TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A South Florida lawmaker is calling out a state congressional candidate for a controversial tweet he made shortly after a verdict was announced in the Derek Chauvin murder trial.
Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Clermont, took to Twitter within minutes after Chauvin was found guilty of murder in the 2020 death of George Floyd, writing simply, "Mob justice."
Mob justice
— Rep. Anthony Sabatini (@AnthonySabatini) April 20, 2021
Sabatini's tweet immediately prompted plenty of backlash, among them from fellow state Rep. Shevrin Jones, D-West Park.
Jones accused the Orlando-area lawmaker of being a "white supremacist."
"White supremacist in 2021 wear suits and sit in the Florida legislature," Jones chimed back. "Yep, I said it."
👇🏾 White supremacist in 2021 wear suits and sit in the Florida legislature. Yep, I said it. https://t.co/sgIuCTOLUO
— Shevrin “Shev” Jones (@ShevrinJones) April 20, 2021
Sabatini, who made headlines earlier this year after proposing renaming U.S. Highway 27 to honor former President Donald Trump, announced last month that he will challenge incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster for Florida's 11th congressional district.