DeSantis responds to question on possible Sheriff Marceno suspension

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed calls for the suspension of Lee County’s sheriff amid an FBI investigation into his office.

On Wednesday, Mick Peters, a Lee Republican party state committeeman, called for the sheriff to resign or for the governor to remove him following accusations of money laundering.

Peters posted a letter online stating that he thinks the accusations and appearance of impropriety surrounding Marceno are reason enough for the governor to remove him.

At a news conference in Orlando Thursday, a reporter asked the governor about Peters’ call for Marceno to be removed from office.

In response, DeSantis said, “The Florida governor has the constitutional authority to suspend elected officials at the county level based on a number of criteria: misfeasance, malfeasance, incompetence, neglect of duty [and] drunkenness. There may be another one or two, but those are the main ones.”

He did not directly address Marceno’s situation but continued by saying, “So if you conduct yourself in a way that triggers my constitutional obligations to suspend you, I will do it. I will follow through with that.”

The executive committee of the Lee County GOP sent a statement saying they don’t back Peters’ call for the sheriff to be removed at this time, saying he’s innocent until proven guilty.

We know the FBI is investigating Marceno on allegations of money laundering.

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