Governor Suspends Clerk of Court
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has suspended Michael Caruso, a former close ally and senior civic official, after his arrest on felony child sexual abuse charges. Caruso, who was removed as clerk of court and comptroller for Palm Beach County on Tuesday, was a vocal supporter of a law signed by DeSantis in 2023 that allowed the death penalty for anyone convicted of the sexual battery of a child under 12.
The governor previously called Caruso "a legend" for his support of hardline legislation while Caruso was a Republican state representative from 2018 until last year.
Charges and Allegations
Caruso, 67, a married father of seven children, was scheduled to make a first court appearance on Wednesday in West Palm Beach on five felony charges: kidnapping, child molestation, lewd exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury.
Court documents said the alleged victim, a male relative of Caruso, is under the age of 12 and was molested multiple times during 2024 and 2025 during holidays and on family trips, including a Caribbean cruise. Investigators allege the abuse occurred multiple times from fall 2024 to August 2025, including on a family cruise, a fishing outing, and during a Thanksgiving gathering.
Caruso is being held in an Orange County jail without bond and is scheduled for a pretrial detention hearing on August 25. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison, while a grand jury indictment could make him eligible for the death penalty, according to prosecutors.
Official Response
Caruso's arrest was announced Tuesday in a social media post by James Uthmeier, Florida's attorney general. "Early this morning, with substantial assistance from FDLE [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] and local law enforcement, Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Michael Caruso was arrested on charges related to child sexual abuse," the post said. "The investigation is ongoing, and we will provide more information to the public at the appropriate time."
DeSantis was asked about Caruso's arrest at a later press conference and said he acted immediately on hearing of it to suspend him from office. "It was a very easy decision for me to yank him from that position," DeSantis told reporters in Sarasota. The governor's office later posted to its website a three-page order of suspension, accompanied by an arrest affidavit with details of the allegations.
Caruso, DeSantis said at the press conference, was "well regarded in the community" and coached little league baseball for decades. He said he was "of course not" aware of any prior allegations against Caruso before appointing him. DeSantis called the allegations "truly horrific" and referenced Florida's law allowing the death penalty for certain child sexual battery convictions.
Prior Allegations and Context
The Miami Herald reported that Caruso's personal life was "marked with ugly flare-ups and at least one previous allegation of sexually assaulting a child," documented in Palm Beach court records. In a 2013 divorce filing, Caruso claimed his ex-wife orchestrated "a false sex abuse case" against him. A 2012 investigation by local and state authorities into a child abuse allegation against Caruso was cleared as "unfounded."
Caruso's wife, Tracy Stein Caruso, a certified rape crisis counselor according to Palm Beach County records, called the accusations against her husband "false." She resigned from her positions on the board of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County and as vice chair of the Palm Beach State College Board of Trustees on August 24.
Political Background
DeSantis appointed Caruso as Palm Beach clerk of court in August 2025, shortly before Caruso was termed out of the Florida House. DeSantis also gave several appointments to Caruso's wife, including to the board of Palm Beach County's healthcare district and as chair of its housing and finance authority.
Caruso was most recently state representative for Florida's 87th House district, a seat including Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort that was captured by Democrat Emily Gregory in an upset March election.
The Guardian was unable to locate an attorney representing Caruso.