FACT: Anthony Sabatini earned the nickname “Rep. Blackface” early in his legislative career for good reason: He once dressed in Black face.
In high school, Sabatini dressed as a friend for homecoming week, complete with using some sort of makeup to darken his skin color. While Sabatini dismissed it as a “silly high school prank,” it wasn’t the only time he mocked racial identities. Later, information surfaced about Sabatini also darkening his face and dressing in stereotypical Mexican attire, including a straw hat resembling a sombrero, a fake mustache and a serape, a colorful striped blanket-like cloak. Students who knew Sabatini at the time described the incidents as part of a pattern of behavior, including Sabatini’s consistent participation in racially-themed parties.
FACT:
Further adding to Sabatini’s disgusting relationship with hateful racial rhetoric, Sabatini threatened Americans practicing their constitutional right to free speech by protesting gun violence, with gun violence. Following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, Sabatini posted a photo of an AR-15 on what was then Twitter with an ominous message: “Attention potential ‘protesters’ coming near Lake County, FL. This is an AR-15 — this will be a very common sight upon illegal entry at any Lake County business — FYI!”
FACT:
Sabatini also ignored his Black neighbors and constituents concerned about the ongoing display of Confederate monuments, suggesting any monuments removed be brought to Eustice, where he served at the time as a City Commissioner. The comment was so controversial, the City Commission issued a statement distancing itself from Sabatini’s views, noting that his statements “do not represent the Commission as a whole.”
