The embattled assistant adjutant general of the Florida National Guard, under investigation for allegations he covered up sexual misconduct in the ranks, announced Tuesday he was stepping down.
In a statement to Military Times, Brig. Gen. Michael Canzoneri maintained his innocence, but that he was stepping down to avoid distractions.
“I maintain my innocence in the allegations,” he said. “However, the investigation is a distraction to the force, our soldiers have a mission. So in order to support our soldiers, I have chosen to step down.”
Canzoneri, a 37-year veteran who was promoted to brigadier general in December, 2016, will be on administrative leave until May 31 before entering the retired reserve, according to the guard.
In March, the Tampa Bay Times reported that the Guard — about 12,000 soldiers and airmen who deploy to combat zones and help at home in natural disasters — was facing ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct and coverups that date back a decade.
Maj. Caitlin Brown, a Florida National Guard spokeswoman, told Military Times that while none of the allegations against Canzoneri have yet been substantiated, there is an ongoing investigation into him by Department of the Army’s Office of the Inspector General.
Some of the allegations against Canzoneri were detailed out in an email to a state lawmaker from south Florida written by Maj. Elliot Potter, a Tampa-based officer in the Florida National Guard’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Potter researched the allegations and forwarded them to his superiors. A copy of his email was obtained by the Tampa Bay Times.
According to Potter, Canzoneri and another officer “have actively concealed evidence of sexual misconduct and other violence committed against soldiers of the Florida National Guard.”
more…
https://www.militarytimes.com/2019/05/07/under-investigation-by-the-army-ig-florida-national-guards-no-2-commander-steps-down/