Mike Caruso, the Palm Beach County clerk of courts and a staunch ally of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, was arrested Tuesday morning on charges linked to child sexual abuse, state officials announced.
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Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest in a statement on X.
“Early this morning, with substantial assistance from FDLE and local law enforcement, Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Michael Caruso was arrested on charges related to child sexual abuse,” the statement said. “The investigation is ongoing, and we will provide more information to the public at the appropriate time.”
Caruso, 67, was appointed by DeSantis in August to serve as Palm Beach County clerk of the circuit court and comptroller after Joe Abruzzo resigned to take a new position as Palm Beach County administrator. Prior to his appointment, Caruso served as a state legislator beginning in 2018, where he was one of DeSantis’ staunchest allies.
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Caruso had been expected to run for election in November; he is not on Tuesday’s primary ballot because no Republican challenged him for the position.
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