In a shocking development, Florida’s Republican chairman has been swept up in a criminal investigation involving an alleged sexual battery incident. The allegations have rocked the Sunshine State, raising eyebrows among both Republicans and Democrats.
According to prosecutors, Jeanette Nuñez, the current chair of the Republican Party of Florida, is being investigated over an alleged incident in October of 2018. Huber Toledo, a 25-year-old Miami resident, has accused Nuñez of pushing him down and slapping him during an argument at a local club.
The incident is said to have occurred during an altercation between the two. Toledo alleged that Nuñez had forcibly pushed him to the ground and slapped him with an open hand. Although the Tampa Police Department has been unable to confirm if the incident indeed occurred and has suggested that a lack of physical evidence precludes any further investigation, the allegations against Nuñez have prompted an investigation by the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office.
Nuñez has strongly denied any wrong doing and has called the allegations “false and malicious”. In a statement issued shortly after the allegations emerged, her lawyer Barry Richard, described the claims against her as a “misrepresentation of the facts”.
The controversy has pitted Nuñez against her own party, with several local Republican leaders voicing their disapproval of the incident. Linda Stewart, the chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, also said her organization was “shocked and disturbed” by the news.
Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, it is clear that the incident has tarnished the reputation of the Republican Party of Florida. It remains to be seen if the accusations will have any lasting implications for Nuñez and her organization.
