New GOP Governor Has Repeatedly Been Accused of Racism
Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel has resigned after photos of him in blackface, depicting him mocking Hurricane Katrina victims, emerged. Ertel can be seen dressed to appear as a woman, and wearing a tee shirt emblazoned with the words “Katrina Victim.”
Ertel was appointed by newly-elected GOP Governor Ron DeSantis, who was accused throughout the gubernatorial campaign of racism.
The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper reports “Ertel, 49, identified himself as the white man in blackface and red lipstick, wearing earrings and a New Orleans Saints bandanna, and falsies under a purple T-shirt that had ‘Katrina Victim’ written on it.
The photos reportedly were taken in 2005 during a Halloween party.
“There’s nothing I can say,” Ertel told the paper, which notes the “photos are the sole blemish on a seemingly spotless public career.”
The Tallahassee Democrat has published the photos. Read the full report here.