Florida State Representative Carolina Amesty, a Republican representing Florida House District 45, was arrested at the Orange County jail, and now faces multiple forgery charges.
The arrest comes after an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), which discovered potential felony charges, including forgery, falsely certifying a document as a notary public, and notarizing her own signature.
All four charges are classified as third-degree felonies under Florida Statute section 117.05, and are punishable with up to five years in prison.
Amesty's team was quick to defend the politician, claiming the arrest was based on false information.
"This prosecution, initiated just a few weeks prior to absentee ballots being dropped, is based on misleading reports from a partisan newspaper about a notarization of an employee verification background report, the truth of the contents which have not been questioned in any manner," Amnesty's campaign said in a published statement. "Rep. Amnesty calls for a speedy trial, looks forward to her day in court, and is confident of her public vindication."
Amesty has represented parts of Orange and Osceola counties in the Florida House of Representatives since November 2022.
State Rep. Carolina Amesty indicted on forgery charges https://t.co/eF8LnPBXk1
— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) August 29, 2024
Orange and Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain said a "concerned citizen" brought the potential wrongdoing to their attention, which set the investigation in motion.
"In line with our obligation to investigate fairly and without bias, we requested a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation and thoroughly reviewed the facts and evidence of the case," Bain said.
"That information was presented to the grand jury who found sufficient evidence to return an indictment. I am committed to upholding fairness and justice in every case by applying the law equally to everyone and my record reflects this dedication," he continued.
This isn't the first time Amesty's actions have come into question. This past March, the Orlando Sentinel reported that the Representative had notarized a document that an educator says he never signed that likely helped her family's small, unaccredited university get a state license.
The publication also reported inconsistencies in the university's faculty listings, suggesting the presence of graduate-level employees who did not work at the institution.
Amnesty denounced the story, telling Florida's Voice it was a "hit piece" that was "outrageous and false." She later told the Florida Daily that she would sue the paper, but ultimately opted not to, saying she would focus on her "legislative work and the upcoming campaign."
Amesty is running for reelection this year against Democrat Leonard Spencer, a longtime Disney executive. She has raised more than $92,000 in her main campaign account and has a little more than $32,000 remaining in her Friends of Carolina Amesty political committee. Spencer has raised a little more than $48,000, according to Florida Phoenix.
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried responded to the reports, calling for Amesty to be removed from the Florida Legislature.
"Carolina Amesty can't effectively represent the people of House District 45 while defending herself from felony charges," said Fried. "She should resign from office immediately, and if she refuses to take responsibility for her actions, we demand that the Florida House of Representative expel her from membership."
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