Former Ohio house speaker ditches the GOP over Trump – and says he’s getting a flood of Republican support behind the scenes

Former Ohio House speaker Cliff Rosenberger said this Monday that he’s leaving the Republican Party over its continued support for Donald Trump, Cleveland.com reports.

“I’m a conservative, and I’m going to be a conservative,” Rosenberger said in a Monday interview. “But if the Republican Party is going to continue, which it seems that they are, going down the path of supporting a guy like Donald Trump, I’m not going to have anything to do with that. So at this juncture, I’m going to consider myself an independent.”

Rosenberger went on to say that he may have considered voting for a Republican challenger to Trump if there was a good one, but instead ended up voting for Joe Biden.

“I decided I’m going to take out a Democrat primary ballot. I’m going to support the guy who I think is more aligned with me and who will put the country in a better position,” Rosenberger said. “I have no qualms about it.”

“I can’t tell you how many people told me ‘Cliff, I believe the same thing you do, but I have to support the party,'” he said. “But I don’t flow that way.”

Rosenberger resigned from office in 2018 in the midst of an FBI investigation into his travel and spending habits. The investigation so far has not led to any charges. Cleveland.com described him as being one of Ohio’s “most powerful Republicans” during his tenure.

Read more over at Cleveland.com.