Florida politics was shaken on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, after Michael Caruso, the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and a longtime political ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, was arrested on five felony charges connected to the alleged sexual abuse of his young grandson.
The arrest immediately transformed what had been a prominent local government position into the center of a criminal investigation with statewide political implications. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that Caruso had been taken into custody with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local authorities. Uthmeier said the investigation remained active and that additional information would be released as appropriate.
Within hours, DeSantis issued an executive order suspending Caruso from office. The order lists five felony counts: kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury. The governor’s order also bars Caruso from performing his official duties, receiving his government pay or exercising the privileges of the clerk’s office while the suspension remains in effect.
Court records describe allegations extending from the fall of 2024 through a family cruise in August 2025. The alleged victim is Caruso’s grandson, a boy under the age of 12. The allegations are serious, but they remain accusations at this stage: Caruso has not been convicted and is entitled to the presumption of innocence as the criminal case proceeds.
Michael Caruso Arrested and Immediately Suspended From Palm Beach County Office
Caruso, 67, was arrested Tuesday morning on an Orange County warrant. The case is being handled there because at least some of the alleged conduct described by investigators began in Orange County, where the child lives with his family.
The executive order signed by DeSantis confirms that Caruso was arrested on August 18 and identifies all five felony counts against him. State officials subsequently said he was expected to be transferred to the Orange County Jail and held without bond pending his initial court appearance. Authorities have also indicated that the investigation is continuing and that further charges could be filed.
Caruso’s removal from day-to-day government duties was almost immediate.
Shannon Ramsey-Chessman, who was serving as chief of staff, chief deputy clerk and chief information officer, was sworn in Tuesday as clerk ad interim. The move allows the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Office to continue operating while Caruso remains suspended.
That office plays a significant role in local government. In addition to maintaining court and official records, the clerk and comptroller has responsibilities involving public funds and county financial administration. The office employs approximately 650 people, according to its statement following Caruso’s arrest.
Employees described the development as surprising but said their public-service responsibilities would continue despite the sudden change in leadership.
DeSantis’s executive order went further than simply suspending Caruso. It directed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with assistance from other agencies where necessary, to help manage the transition and protect government files, records, computer equipment and other official materials.
The speed of the response reflected both the severity of the allegations and the sensitive nature of Caruso’s public position. As clerk and comptroller, he occupied an office entrusted with judicial records, public finances and other government functions.
Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo, who held the clerk position before Caruso, publicly supported the decision to suspend him and expressed confidence in Ramsey-Chessman’s ability to lead the office through the transition.
What the Arrest Affidavit Alleges Happened to Caruso’s Grandson
The most serious part of the case is contained in the probable-cause affidavit attached to the governor’s suspension order.
According to the document, investigators believe the alleged conduct began in November 2024. The child told law enforcement that Caruso had taken him fishing alone near Thanksgiving and allegedly touched him inappropriately. The affidavit describes another alleged encounter around Thanksgiving while Caruso and the boy were outside together.
Investigators say the allegations later extended to a family vacation aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas in August 2025.
According to the affidavit, Caruso purchased tickets for at least 10 family members for a seven-day cruise departing from Miami. During the voyage, investigators allege that Caruso separated the boy from his parents after saying he would take him to get ice cream. The child was allegedly alone with Caruso for approximately an hour.
The affidavit alleges that sexual abuse occurred while the two were in Caruso’s stateroom and that the child later disclosed what had happened to his father.
The case reportedly came to the family’s attention in a more direct way on October 22, 2025, after the boy’s father observed troubling sexualized behavior involving the child and a younger sibling. After intervening, the father questioned his son, who allegedly disclosed what had happened during the cruise and later described earlier incidents involving Caruso.
Orange County law enforcement subsequently interviewed the child. According to the affidavit, the recorded interview produced allegations involving both the 2024 incidents and the August 2025 cruise.
Family members confronted Caruso in December 2025.
The affidavit states that Caruso acknowledged taking the child fishing and acknowledged separating him from his family during the cruise for what he said was a trip to get ice cream. However, he denied sexually touching the boy and denied showering with him.
Investigators also documented statements allegedly made during those family conversations. According to the affidavit, Caruso expressed concern that reporting the accusations would result in his arrest and imprisonment and offered not to return to Orange County. The document says he also suggested that his former wife may have played a role in creating allegations against him.
In February 2026, Caruso’s son participated in another conversation that was recorded at the request of law enforcement. According to the affidavit, Caruso continued to deny that he could have committed the alleged sexual offenses.
The investigation also included a controlled meeting conducted with FDLE involvement later in the spring. Investigators say information gathered from family members corroborated portions of the timeline surrounding the cruise.
The child began receiving therapeutic services in April 2026, according to the affidavit. Investigators state that professionals treating him observed responses they considered consistent with trauma. The affidavit ultimately alleges that Caruso’s conduct caused the child mental injury, one of the five offenses included in the arrest warrant.
These descriptions come from a probable-cause affidavit and represent the prosecution’s allegations and investigative findings—not a verdict. Caruso will have the opportunity to challenge the accusations and evidence through the judicial process.
