Miami Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla Removed from GOP Leadership Role Due to Attendance Issues

Alex Díaz de la Portilla, the suspended Miami commissioner facing corruption charges, has been removed from his leadership role with the Miami-Dade Republican Party. This removal is unrelated to his corruption charges and was instead due to an excessive number of unexcused absences at county party meetings.

Key points:

• Díaz de la Portilla was ousted as the local party’s state committeeman, a role he held since being elected by Republican voters during the August 2020 primary election.
• The removal came after a grievance related to his attendance at party meetings was filed prior to his arrest. The Florida GOP committee conducted an investigation and recommended his removal from the position.
• Both Miami-Dade GOP Chairman Alex Rizo and Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler emphasized that the decision to remove Díaz de la Portilla from the state committeeman post was solely based on issues with his meeting attendance and had nothing to do with the corruption charges.
• With Díaz de la Portilla’s removal, the Miami-Dade Republican Party has 60 days to call an election to replace him in the state committeeman role.
• Díaz de la Portilla’s arrest led to his suspension from the Miami City Commission by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The commission has voted to leave his seat vacant until the upcoming general election, when Díaz de la Portilla is seeking re-election.
• Díaz de la Portilla has maintained his innocence and claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated. He expressed confidence in winning re-election and beating the charges against him.

This development highlights that Díaz de la Portilla’s legal troubles are distinct from his removal from the state committeeman position, which was related to his attendance record within the party. His corruption charges remain a separate matter, and he has asserted his innocence.