Florida GOP mum on state Rep. Carolina Amesty's indictment, suggesting tacit support

In the wake of Rep. Carolina Amesty’s indictment last week, Florida Republicans have mostly kept silent, avoiding public comment on her fitness for office even though state law places the authority to judge her in the legislative majority’s hands.

It’s a stance that suggests tacit support for the Orlando-area GOP lawmaker just as her 2024 campaign kicks into high gear. And it leaves voters to decide whether Amesty, currently seeking reelection to represent a swing district that covers much of southwest Orange County and a slice of Osceola County, should remain in office.

Though Amesty’s indictment is only a week old, the allegations against her, which include forging a former employee’s signature and then notarizing the document, have been public for nearly six months, as they were revealed last March in an Orlando Sentinel investigation. Since then, fellow Republicans and conservative causes have continued to rally around Amesty by continuing to donate to her campaign — and, more recently, by staying mum about her indictment.

That strategy isn’t unusual, said Joshua Scacco, the director of the Center for Sustainable Democracy at the University of South Florida.

“A lot of the within-party messaging and action will be closing ranks to either outwardly support the member or at minimum, take that wait-and-see approach until more information is garnered,” said Scacco, whose research focuses on political communications.

Party leaders have ways to mitigate the impact of scandals involving their members, he said, especially as more voters gravitate to partisan news outlets that may downplay or ignore the allegations.

Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power has not responded to interview requests from the Orlando Sentinel about Amesty’s indictment.

Several Republican House members vying for reelection in competitive races this fall didn’t respond to questions from the Sentinel about whether Amesty should be expelled from office — something only they have the power to do — or deflected the inquiry.

“My attention is focused on my reelection campaign,” wrote Rep. David Smith of Winter Springs in an email, saying he hadn’t “read anything” about the indictment and doesn’t know Amesty well.

Representatives Fabian Basabe of Miami Beach, Peggy Gossett-Seidman of Highland Beach, Chip LaMarca of Lighthouse Point and Paula Stark of St. Cloud remained silent when the Sentinel inquired about the matter. Nor did Sen. Danny Burgess of Zephyrhills and Rep. Stan McClain of Ocala, whose endorsements of Amesty are featured prominently on her campaign website.

The 29-year-old Amesty was indicted on four felony charges and booked into county jail on Aug. 29 after a grand jury determined she forged a man’s signature on a document she notarized for her family-run school. Her indictment follows two Orlando Sentinel investigations into Amesty’s background, credentials and conduct in her former role as an administrator at Central Christian University, a small school on North Hiawassee Road in Orange County.

Amesty, who is wrapping up her first term, is ramping up her reelection campaign, and it is unclear whether the criminal charges will slow her fundraising efforts. Her political committee reported $24,000 in contributions last week, including $12,500 from Fun Spot founder John Arie and $10,000 from attorney Dan Newlin, who donated before she was arrested on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Amesty’s campaign announced an endorsement from Florida Family Action, a conservative advocacy organization. The group endorsed Amesty before the indictment, Political Director Aaron DiPietro wrote in an email, adding that “our thoughts and prayers go out to Rep. Amesty for justice to be served swiftly.”

“As a representative, Carolina has been a solid ally with a 100% voting record on our issues, and our endorsement reflects that record,” DiPietro wrote. “We maintain the American principle of innocence until proven guilty, and hope for a speedy trial to achieve justice and resolve the accusations.”

With two months until the general election, Amesty’s removal is unlikely because it would require the agreement of two-thirds of the House, where Republicans hold a supermajority.

“I think it’s clear there’s not going to be any accountability,” said Rep. Tom Keen, an Orlando Democrat who also is in a tight reelection race this year. “And what I would say is, let the voters decide.”

This year’s election could be close, as Amesty’s district, which takes in a large swath of southwest Orange County, including Windermere and Disney World, and part of northern Osceola County, is among the state’s most evenly split. Republicans make up about 35% of registered voters, while Democrats comprise 31%.

The indictment could make a difference in a competitive race, especially during a presidential election year when turnout is likely to be higher, Scacco said.

“In a lot of ways, the voters will be the ultimate deciders of her future,” he said.

The day after Amesty’s arrest, Keen posted a screenshot on X of the state Division of Elections website showing a $500 contribution in April from his Republican opponent’s political committee to Amesty’s committee. He also shared a photo of his opponent, Erika Booth, posing with Amesty at a political event.

“Birds of a feather … ” Keen wrote.

Booth, who is seeking her first term in the House, wrote in an email that “an indictment is an extremely serious matter” in response to questions from the Sentinel about whether she continued to support Amesty.

“Every American has the right to a vigorous defense, and her legal proceedings will get to the truth,” Booth wrote. “That is where justice is found, and that is what we must wait for.”

Keen acknowledged Amesty hasn’t been convicted, but pointed out that Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended local elected officials shortly after charges were filed against them, including fellow Republican Fred Hawkins after he was arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer, a felony, in 2020. Hawkins, then an Osceola County Commissioner, was running for the Florida House at the time of his arrest. He eventually won that race and served as a lawmaker until June 2023, when he resigned to take on a new role as the president of South Florida State College. Keen defeated Booth in a close special election earlier this year to succeed Hawkins, flipping the district.

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