Caruso’s Long Political Relationship With Ron DeSantis Puts the Case in a Wider Spotlight
Michael Caruso was already well known in Palm Beach County politics before becoming clerk of court.
A Republican and certified public accountant, he was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018 and was reelected multiple times. His official Florida House biography lists his legislative service beginning that year.
During his time in Tallahassee, Caruso developed a reputation as a strong DeSantis supporter.
That relationship became particularly visible during political disagreements between DeSantis and Republican leaders in the Florida Legislature. Reporting surrounding Caruso’s appointment noted that he remained closely aligned with the governor during the 2025 legislative session, even when DeSantis and House leadership were publicly at odds.
On August 18, 2025, DeSantis selected Caruso to become Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller after Joseph Abruzzo left the position to become county administrator. Caruso was sworn in the following day.
That timing created a remarkable coincidence: Caruso’s arrest and suspension came exactly one year after DeSantis announced his appointment.
The political connection explains why national headlines have frequently described Caruso as a DeSantis ally or appointee. But that relationship should also be presented accurately. There is currently no evidence in the publicly released criminal case suggesting that DeSantis knew about the conduct alleged in the affidavit when he appointed Caruso. Once the arrest was announced, the governor’s documented response was to suspend Caruso immediately.
The affidavit itself also contains references to previous allegations within Caruso’s family. During one of the conversations described by investigators, Caruso allegedly acknowledged knowing that a daughter had previously accused him of sexually inappropriate conduct.
Separate news reporting has also described allegations that surfaced during Caruso’s earlier divorce proceedings. Those previous claims should not be confused with criminal convictions: reporting indicates that earlier child-welfare inquiries did not lead to criminal charges.
That distinction matters. Historical allegations may become relevant to investigators or prosecutors, particularly when an affidavit itself mentions them, but their existence does not establish that either the old allegations or the new charges are true. The current case will have to be decided on admissible evidence and the applicable burden of proof.
For DeSantis, meanwhile, the case creates an unavoidable political question surrounding an official he personally elevated to one of Palm Beach County’s most important public offices. For county residents, however, the immediate consequences are more practical: the clerk’s office must continue functioning while its suspended leader faces a major criminal prosecution.
What Happens Next: Criminal Proceedings, More Possible Charges and the 2026 Election
The criminal case is only one part of the uncertainty surrounding Caruso.
Before his arrest, Caruso was seeking to keep the clerk and comptroller position through the November 2026 election. Because he had no Republican primary opponent, he was not appearing as part of a contested GOP clerk race in Tuesday’s primary. Reporting published on the day of his arrest indicated that he remained a candidate even after his suspension.
A suspension from public office does not automatically resolve what happens to a candidate’s place in an election. That creates a separate political and legal question: whether Caruso will remain in the race, withdraw or be replaced as the Republican nominee.
Florida election law provides procedures for replacing a party nominee when a qualifying vacancy in nomination occurs. In certain circumstances, if a replacement is designated after certification of the preceding primary, the former nominee’s name can remain printed on the ballot while votes cast under that name are credited to the party’s replacement nominee.
Florida has seen an unusual version of this situation before.
In September 2006, Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley resigned from Congress and abandoned his reelection campaign after sexually explicit online communications with former male congressional pages became public. The Republican Party selected then-state Rep. Joe Negron as its replacement candidate.
Because Foley withdrew too late for ballots to be reprinted, Foley’s name remained on the November ballot, while votes cast for him were legally counted for Negron. Democrat Tim Mahoney ultimately won the race narrowly.
The Foley example does not determine what will happen in Caruso’s case, but it demonstrates how Florida’s candidate-replacement rules can create an unusual election in which the printed name on a ballot differs from the person who would ultimately receive the votes.
For now, any change in Caruso’s candidacy would depend on subsequent political and legal developments.
The more immediate action will occur in criminal court.
Caruso is expected to face proceedings in Orange County, and authorities have said the investigation remains active. Florida officials have also reported that additional charges are expected, meaning the five felony counts identified in the August 18 suspension order may not represent the final scope of the prosecution.
Future court hearings could clarify whether Caruso will remain detained, how prosecutors intend to charge the case formally, what evidence the defense will challenge and whether additional alleged victims or incidents become part of the investigation.
At the same time, Ramsey-Chessman is now responsible for keeping the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Office functioning while Caruso remains suspended.
The story therefore sits at the intersection of criminal law, Florida politics, public trust and the 2026 election.
What is established as of August 18 is that Michael Caruso was arrested on five felony charges; the alleged victim is his young grandson; the allegations described by investigators span from late 2024 through August 2025; Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Caruso from public office; an interim clerk has been installed; and authorities say their investigation is continuing.
What has not been established is Caruso’s guilt.
That determination belongs to the courts. An arrest warrant and probable-cause affidavit establish the legal basis authorities relied upon to make an arrest, but they are not substitutes for a conviction. Caruso maintains the same presumption of innocence afforded to any criminal defendant unless prosecutors ultimately prove the charges against him.
With the possibility of additional charges, an upcoming court process and unresolved questions surrounding the November election, the Michael Caruso case is likely to remain one of the most closely watched political and criminal stories in Florida in the weeks ahead.
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