juries can be formed in states and consist of 18 members. They can investigate criminal activity, issue indictments, and also look at systemic issues in Florida. Recent panels dealt with school safety and immigration.

The grand jury will meet once a year.