DeSantis, Scott blast Palm Beach GOP for endorsing candidate accused of child sex abuse

Top Florida Republicans condemned the party’s Palm Beach chapter after the Miami Herald reported Monday that it continued to endorse Mike Caruso for the county clerk’s post even after his arrest on allegations that he molested a small child.

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The detractors ranged from U.S. Sen. Rick Scott to Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis had appointed Caruso to the clerk’s position last year but had suspended him immediately after Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers arrested Caruso on Aug. 18. Caruso is out of jail on $160,000 bail.

“This is disgusting,” Scott wrote in a post on X (formerly, Twitter) calling for Caruso to withdraw. “The people of Palm Beach deserve better.”

Evan Power, the chair of the Florida Republican Party, posted on X that his party had consistently called for Caruso to withdraw from the race. Caruso did not withdraw.

The Palm Beach Party chapter had included Caruso in its Republican voter guide, posting the guide Monday morning on social media and the party website. By the end of the day, after a swirl of social media backlash, the chapter had taken down the voter guide post.

“There has been no official endorsement,” Power said in his X post. “Our team asked the Palm Beach GOP to take down its voter guide — they obliged.” Later, he posted that he appreciated the local party “doing the right thing.”

‘I maintain my innocence’

Caruso’s campaign website is down and his campaign finance reports show refunds to two recent contributors and a data vendor. But Juda Engelmayer, Caruso’s spokesperson, told the Herald last week that the suspended clerk was still running for the election, despite indications to the contrary.

“I maintain my innocence and remain a candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller” Caruso said in a statement to the Herald last week. “If the voters elect me, my intention is to take office and continue serving Palm Beach County.”

Carl Cascio, chair of the Palm Beach Republican Party, pointed the Herald on Friday on the party website explaining that a replacement candidate had been selected, but that Caruso refused to withdraw. Cascio told the Herald the party’s rules and state law required the party to support Caruso.

The state law he cited says the party “has the power and duty to conduct campaigns for party nominees.”

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DeSantis, others object

Late Monday, the Palm Beach GOP posted a new voter guide on X that did not contain Caruso’s name. The guide is for voters to take into the polls with them, to help them vote for Republicans.

“As soon as we were permitted to remove the nominee running for a constitutional office,” the post said, “we did.”

That was hours after the governor — and many others on social media — had weighed in.

“Disappointing to see this endorsement,” DeSantis wrote on X. “Some things are bigger than party.”

DeSantis had himself come under fire immediately after Caruso’s arrest for revealing several identifying details about the victim, a child under age 5, in his public statements about the case.

It is unclear whether the renewed calls to withdraw will make Caruso end his campaign, but he will remain on the ballot since the deadline to remove a candidate’s name from the ballot has passed. Elections officials have begun to mail out the ballots for the Nov. 3 election.

The FDLE arrested Caruso for alleged molestation, kidnapping, luring and enticing a child, lewd and lascivious exhibition and child abuse.

Miami Herald staff writers Brittany Wallman and Claire Heddles contributed to this story.

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This story was originally published October 6, 2026 at 9:44 AM.