Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday suspended Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Michael Caruso, just hours after Caruso's arrest on multiple child sex abuse charges. Caruso, 67, was appointed to his position by DeSantis in August 2025.
Caruso faces charges of kidnapping; lewd or lascivious molestation; lewd or lascivious exhibition; luring or enticing a child; and child abuse (mental injury). The investigation into the allegations is ongoing, according to Attorney General James Uthmeier.
The charges stem from an incident in August 2025, when the father of a child under 5 reported that Caruso had allegedly engaged in inappropriate behavior with his son and subsequently sexually assaulted him. The child also reported other instances of alleged abuse by Caruso in 2024, including exposure and inappropriate touching.
During a recorded conversation in February 2026, requested by law enforcement, Caruso reportedly stated to the child's father, "If you report this to the authorities there won’t be any of me left, I can tell you that." The child is reportedly receiving therapeutic services.
Lisa Haba, the attorney for the child, called Caruso's arrest a "decisive line in the sand" and stated the intention to ensure the survivor's voice is heard. Haba also criticized the governor's office for releasing identifying information about the child in an official document, calling it an "abhorrent breach" and a violation of Marsy's Law.
DeSantis, speaking at an event Tuesday, praised state law enforcement for their work in the case, which he said made his decision to suspend Caruso "very easy." He added that if convicted, Caruso "is going to be in for a world of hurt," referencing Florida's laws on pedophilia.
Caruso, who had filed paperwork to run for reelection this November, was appointed by DeSantis to the clerk's office after serving seven years in the Florida House of Representatives. DeSantis stated he was unaware of the allegations when he appointed Caruso last year.
This is not the first time Caruso has faced allegations of sexually abusing a child. In 2013 divorce proceedings, his then-ex-wife brought a "false sexual abuse case" against him, which was later dropped. According to The Miami Herald, witnesses did not see the alleged abuse, and the child victim did not disclose specific details in interviews.
Caruso's wife, Tracy Stein Caruso, is also a DeSantis appointee, serving on the board of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County and as county chair of the Housing and Finance Authority.
Caruso is being held in jail without bond. Shannon Ramsey-Chessman has been appointed Clerk Ad Interim.
A statement from the Clerk of Courts Chief Communications Officer Kathy Burstein indicated that while the arrest was surprising, it would not impact the office's operations or commitment to the community.