USA18 August, 20263 min read
Ron DeSantis Suspends Palm Beach Clerk Michael Caruso After Arrest on Child Sexual Abuse Charges
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Michael Caruso, Palm Beach County clerk, arrested on charges of kidnapping and molesting a child. DeSantis ally and former Florida House member suspended from his clerk role.
Caruso Arrest and Suspension
Michael Allen Caruso, the Palm Beach County clerk of courts and comptroller and a staunch ally of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, was arrested Tuesday morning on charges linked to the child sexual abuse of a family member, state officials announced.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement on X that “Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Michael Caruso was arrested on charges related to child sexual abuse,” and the investigation was ongoing.
DeSantis suspended Caruso from public office less than an hour after the arrest, and the suspension order included an arrest warrant out of Orange County indicating five felony charges: Kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse (mental injury).
The sexual abuse began in 2024 and continued until at least August 2025, according to a probable cause affidavit, and the victim was a boy under the age of 12.
Caruso was booked into Palm Beach County jail just before 9 a.m., and DeSantis replaced him with an interim clerk, Shannon Ramsey-Chessman, who was sworn in on Tuesday morning.
Allegations and Denials
The arrest affidavit described alleged incidents in which Caruso sexually molested a child relative multiple times last year, including allegations that he exposed himself while they were playing soccer and touched the boy’s penis. The affidavit also alleges that on a cruise Caruso lured the child away from his parents under the pretext of buying him an ice cream, then exposed his penis and placed it in the child’s mouth. Caruso denied the allegations in conversations described in the reporting, including telling the boy’s father that “If you report this to authorities there won’t be any of me left, I can tell you that,” according to the affidavit.
In a separate account of his denial, the affidavit says Caruso characterized his former wife as “evil” and said she had possibly “fabricated the allegations in an effort to poison the child against him.” Attorney Lisa Haba, representing the victim, called the arrest “a decisive line in the sand,” and said “We intend to make sure this survivor’s voice is heard through every step of this process.”
Political Fallout and Court Process
Caruso, 67, was appointed by DeSantis in August to serve as Palm Beach County clerk of the circuit court and comptroller after Joe Abruzzo resigned to take a new position as Palm Beach County administrator, and he had been expected to run for election in November.
Because no Republican challenged him, Caruso’s name was not on Tuesday’s primary ballot, and election lawyer Juan-Carlos “J.C.” Planas said the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee can name a replacement if Caruso resigns as a candidate.
The reporting also says the REC can place a replacement candidate on the November ballot if it replaces him before the primary election results are certified, with certification nine days after the primary under state law.
Uthmeier’s office said the investigation remains ongoing and more charges are expected, while DeSantis’ office announced the suspension shortly after the arrest.
The case is now set to proceed through the court system, with the victim represented by the Haba Law Firm saying “formal charges are anticipated.”