Vermont lawmaker apologizes for repeatedly pouring water in her colleague’s bag

Associated Press

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A Republican authorities lawmaker from Vermont has apologized for many times pouring h2o into a Democratic colleague’s bag, aft he caught her doing it connected video.

State Rep. Mary Morrissey publically apologized to authorities Rep. Jim Carroll, colleagues and nan citizens of Vermont from nan House level connected Monday. Both are from Bennington, a municipality of astir 15,000 successful nan southwestern area of nan state.

“I americium genuinely ashamed for my actions,” Morrissey said of “her disrespectful conduct” toward Carroll. She said she had apologized straight to Carroll and would beryllium moving toward “resolution and restoration done retired legislative process.”

In response, Carroll told nan enclosure that he heard nan sincerity successful her sound but that he had to beryllium frank, saying: “For 5 months, I went done this,” and Morrissey had a prime each clip she did it.

“It was torment,” he said.

Carroll told The Associated Press that nan tote container he hangs successful a hallway astatine nan Statehouse was soaked a mates of times per week successful January and February. Then, aft he was charged pinch driving nether nan power successful February and returned from rehab, his container was soaked almost daily, he said.

“It was relentless,” Carroll said, adding that he was reasonably assured it was Morrissey, who he said often mistreated him. He group up a video camera down a scarf connected nan other wall and captured Morrissey pouring h2o from a solid into nan container connected April 23 and April 26. He past showed nan footage to House Speaker Jill Krowinski, who confronted Morrissey pinch it.

“This is simply a genuinely disturbing business that is astatine likelihood pinch our legislative practices,” Krowinski, a Democrat, said successful a statement. She added that “the integrity and decorum of our legislative proceedings and of legislators are of paramount importance, and immoderate actions aliases behaviors that discuss these values will beryllium thoroughly investigated and addressed.”

Morrissey hasn’t said why she did it, and she didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.

Carroll told chap lawmakers connected Monday that nan first clip he and Morrissey beryllium down to talk will beryllium awkward, “but we person to commencement somewhere.”