The national Libertarian Party executive director has issued a declaration denouncing racism and asking any white nationalists in the party to resign and leave the organization immediately.

There is no room for racists and bigots in the Libertarian Party. If there are white nationalists who inappropriately are members of the Libertarian Party, I ask them to submit their resignations today, Libertarian National Executive Director Wes Benedict declared in a news release. We dont want them to associate with the Libertarian Party, and we dont want their money.

That statement comes from the leader of a party that has had issues with white nationalists joining and seeking leadership posts in recent years. One, former lawyer Augustus Sol Invictus of Orlando, sought the Florida Libertarian Partys nomination to run for the U.S. Senate, a drive that had caused chaos at the top ranks of the state party, and in the Seminole County Libertarian committee. Invictus was not the only self-avowed nationalist to roil the partys ranks.

Invictus lost in the Libertarian primary, and the Orlando Sentinel reported Tuesday he had left the Libertarian Party and registered as a Republican this spring.

Invictus, who was a key figure in the Charlottesville rally last weekend, the Sentinel reported.

Benedict cited the national Libertarian Partys platform, which includes a plank that states,We condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant. Government should neither deny nor abridge any individuals human right based upon sex, wealth, ethnicity, creed, age, national origin, personal habits, political preference, or sexual orientation.

Im not expecting many resignations, because our membership already knows this well, Benedict stated in a news release issued by his office.

Scott Powers is an Orlando-based political journalist with 30+ years experience, mostly at newspapers such as the Orlando Sentinel and the Columbus Dispatch. He covers local, state and federal politics and space news across much of Central Florida. His career earned numerous journalism awards for stories ranging from the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster to presidential elections to misplaced nuclear waste. He and his wife Connie have three grown children. Besides them, hes into mystery and suspense books and movies, rock, blues, basketball, baseball, writing unpublished novels, and being amused. Email him at scott@flordiapolitics.com or scottmichaelpowers@yahoo.com.

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Libertarian Party: Any white nationalists in party should resign ... - Florida Politics (blog)