FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Mike Caruso, the Palm Beach County clerk of courts and a staunch ally of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, was arrested Tuesday morning on charges linked to the child sexual abuse of his grandson, state officials announced.

Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest in a statement on X.

“Early this morning, with substantial assistance from FDLE and local law enforcement, Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Michael Caruso was arrested on charges related to child sexual abuse,” the statement said. “The investigation is ongoing, and we will provide more information to the public at the appropriate time.”

Just before 10 a.m., DeSantis announced that Caruso was suspended from public office.

The suspension order included an arrest warrant out of Orange County indicating that Caruso is facing five felony charges: Kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse (mental injury). The sexual abuse began in 2024 and continued until at least August 2025, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The victim of the sexual abuse was one of Caruso’s grandchildren, a boy under the age of 12, according to the affidavit. Caruso has seven children.

The boy’s father, Caruso’s son, became aware of the sexual abuse in October 2025, when he saw his son engaging in sexual behavior with his younger brother, according to a probable cause affidavit.

When the boy’s father intervened, the boy told him that, when he was on a cruise with Caruso over the summer, Caruso had showered with him and performed a sex act, according to the affidavit.

During an interview with investigators, the boy also revealed that Caruso had molested him in the days leading up to Thanksgiving 2024.

When Caruso’s son confronted him about the allegations, Caruso said he showered with all of his own children but denied showering with the victim, according to the affidavit. Caruso also asked if the victim’s father had spoken with Caruso’s former wife, characterizing her as “evil” and saying she had possibly “fabricated the allegations in an effort to poison the child against him.”

During the conversation, Caruso also acknowledged that one of his daughters had also made allegations against him, according to the affidavit. When the victim’s father confronted Caruso’s current wife, Tracy, about his son’s allegations, she said that Caruso could be arrested and that it was a “life in jail kinda thing,” the affidavit states.

In February of this year, the victim’s father spoke with Caruso again in a conversation that was recorded for law enforcement, according to the affidavit. Caruso said in the conversation that the allegations against him were “impossible” because he is attracted to women and sexual deviation is directed towards one sex, not two.

“If you report this to authorities there won’t be any of me left, I can tell you that,” Caruso said, according to the affidavit.

Allegations against Caruso stretch as far back as 2001, records show. That year, Caruso was investigated over allegations that he had physically abused one of his children, according to a Delray Beach police report, based on welts observed on the child’s back, neck and face. DCF originally investigated, before Delray Beach police took over. When they interviewed Caruso’s wife at the time, she denied any abuse, according to the report. The child also denied that being struck or abused by either parent. DCF concluded that the case was unfounded, and Delray Beach Police determined that it was exceptionally cleared.

Political history

Caruso, 67, had been appointed by DeSantis in August to serve as Palm Beach County clerk of the circuit court and comptroller after Joe Abruzzo resigned to take a new position as Palm Beach County administrator. Caruso had served as a state legislator beginning in 2018, where he was one of DeSantis’ staunchest allies.

Caruso had been expected to run for election in November; he is not on Tuesday’s primary ballot because no Republican challenged him for the position.

A governor’s order suspending an official from office doesn’t affect his candidacy. But Caruso can be replaced if he resigns as a candidate.

Election lawyer Juan-Carlos “J.C.” Planas, a former Miami-Dade County state legislator, said the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee can name a replacement. The REC is made up of precinct committeemen and committeewomen from throughout the county.

Time is of the essence if Republicans want to get the name of a replacement candidate on the ballot for the November election — assuming Caruso is willing to resign as a candidate. If the REC replaces him before the primary election results are certified, Planas said, the replacement candidate’s name appears on the November ballot.

Certification is nine days after the primary, under state law.

If he’s not replaced by then, a new candidate could run for the job — but Caruso’s name would remain on the ballot. Planas said notices would inform voters that even though Caruso’s name is on the ballot, casting a vote for him would count as a vote for the replacement candidate.

It’s happened before. In late September 2026, then U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, a Palm Beach County Republican, resigned after it emerged he exchanged sexually laced Internet messages underage male House pages. (FBI and state investigations were closed without criminal charges and Foley said there was never any sexual contact.)

The Republican Party replaced Foley with then-state Rep. Joe Negon. But it was late enough in the election cycle that Foley’s name remained on the ballot. Republican Negon ended up losing the November election to Democrat Tim Mahoney by just 4,417 votes — out of 223,733 votes cast.

—South Florida Sun Sentinel staff writer Anthony Man contributed to this report.

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