ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida — The Florida National Guard's second-in-command is stepping down amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Brigadier General Michael Canzoneri lives in St. Augustine and worked at the National Guard headquarters there.
This comes at a time when more men and women in the military are filing reports of sexual harassment.
Canzoneri resigned on Tuesday.
He is one of several officers accused of covering up evidence and sexual misconduct.
According to the Florida National Guard, one of the people filing allegations is a civilian contractor named Shira Callahan.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Callahan accuses Canzoneri of rubbing her bare shoulder during a conference in 2011, making a sexual gesture toward a bartender, and having an affair with a soldier whom he transferred when she declined to have sex with his friends. Callahan said he also helped cover up allegations against another officer.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that Callahan first filed a complaint in 2015 with the Guard's inspector general.
First Coast News spoke with Canzoneri at his home in St. Augustine Thursday. He did not want to go on camera but he maintains his innocence.
Canzoneri said he stepped down because all of this was becoming a distraction to the men and women of the Florida National Guard.
He says this hurts because he has put in 37 years of his life to the Florida National Guard and he doesn't even know some of these people making allegations against him.
In a written statement to First Coast News, Canzoneri said, "As we discussed, I maintain my innocence against the allegations. However, the investigation may take months, even years. This is a distraction to our Soldiers who are serving both the citizens of Florida and in the service of our federal mission overseas. These Soldiers have a mission and the distraction does not serve our Soldiers, so in order to support them, I have chosen to step down."
On Thursday, First Coast News tried to reach Callahan, the contractor who made some of the allegations, but we have not heard back from her.
The National Guard also declined an on-camera interview.
Canzoneri said the investigation could take months or even years.
The Department of the Army Inspector General is investigating.