Sarah Fortinsky and The Hill
23 minutes ago
(The Hill) – Vermont state Rep. Mary Morrissey (R) publicly apologized Monday for her “disrespectful conduct” toward a Democratic colleague after reports suggested she was responsible for repeatedly pouring water into her purse. hand of state representative Jim Carroll for five months.
“I am truly ashamed of my actions,” Morrissey said in remarks at the statehouse on Monday. “I have given my sincerest apologies to Jim directly and publicly and will work toward resolution and restoration through our legislative process.”
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“It was conduct highly inappropriate for my position as a representative and as a human being and does not reflect my 28 years of service and civility that I value towards my colleagues,” he continued.
“I hope that Jim, my legislative colleagues, all of our state House staff and those who work in this building, and the citizens of Vermont can forgive me for my poor judgment and actions and allow me to take the necessary steps to repair what I have done.” made. ,” she said.
Video provided by Vermont Rep. Jim Carroll, a Democrat, appears to show Vermont Rep. Mary Morrissey, a Republican, pouring water into her purse. Carroll had claimed someone was soaking her purse for five months before installing a hidden camera to catch the culprit. (Jim Carroll via KeynoteUSA)
Morrissey’s apology comes after Carroll, for five months, repeatedly found her tote bag, which she carries between legislative meetings, soaked in water without any indication of the cause, the Brattleboro Reformer reported.
Carroll told local media that he eventually placed a small camera near the committee cloakroom to determine the cause of the humidity. In the footage, Carroll is seen checking her handbag for moisture before a woman, who was identified by her colleagues as Morrissey, according to the Reformer, follows him closely and pours water into her purse. .
In his response to Morrissey’s apology on Monday, Carroll described those five months as “torment.”
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“To Rep. Morrissey, I hear the sincerity in your voice and I have to be very frank with you, the body, our constituents and the people of Vermont,” he said. “For five months I went through this, and every time, every day I went through this, Representative Morrissey had to make a decision. And every time she didn’t choose to leave him or come to me and say, ‘Look, I’m sorry, we screwed up.’ Let’s put our heads together and try to serve our constituents as they should be, and so I’m very sorry and very sad that that happened.’”
“But, frankly, you know, after five months of that, and it was, it was torment, there’s no doubt about it, for me anyway, there will be some work to do between the two of us and that first time that If we If we sit together, it will be a little awkward, but we have to start somewhere, so thank you,” Carroll said.
Carroll and Morrissey represent Bennington, Vermont.
Local media obtained two videos that Carroll captured with the hidden camera after receiving numerous requests. Carroll said, according to local reports, that he wanted to make it clear that he was reluctantly releasing the videos, saying in a statement last week: “I did everything I could to keep this a secret, and within 24 hours it came to light.”
“Over the past few weeks, several members of the media have contacted me requesting that I disclose a video of inappropriate behavior directed at me by Representative Mary Morrissey. “I have been very reluctant to release the video because I believe it will deeply embarrass Rep. Morrissey,” Carroll told local media at the time.
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“However, it has become clear to me that the media is aware of the details of Representative Morrissey’s behavior and will likely continue to report on that behavior for the foreseeable future,” he added, saying he thought that “continuing to withhold the video would not only subject to further amplified media criticism, litigation, and continued warnings that there will be more litigation to come. Additionally, since there is already a story in the news, I think it is only right that I release the video so that it is completely transparent to my constituents and. all Vermonters.”
The Hill has reached out to Carroll’s office for the videos and further comment, and to Morrissey’s office for comment.
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