Carroll didn’t know for months why her bag got wet when she brought it to the state Capitol, until a few weeks ago, when Morrissey was caught on camera pouring water from a clear cup into Carroll’s bag. Morrissey said Monday he was “truly embarrassed,” adding that he had apologized to Carroll directly. Carroll said during the House meeting that he “felt sincerity” in the congressman’s apology, but He was infuriated that his work bag had been soaked multiple times over a five-month period and struggled to understand why Morrissey chose not to “drop the bag” and confront him.
“It was painful,” Carroll said.
Morrissey did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post on Tuesday evening.
In a statement from her office dated June 11, House Speaker Jill Krowinski (D-Calif.) said Carroll is no longer eligible to serve on the council, adding that she should file an ethics complaint. A spokesperson for Krowinski confirmed to The Washington Post on Tuesday that Carroll had filed a complaint and that an investigation was underway.
“This is a truly disturbing situation that runs counter to our nation’s legislative practice,” Krowinski said.
Carroll told The Washington Post that she had noticed her tote bag getting wet two to three times a week since January, and that when the video of Morrissey pouring water on it caught her eye, she felt “deep sadness,” especially after what had happened.
“It would be humiliating and it would be really awful,” Carroll said. “And it is and it is.”
Carroll and Morrissey will be sworn in as congressmen in January 2023, representing Bennington’s 5th District, one of Vermont’s 46 two-member districts. Carroll told The Washington Post that the two have known each other since they were young. Their families attended the same church and knew each other, though in different social circles.
They have interacted at political events for many years and their relationship has always been friendly.
But things have changed since he was elected, he said, especially as opinions have split over key issues, including abortion.
In January, as he retrieved his bag from a coat rack outside a room where a House committee met, he began to notice that it was wet. At first, he thought maybe snow had fallen on the bag on the way into the Capitol, or that he’d accidentally spilled it. But after the mishaps continued, he concluded it must have been done on purpose.
“I remember thinking, ‘Someone hates me, and I wonder who it is and why,'” he told the Post.
Neither representative addressed the motive behind the water-throwing incident in their remarks Monday.
According to the speaker’s June 11 statement, Carroll first notified Krowinski of the “potential harassment” several weeks later, and several weeks after that, he told her he had video evidence.
According to Vermont alternative weekly Seven Days, which first reported the story, Carroll set up a camera in front of a rack where tote bags are hung. In one video obtained by Seven Days, Carroll is seen checking the bag, then seconds later, an unseen faceless figure is seen walking up to the bag and pouring a glass of clear liquid into it.
After telling Krowinski about the footage and other video evidence, Carroll said in a statement that she met with Krowinski and Morrissey “to address the recorded harassment.”
Krowinski then told Morrissey he was not allowed to serve on the conference committee and encouraged Carroll to file an ethics complaint, according to Krowinski’s statement.
“Legislation process and the integrity and civility of members are of the utmost importance, and any actions or conduct that undermines these values will be thoroughly investigated and addressed,” Krowinski said. “I want to assure everyone that this matter is being taken seriously.”
In his apology on Monday, Morrissey said he would work toward “resolution and healing through the legislative process.”
“I hope that Jim, my fellow legislators, the entire Capitol staff, the people who work in this building and the people of Vermont can forgive me for my poor judgment and actions, and that I will take the steps necessary to make up for the mistakes I made,” she said.
In a statement, Carroll said it would be “awkward” to work with Morrissey again.
“But you have to start somewhere,” he said. “So, thank you.”
