Florida State Representative Carolina Amesty, a Republican representing parts of Orange and Osceola counties, has been indicted on felony forgery charges related to her involvement in a family-run private Christian school. Amesty, 29, turned herself in at the Orange County Jail on Thursday after a grand jury charged her with four felony counts of forgery.
Allegations of Forgery at Family-Run School
The charges stem from an incident in 2021, before Amesty’s election to the Florida House of Representatives, during her tenure as an administrator at Central Christian Academy, a private school managed by her family. According to State Attorney Andrew Bain, Amesty allegedly forged a man’s signature on a document that she notarized. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The indictment comes as Amesty seeks re-election in her district, which includes the Walt Disney World area. The charges follow investigative reporting by the Orlando Sentinel into Amesty’s background, financial dealings, and her role at the family-operated school.
Amesty’s Response and Political Implications
Amesty has not addressed the charges directly but issued a statement on the social media platform X, describing the prosecution as politically motivated. “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,” the statement from Amesty’s campaign reads. She has called for a speedy trial and expressed confidence in her eventual vindication.
First elected to the Florida House in 2022, Amesty campaigned as a successful businesswoman and a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. She won a competitive race to represent House District 45.
Calls for Resignation
In response to the indictment, the Florida Democratic Party has demanded Amesty’s resignation. “Carolina Amesty can’t effectively represent the people of House District 45 while defending herself from felony charges,” said party Chair Nikki Fried. “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.”
