Florida authorities confirmed early Tuesday that Michael Allen Caruso, the Palm Beach County clerk of courts and comptroller, was arrested on multiple charges including child molestation and kidnapping. Following the arrest, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order suspending Caruso from his official post.
Caruso, 67, was booked into the Palm Beach County jail after an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. According to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office report, the investigation began when a young boy's parents contacted police regarding unusual behavior. Sources familiar with the probe told the Miami Herald the victim was a boy under five years old.
The arrest affidavit details three separate incidents alleged to have occurred last year during a soccer game, on a cruise ship, and during a fishing trip in Orange County. Caruso faces charges of kidnapping, child abuse, lewd and lascivious exhibition, luring and enticing a child, and child molestation. Attorney General James Uthmeier stated Tuesday that public office does not provide a "shield from accountability."
The arrest also impacts the local political landscape in Palm Beach County. Caruso was running unopposed in the Republican primary for the clerk position this November. Prior to his appointment as clerk, he served in the Florida House of Representatives starting in 2018, where he was a legislative supporter of the governor’s policies, including a specific immigration bill early last year.
The immediate day-to-day impact for Palm Beach County residents involves the transition of authority within the clerk’s office, which handles court records and county finances. While the governor has suspended Caruso, the legal process will determine the finality of his removal from office or potential return. Caruso remains in custody following his booking Tuesday; future court dates and the selection of an interim replacement have not yet been announced.