George Riley, the executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, has publicly apologized for his recent behavior at a hotel in Kissimmee, near Orlando.
Riley, 43, admitted to being excessively drunk and causing damage to his hotel room, including urinating and vomiting.
“I have been dealing with alcoholism and mental health issues,” Riley, 43, told the Tampa Bay Times. “I will pay for any damages that were caused. I apologize to the employees for my bad behavior and I will be seeking help soon.”
This incident is the latest in a series of scandals that have tarnished the reputation of the Florida GOP. Earlier this year, the party’s former chairman, Christian Ziegler, was ousted following an investigation into a rape accusation, although he was later cleared by the police.
The party’s current chairman, Evan Power, did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Riley’s situation.
Riley’s sister contacted the Osceola County sheriff’s deputies on Friday, concerned about her brother’s well-being after not hearing from him for a week. She and Riley’s father informed the deputies that Riley has a medical condition, which was redacted in the incident report, and requires medication.
Upon visiting the hotel where Riley was staying, deputies learned from staff members that Riley’s stay had been denied an extension due to his excessive drinking and the damage he had caused to his room, including broken electric blinds. One manager reported that Riley had purchased so much alcohol from the hotel store that they had to order more.
Using cellphone pings, deputies located Riley at another nearby hotel on Saturday, where he was found to be under the influence of alcohol. However, after evaluating his condition, they determined that he did not pose a risk to himself or others and did not meet the criteria for involuntary commitment for evaluation.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.