Florida State Representative Carolina Amesty, a Republican from central Florida, has been indicted on felony forgery charges related to her administration of a private Christian school run by her family. Amesty, 29, turned herself in to authorities at the Orange County Jail and was booked on four felony counts after a grand jury found that she forged a man’s signature on a document that she notarized in 2021 while working at Central Christian Academy. Each of the charges are third-degree felonies, punishable by up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines. The alleged forgery took place before Amesty was elected to the Florida House of Representatives.
The indictment of Amesty comes after investigations by the Orlando Sentinel into her background, financial practices, and role in the family-run school. Amesty, who is currently running for reelection in her district west of Orlando, released a statement on social media platform X, stating that the prosecution is based on misleading reports from a partisan newspaper about a notarization of an employee verification background report. She called for a speedy trial, expressed confidence in her public vindication, and looks forward to her day in court.
First elected to the Florida House in 2022, Amesty positioned herself as a successful businesswoman and a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. She won a competitive district representing parts of Orange and Osceola counties, including Walt Disney World. Following the indictment, the Florida Democratic Party called on Amesty to resign, stating that she cannot effectively represent the people of House District 45 while defending herself from felony charges. Party Chair Nikki Fried demanded her immediate resignation, and if she refuses to take responsibility for her actions, they are requesting the Florida House of Representatives to expel her.
Despite the calls for resignation, a spokesperson for the Florida Speaker of the House did not respond to requests for comment by the deadline. Kate Payne, a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, reported on the situation involving Amesty. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. The case against Amesty sheds light on her alleged forgery charges and the impact it may have on her political career as she faces reelection in her district. The allegations have led to a public outcry and calls for accountability from both political parties in Florida.
