Florida GOP Chair Says Congressman Radel ‘Should Step Down’
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US Congress(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Less than one week after Rep. Trey Radel pled guilty to cocaine possession, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry called on the congressman to resign.
“The people of Florida’s 19th Congressional District need a Congressman who is 100 percent focused on the needs of Southwest Florida,” Curry said in a statement Monday. “Therefore, Congressman Radel should step down and focus his attention on rehabilitation and his family.”
Radel announced on Nov. 20 that he would take a leave of absence from Congress and donate his salary to charity. He plans to start “intensive inpatient treatment” immediately for an issue he has been dealing with “on and off for years,” he said in a news conference last Wednesday.
“I’m owning up to my actions. I’m taking responsibility. I’m taking it very publicly,” Radel said.
The Republican was charged with cocaine possession after authorities said he bought a small amount of cocaine during a sting in October.
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