It’s been about three years since Florida Republican Rick Scott tapped Jennifer Carroll as his gubernatorial running mate, and in office, Carroll has had few notable accomplishments. Arguably the only major news story of her tenure came last summer when Carroll argued publicly that she considers herself too attractive to be a lesbian. She later apologized.
Now, however, it appears she’ll be known for something else.
Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll abruptly resigned amid law enforcement questions about a Florida Internet sweepstakes company at the center of a nationwide criminal investigation.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement interviewed Carroll Monday about her connections to the company, Allied Veterans of the World, a Florida-based non-profit that operates a chain of Internet cafes.
Carroll once owned a public relations firm that represented Allied Veterans, and she did work for the company at the same time she served in the Florida House. She resigned Tuesday.
We do not yet know whether Carroll will face any charges, though leaders of the company were arrested earlier this week on charges of racketeering and money laundering. The Miami Herald’s report added that Allied Veterans is accused of trying to “defraud the public and governmental agencies by misrepresenting how much of its proceeds were donated to charities affiliated with Veterans Administration.”
Carroll did not mention the scandal in her resignation letter, but this probably won’t help Rick Scott’s efforts at winning a second term. Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant said in a statement, “Floridians expected an administration focused on solving the problems facing Florida’s families, but instead got a scandal plagued Governor and a revolving staff door.”
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