TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Gov. Ron DeSantis is doubling down on his refusal to reinstate suspended Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren.

Warren sat down with 8 On Your Side for an interview after losing his bid to get his job back in federal court, speaking to me about his next steps.

The twice-elected Democrat was removed from office in August after saying he would not enforce a new 15-week abortion law or prosecute providers of gender transition treatment for young people, with DeSantis accusing him of neglect of duty.

The same month, Warren filed a lawsuit in federal court, alleging  “abuse of power and unlawful suspension.”

His legal team went that route, believing it was their best hope, but U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hinkle dismissed the case Friday, saying he didn’t have the power to reinstate him.

As of Thursday, Warren has been out of work for 175 days.

“How are you surviving financially? How are you paying our bills?” I asked Warren.

“This has been really hard,” he said. “The uncertainty. The verbal attacks and threats against me and my kids.”

Hinkle, who was appointed by Former President Bill Clinton, said Gov. DeSantis broke multiple laws when removing Warren from office.

“It’s out of George Orwell, where a judge says there’s no neglect of duty, there’s no incompetence and you governor are the one who broke the law,” said Warren. “Then, a representative of the governor said see exactly what we said, Andrew neglected his duty and we didn’t do anything wrong.”

On page 53 of his ruling, Hinkle wrote, “if the facts matter, the Governor can simply rescind the suspension.”

In a letter sent to DeSantis on Wednesday, Warren asked the governor to do just that.

“I respectfully request that you voluntarily reinstate me as Hillsborough County’s duly elected state attorney for the remainder of my four-year term without further delay,” Warren wrote. “Faithful execution of the law depends on faithful recognition of the facts. And a nonpartisan finder of fact has found the allegations within Executive Order #22-176 to be inaccurate.”

Gov. DeSantis’ office tells 8 On Your Side that Warren remains suspended.

“We do not agree with the Court’s dicta, which are merely opinions, and need not address them since the Court ultimately determined it lacked jurisdiction and thus ruled in favor of the governor. Mr. Warren remains suspended from the office he failed to serve,” Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said. “In its lengthy opinion, the Court attempted to usurp the Florida Senate’s constitutional authority to make a determination on Mr. Warren’s neglect of duty and incompetence. It is the Florida Senate that is to rightly serve as the ultimate factfinder in this case.”

DeSantis doubled down on his refusal during a news conference in Miami on Thursday.

“We’ve also taken a very strong stand against the idea that prosecutors can pick and choose which laws that they enforce,” the governor told reporters. “We had an example of that in Tampa and so we suspended that prosecutor.”

Warren’s legal team is now planning their next move.

They can appeal Hinkle’s decision, file another lawsuit in state court or end all lawsuits and turn to the Florida Senate, the body with the power to remove a suspended official.

“To people who maybe have been critical of you, if you’re reinstated, or if you win reelection, can you promise them you’ll always uphold all of the laws of Florida?” I asked him.

“Of course. From the time that I was sworn in as state attorney, I swore to uphold all of the laws of Florida and to defend the US constitution, that’s exactly what I’ve done.”

Warren stressed that he believes in the rule of law.

“At the end of the day, as Dr. King said, the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice and justice will be not just holding the governor accountable but being reinstated,” he said.