Rut roh. Trouble in the Deep South, coming out of the world yet again of some of the most anti-gay Republicans in the country. Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll has been accused by a former employee of having had sexual contact, had lived with, and had a traveling affair with a woman who worked in her office (Jennifer Carroll is married). The Miami Herald:
Cole’s motion, filed in response to the state’s efforts to keep some records sealed, portrays a dysfunctional office where Carroll’s aides frequently recorded conversations and the lieutenant governor pushed for a website where fans could follow her. It also says Steve MacNamara, former chief of staff for Gov. Rick Scott, viewed Carroll as a “loose cannon,” in the words of the filing.
But its most sensational anecdote concerns Cole inadvertently walking in on what she believed to be a sexual encounter between Carroll and a female employee.
You have to read the article if you want details on who the accuser is (she is being accused of a crime) and the list of insinuations. Maybe it's an unfair attack, but Jennifer Carroll has proven herself a nutcase well before any of this. Picked by Rick Scott to be his running mate, she was a leading voice speaking out about the persecution of Christians in our society today, and ran on that platform (she was also a big supporter of the famous Florida Stand-Your-Ground law).
I have a feeling you'll all be hearing a lot more about Jennifer Carroll over the coming days. Here's her at a Christian conference last year (h/t RightWingWatch):
The highlight of the speech is when she forcefully and eloquently dispatches with the theory of evolution and the un-Christian scientists that promote the theory.
Man does not have all the answers, some of our political leaders bow down to scientists and let them have the stage to push their evolution, but there’s nothing, nothing a scientist can make, that is exactly like what God creates.
The
Flogfolio Weekly did a nice rundown on Carroll's corruption last year:
The forms Carroll has submitted reflect a wildly fluctuating net worth, from $23 million in 2004 to $202 million in 2005 to $206,783 last year.
and
After getting a speeding ticket in Green Cove Springs, Carroll initially denied that she’d spoken about her ticket to Police Chief Gail Russell. She later admitted speaking to him, and acknowledged that “he may have told me” that he’d dismissed her ticket, but that she had “forgotten” that exchange when first questioned by a reporter.
Her best quote ever has got to be
this one from earlier this year:
On Monday, we're going to be celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday and I can't think of anybody currently in my life right now that more epitomizes the values and the vision of Dr. King than Gov. Rick Scott
And then today, there's this from the
Miami New Times:
Carroll, Florida's highest ranking African American official, spent the morning addressing the NAACP conference and explaining why President Obama was bad for the African American community.
If the people of Florida finally had enough of Rick Scott, the most pure Tea Party governor in the country, and impeached him, this person, Jennifer Carroll, would be his replacement. OTOH, she might not be around much longer...