Florida County GOP Endorses Candidate Arrested for Molesting a Young Child

CBS 12 News

The Palm Beach County Republican Party endorsed Mike Caruso, who was suspended from his post as Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts after he was arrested for molesting a young family member in August, in a voter guide distributed online Monday, The Miami Herald reported.

The post appears to have since been deleted from social media.

Despite the allegations against him, Caruso’s spokesperson Juda Engelmayer told the Herald that “he is still running for the clerk and comptroller post.” The newspaper also noted his “campaign website is down, and his campaign finance reports show he refunded two recent contributors and a campaign data vendor.”

“I maintain my innocence and remain a candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. My name is on the November ballot, and I intend to win this election,” Caruso said in a statement shared by Engelmayer.

He added:

If the voters elect me, my intention is to take office and continue serving Palm Beach County. The status of a campaign website or the refund of a small number of contributions should not be interpreted as a change in my candidacy. … [U]ltimately the voters of Palm Beach County will decide who they want as their next Clerk and Comptroller.

Caruso was arrested exactly one year after he was appointed to the role by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). He was charged with kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury.

The Herald previously reported the victim was under age 5 when the abuse took place. “In the incidents that led to his arrest, Caruso allegedly exposed himself to the child while they were playing soccer,” the outlet reported. “He managed to get alone with the child and touched the boy’s penis, the FDLE arrest affidavit says. Caruso played ‘tickle monster,’ and touched the child’s buttocks and genitals later that day, the affidavit alleges.”

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article316719710.html#storylink=cpy

Caruso’s first wife also accused him of sexually assaulting a child. The pair share seven children.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!