January 31, 2025
The Honorable Ron DeSantis
Governor of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Request for the Removal of Michael Peters as State Committeeman of The Lee County Republican Party
Dear Governor DeSantis,
I am writing to formally request the removal of Michael Peters as the State Committeeman of the Lee County Republican Party due to his repeated actions that undermine the principles of impartiality, due process, and integrity within our party. His conduct has demonstrated a clear bias and a troubling pattern of attempting to sway public opinion for personal political gain.
Most recently, Mr. Peters has publicly called for the resignation of Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno before the final conclusion of a federal grand jury investigation. This action directly violates the fundamental principle that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty. Furthermore, Mr. Peters has reached out to multiple news outlets via email regarding this matter, which borders on witness tampering, since the grand jury proceedings are still ongoing. It is evident that he is using this situation for his own political benefit by increasing his visibility in the media. This was blatant and intentional as evidenced that Mr. Peters did not use any Republican Party letterhead when addressing the media via email.
This is not the first time Mr. Peters has engaged in such behavior. Previously, he called for the resignation of Lee County Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle while he was actively running against him for the same position. When Mr. Doyle admitted to an extramarital affair — a personal matter that had already been resolved within his family — Mr. Peters once again contacted multiple media outlets in an apparent attempt to tarnish his opponent’s reputation and influence public opinion. His repeated actions suggest a pattern of using his position to manipulate the narrative for his own political advancement.
Mr. Peters has no legitimate authority to demand the resignation of an elected official before a legal determination has been made. His actions are a liability to the Republican Party and a direct affront to the principle of due process. Sheriff Marceno was elected by an overwhelming majority of over ninety percent of the vote, despite all allegations being publicly known prior to the election. The will of the voters should be respected, and no individual should use their position to subvert democratic processes for personal gain.
Given the seriousness of these actions, I respectfully urge you to remove Michael Peters from his role as State Committeeman and replace him with someone who will uphold the values of fairness, integrity, and due process. His continued presence in this position damages the credibility of the party and erodes public trust in our electoral and judicial processes.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I trust in your leadership and commitment to ensuring that our party operates with the highest ethical standards.
Sincerely
McKinley G. Williams
