A Republican state lawmaker from central Florida has been charged with criminal forgery in connection with her management of a Christian private school that she and her family assisted in running.
Carolina Amesty, 29, was charged with four felonies when she turned herself in to the Orange County Jail on Thursday.
That’s because, according to State Attorney Andrew Bain, a grand jury discovered that Amesty had faked a man’s signature on a document she signed in 2021 while employed as an administrator at her family’s Central Christian Academy.
Prior to Amesty’s election to the Florida House of Representatives, the purported forgery took place. All of the accusations are third-degree felonies, which carry a maximum sentence of five years in jail and a fine of $5,000.
Amesty, who is presently seeking reelection in her district to the west of Orlando, was indicted in response to an Orlando Sentinel investigation into her past, financial dealings, and involvement in the family-run school.
The Amesty campaign released a statement that said, “This prosecution, initiated just a few weeks prior to absentee ballots being dropped, is based on misleading reports from a partisan newspaper about a notarization of an employee verification background report. Rep. Amesty calls for a speedy trial, looks forward to her day in court, and is confident of her public vindication.”
In order to win a competitive district that includes portions of Orange and Osceola counties, including Walt Disney World, Amesty ran on a platform of being a prosperous entrepreneur and a devoted supporter of both former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. She was first elected to the Florida House in 2022.
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The Florida Democratic Party demanded that Amesty step down after the indictment.
“Carolina Amesty can’t effectively represent the people of House District 45 while defending herself from felony charges,” party Chair Nikki Fried stated. “She should resign from office immediately, and if she refuses to take responsibility for her actions, we demand that the Florida House of Representatives expel her from membership.”
