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Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigned, Gov. Rick Scott’s office announced Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, she was interviewed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which is assisting in a national probe of Allied Veterans of the World, a Florida-based nonprofit that operates a chain of internet cafes.
Carroll once owned a public relations firm that represented Allied Veterans, and she did work for the company at the same time she served in the Florida House.
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I have to concede that I always viewed Carroll as one of the legitimate government people in the Voldemort administration. She is not the one I figured would get perp-walked out of office. Reading the story completely, it is quite possible this matter, being pushed forward by an investigation in Oklahoma, may be a guilt-by-association thing. Only time will truly tell.
Carroll was actually a supporter of Bill McCollum in the governor's race two years ago, and was tapped by Rick Scott as a running mate in an apparent attempt to unite he party.
I'm very curious how this whole thing plays out, but at the very least, this will result in a judgment issue for Scott. Why, of all the potential running mates with legitimate government credentials, did Scott go with someone doing this type of outside work in addition to her public service? Was he that poor at vetting? Was it just a craven move motivated by a desire for diversity on the ticket?
And if Carroll ends up not having done anything wrong, will Scott have to answer for cutting her loose at the first sound of trouble.
In truth, Carroll has been a surprising source of problems for the administration. Allegations leveled against her by former staffer Caretha Cole, and Carroll's unfortunate response to those rumors, garnered embarrassing attention to the normally invisible office of Lt. Governor.
But seeing her depart from office, especially as the next gubernatorial cycle just starts to rev up, is going to be troublesome for Scott. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving administration.
