Jim Carroll (Vermont politician)

Jim Carroll
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from the Bennington 2-2 district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2023 Serving with Mary A. Morrissey
Preceded by	Michael Nigro
In office January 8, 2019 – January 6, 2021
Preceded by	Kiah Morris
Succeeded by	Michael Nigro
Personal details
Born	(1961-10-25) October 25, 1961 (age 63) Bennington, Vermont, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Residence(s)	Bennington, Vermont, U.S.
Alma mater	Southern Vermont College

James Carroll (born October 25, 1961) is an American politician who has served since 2019 as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives. He is a member of the Democratic Party.[1] He replaced Representative Kiah Morris on the ballot when she decided not to run for reelection in 2018.[2]

In February 2024, Carroll was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence after being stopped by police for a loud muffler.[3] His plea hearing was delayed because he was undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation center. He then pleaded not guilty to the charges in April 2024.[4]

2024 harassment incident

In January of 2024, Carroll noticed that the canvas tote bag that he brought to work was filled with water from an unknown source. His bag was then filled with water multiple times over a period of five months. He suspected a Republican member of the Vermont House of Representatives, Mary Ann Morrissey, who also represents Bennington, to be the culprit, but had no evidence to prove the theory. Carroll decided to use a hidden video camera to record footage of his bag in order to find what was happening.[5]

On June 7, 2024, Carroll told Seven Days, an independent Vermont news publication, that he had captured footage of Morrissey pouring cups of water into his bag on two separate days.[6] On June 11, 2024, the footage was publicly released.[7][8] Carroll has stated that Morrissey had been "nasty" to him for months[5] and that she had "verbally harassed" him on several occasions for his policy decisions.[9]

On June 17, Morrissey apologized publicly in front of the Vermont House of Representatives.[8] She did not state a motivation for her actions.[10] As a result of the incident, a formal investigation was opened by the House's ethics panel. As of June 18, 2024, Carroll has not decided whether or not to pursue charges against Morrissey.[5]

References

1. Wisniewski, Christie (November 1, 2018). "Carroll runs unopposed for 2-2 district state rep". Bennington Banner. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
2. Therrien, Jim (August 27, 2018). "AG, State Police to investigate online threats to Rep. Kiah Morris". The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
3. Cusanelli, Michael (2024-02-22). "Vermont State representative arrested on DUI charge in Montpelier". WPTZ. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
4. Tan, Tiffany (2024-04-25). "Bennington lawmaker pleads not guilty to DUI charge". VTDigger. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
5. Oladipo, Gloria (2024-06-18). "Vermont Republican secretly poured water into colleague's bag over months". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
6. McCallum, Kevin. "A Lawmaker's Bag Was Repeatedly Drenched, and Now a Colleague Faces a Probe". Seven Days. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
7. McCallum, Kevin. "Vermont Lawmaker Releases Spy Cam Video of Rival Lawmaker Dumping Water in his Bag". Seven Days. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
8. Limehouse, Jonathan (June 18, 2024). "Video shows Vermont state rep secretly pouring water in colleague's bag for months: Rep. Mary Ann Morrissey apologized in front of the Vermont House of Representatives for pouring water into Rep. Jim Carroll's bag for five months". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
9. McCallum, Kevin. "Lawmaker Apologizes to House Colleague for Harassment". Seven Days. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
10. Spatz, Emily. "Vermont lawmaker apologizes for dousing colleague's bag". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2024-06-18.

External links

• Profile at Vote Smart