MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — The scandal related to Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee Secretary Abel Carvajal’s WhatsApp group hit home for Republican Florida Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, who graduated from Florida International University.
Porras, who serves as the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County‘s state committeeman, called for the resignation of Carvajal, an FIU College of Law student who had been appointed to the Planning and Zoning Board in Hialeah in January.
“This is absolutely unacceptable,” Porras told Local 10 News.
FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez announced the FIU Police Department was working with local, state, and federal law enforcement on an investigation after the Floridian Press reported “Miami GOP Secretary’s Group Chat Pushes Antisemitism, ‘Killing [N-word]’” on Wednesday about alleged posts from last year. The Miami Herald and New York Times followed on Thursday.
“FIU does not and will not tolerate violence, hate, discrimination, harassment, racism or antisemitism,” Nuñez wrote in a statement. “This is not who we are. This is not what FIU stands for.”
The Republican Party of Florida and the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County denounced the WhatsApp chat’s alleged racist, violent, antisemitic, misogynistic, and homophobic posts.
“As a member of the executive committee and as a member of this House, I am going to ensure that this is no longer tolerated,” Porras said.
Aside from their connections to FIU and the Republican Party, Carvajal and Porras were also passionate about the nonprofit Turning Point USA, which the late Charlie Kirk co-founded in 2012.
Porras worked in the U.S. senatorial office of Marco Rubio, now U.S. Secretary of State, and in the state gubernatorial office of Rick Scott, now U.S. Senator, before being elected to office in 2022.
“We need to be better leaders, we need to be better role models,” Porras said. “And, I am going to make the effort over the summer now to work with these colleges and these students to let them know that there is different forms of leadership.”
Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo, also an FIU graduate, told the Miami Herald that Carvajal will resign from his position with the city.
Related stories
- Coral Gables removes Merrick House docent over GOP WhatsApp group’s alleged posts
- Miami-Dade County Republican Party’s WhatsApp group under criminal investigation after leak alleges racist, violent posts
Related social media
— Jeanette Nuñez (@FIUPresident) March 5, 2026
— Florida GOP (@FloridaGOP) March 5, 2026
This is disgusting and cannot be tolerated. I’m glad that RPOF is launching an investigation and expect anyone who engaged in this horrible behavior to be held accountable. Racists and antisemites are not welcome in the Republican Party. https://t.co/EmPD55aTUt
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) March 5, 2026
— Republican Party of Miami-Dade County (@MiamiDadeGOP) March 5, 2026
How can anyone who participated in these vile, sickening, racist messages still believe they can hold a leadership position in the Miami-Dade Republican Party?
— María Elvira Salazar 🇺🇸 (@MaElviraSalazar) March 5, 2026
This kind of hate is repugnant. There must be zero tolerance for it. It must be condemned clearly, forcefully, and… https://t.co/FBXyipfS75
Local 10 News has not independently verified the group’s leak and was awaiting answers to requests for comment and information.
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