Lake Commissioner Sabatini Criticizes County GOP Leaders as ‘RINOS’ Following Committee Rebuff

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Anthony Sabatini, who serves as a Lake County commissioner and previously held a position as a Florida state representative, has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the county’s Republican leadership following their decision to deny his request to join their executive committee.

The Lake County Republican Party cast a vote on Monday evening, resulting in a 70-56 decision against Sabatini’s application.

In a video shared on X.com by Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics.com, Sabatini is captured labeling the party leaders as “RINOS,” an acronym for “Republican in Name Only.”

“We won’t stand by as these RINOS… bring forth these relics to oppose true patriots within the RNC,” Sabatini declares in the video.

In a statement to News 6, Sabatini alleged that county GOP chair Taylor Yarkosky, who also serves as a state representative, “urged members to reject” his application because Sabatini had posted an email on Facebook. According to Sabatini, this email purportedly reveals Yarkosky admitting to a criminal offense.

[COVERING LAKE COUNTY: Security measures planned for Lake County’s Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway signs]

In a statement from the Lake GOP that Schorsch also posted, Yarkosky criticized Sabatini’s recent criticism of the Trump administration.

“In recent months, rather than standing shoulder to shoulder with President Donald Trump and advancing a unified Republican agenda, Mr. Sabatini has chosen to publicly attack the president and his administration,” the statement read.

Sabatini has said that the administration needs to step up the deportation of undocumented immigrants. In a statement on Facebook on Feb. 22, he said deportations needed to be increased by a factor of 10, for instance.

Sabatini has otherwise been a staunch supporter of the president’s immigration policies, most recently speaking in favor of bringing an immigration detainment center to Orlando.

He also recently accused the U.S. House Republican majority of not helping the Trump administration in stepping up mass deportations.

[WATCH: ICE tours Orlando warehouse as possible detainment center]

Sabatini has also criticized President Trump’s endorsement of embattled Florida congressman Cory Mills for reelection, who is facing charges related to sexual harassment and cyberstalking, among other things.

“Unfortunately, Trump’s endorsements have become a complete joke at this point lol,” Sabatini wrote on Feb. 11.

Sabatini has also spoken against Rep. Byron Donalds, the GOP frontrunner in the Florida governor’s race. Trump has also endorsed Donalds.

Sabatini prefers controversial candidate James Fishback.