Former Florida Representative Carolina Amesty (R) has been cleared of all charges pending against her for alleged felony.
Representative Amesty represented parts of Orange and Osceola counties and had been accused of using her family’s Central Christian University in Orlando to commit fraudulent financial transactions.
The charges partly stemmed from the Orlando Sentinel newspaper’s own investigations, which claimed Amesty “filed false information,” about the University, “claimed to run a thriving restaurant that actually was closed,” and “failed to pay taxes” on her home.
Amesty characterized the Sentinel’s reports as a “hit piece” and a “litany of lies, innuendo, and outrageous misrepresentations."
Outgoing Orange County State Attorney Andrew Bain pressed charges following the Orlando Sentinel’s investigations.
State Attorney Bain has now decided to drop such charges, however, describing to News 6 Amesty agreed to a pre-trial agreement where she would not face prosecution if she participated in several courses and performed community service.
“The defendant’s charges were non-violent, diversion-eligible offenses and the defendant was offered diversion given her lack of criminal history,” said Bain. “The diversion terms required the defendant to complete a financial crimes course, a financial literacy course and 30 hours of community service. Once the diversion terms were completed, the State entered a nolle prosequi (charges dropped) in the case.”
Amesty claimed the dropped charges exonerate her and demonstrate the Orlando Sentinel’s bad faith in carrying out their misleading reporting.
“The Orlando Sentinel was the tip of the spear in the effort to destroy my political career, using misleading attacks and playing fast and loose with the truth,” said Amesty. “The partisan newspaper weaponized its reporters in a coordinated effort to pressure all types of government agencies into scrutinizing every aspect of my life, family, and friends.”
Amesty concluded by encouraging other fellow young conservatives like herself to pursue politics despite the possibility of facing personal attacks like the one she suffered from the Orlando Sentinel.
