[ad_1]
A Republican congressman has apologized to his fellow Democrats in the Vermont House of Representatives after he was caught on hidden camera pouring water from a glass into a fellow Democrat’s bag multiple times over a five-month period.
Rep. Mary Ann Morrissey, who has represented Bennington, Vermont since 1997, apologized to Rep. Jim Carroll, also of Bennington, during a recorded House veto session Monday.
“I am deeply ashamed of my actions,” Morrissey said aloud. “I offer my sincere apologies directly and publicly to Jim and will work toward resolution and repair through the legislative process. It is conduct most unbecoming of my position as a representative and a person and does not reflect my 28 years of service and civility.”
The videos of Rep. Morrissey, first obtained by Seven Days through a public records request, show him quickly pouring water into Rep. Carroll’s bag after the deputy leaves on March 23 and 26.
“I went through this for five months,” Carroll said at the meeting after Morrissey’s apology. “… It was painful, there’s no doubt about that.”
It’s unclear why Morrissey put water in Carol’s bag. USA Today reached out to Morrissey’s office on Monday evening but has not received a response.
Carol is open to ‘awkward’ reconciliation with Morrissey
Carroll told councillors during the meeting that Morrissey “had to make a choice” each time, “either let it go or come to me and say, ‘I’m sorry, I messed up. Let’s get our wits about us and serve our constituents the way they deserve.'”
Carroll also acknowledged it might be “awkward” at first, but said he was willing to sit down with Morrissey and resolve the issue.
“We have some work to do between the two of us,” he said. “It’s going to be a little awkward the first time we sit down together, but we have to start somewhere.”
How did Carol know that Morrissey had dumped the water?
To find out who dumped the water, Carroll installed a $23 spy camera in a hallway and pointed it at a coat rack outside the committee room, according to Seven Days. Carroll then gave the video to House Speaker Jill Krowinski, who confronted Morrisey about it, according to the paper.
In a statement obtained by Seven Days, Carroll said he was “very reluctant to make the video public because he believed it would cause significant embarrassment to Senator Morrissey,” but acknowledged that “the media knows the details of Senator Morrissey’s behavior and will likely continue to report on his conduct for the foreseeable future.”
“I believe it is right to release the video and be fully transparent with my constituents and all Vermonters,” the governor said in a statement, according to the outlet.
[ad_2]
Source link
