Republican civil war erupts in red state over backing scandal-plagued candidate

The Republican Party of Palm Beach County, Florida is standing behind suspended Clerk of Courts Mike Caruso in the November election, even though he was arrested in August on allegations that he sexually abused a young child, potentially setting off a broader conflict with the state party.

The county party listed Caruso in a GOP voter guide posted on Instagram Monday, reported the Miami Herald — a move that sets it apart from the state party, which had said publicly that it wouldn't back him if he stayed on the ballot. Local chairman Carl Cascio said state law and party rules give the county committee the "power and duty" to campaign for its nominees, and noted in a public letter that Caruso is the only Republican constitutional officer in the county.

Caruso, 68, pleaded not guilty to charges that include lewd or lascivious molestation, kidnapping and child abuse. The accuser is a male relative who was a toddler at the time. At an August bond hearing, prosecutors revealed that a woman separately alleges Caruso abused her when she was 4. A judge ordered his release on $160,000 bail after questioning how strong the state's case was.

Signs pointed to a campaign in retreat. His website is down, and finance reports show refunds to two recent donors and a data vendor. But through a spokesperson, Caruso told the Miami Herald he's still running. "I intend to win this election," he said.

Records show he kept paying his son for campaign outreach and held two campaign meetings in Lake Park in mid-September. His last donation came in five days before the arrest.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Caruso to the post twelve months before the arrest, and suspended him right afterward. Cascio's letter says the state party told him to find a replacement and that the elections supervisor postponed printing ballots to allow time, but Caruso refused to step aside.

An interim clerk, Shannon Ramsey-Chessman, is serving now, and the Democratic nominee is Boca Raton council member Yvette Drucker, in a county that leans Democratic. If Caruso won, whoever takes office as the next governor could suspend him again.