MP caught pouring water into colleague’s bag apologizes

A Vermont lawmaker publicly apologized to a fellow lawmaker after videos went viral of her secretly pouring water into her tote bag — repeated incidents that some have called “Vermont’s Watergate “.

Rep. Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington, 67, apologized Monday (June 17) to her Democratic colleague, Rep. Jim Carroll, during the Vermont House’s veto override session, saying she had “really ashamed” of its “disrespectful”. behavior.

“This was conduct very unbecoming of my position as a representative and a human being and does not reflect my 28 years of service and civility,” said Morrissey, who has served in the House since 1997.

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Morrissey, who has yet to provide an explanation for his actions, also apologized to his colleagues and constituents, asking them to “forgive me for my poor judgment and actions, and allow me to take the necessary measures to repair what I have done.”

Morrissey said she had made amends with Carroll privately and would “work toward a resolution and restoration through our legislative process,” referring to the Ethics Committee’s investigation into her actions.

Although Carroll agreed to some form of reconciliation with Morrissey, he did not let his colleague off easy, calling her actions “torment, without a doubt.”

“I hear the sincerity in your voice,” he told Morrissey, but added that she was given several opportunities to confess and apologize before being filmed.

The healing process between the two of them will take time, said Carroll, who has served in the House on and off since 2019.

“There’s going to be some work to do between the two of us, and the first time we sit down together it’s going to be a little awkward, but we have to start somewhere,” he said.

Breaking down what happened

Footage from the scandal, which was first acquired by Seven Days earlier this month, shows Morrissey from behind pouring water into Carroll’s bag on two occasions. Carroll, however, told Seven Days that the incidents occurred frequently – sometimes even daily – over a five-month period.

Once he realized someone must have been spraying his bag on purpose, Carroll said he set up a “spy camera” to catch the culprit, according to Seven Days.

But why did Morrissey do this? Although the veteran lawmaker told VTDigger she didn’t know why she poured water into her bag, Carroll and others have their theories.

Carroll told VTDigger that even before the scandal, the two lawmakers had a strained relationship, with Morrissey behaving “just miserable” toward him at the Statehouse, which included verbal taunting. He also alleged that Morrissey, a Roman Catholic, confronted him for voting in favor of codifying abortion rights in the Vermont Constitution in 2019, telling his district colleague that his late religious parents would have been disappointed by his decision.

VTDigger and Seven Days also suggested that Morrissey may have targeted Carroll after he was charged with driving under the influence in February, which Morrissey denied. Carroll remembers seeing his district colleague tell colleagues that he looked “dizzy” once he returned to the Statehouse from rehab.

Will Morrissey face the consequences of her actions?

Capitol Police told Seven Days that Morrissey’s actions could legally be considered stalking, which includes two or more incidents that “would cause emotional distress to a reasonable person,” but that Carroll declined to press charges .

Morrissey, however, has faced sanctions at the Statehouse. According to Seven Days, House Speaker Jill Krowinski chose not to appoint Morrissey to a major committee after reviewing Carroll’s video footage, despite precedent indicating that the senior Republican would normally have received the honor.

Morrissey’s escapades also led to an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. If the commission decides the water spill incidents violate ethics rules, it could face further disciplinary action.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont Watergate: Lawmaker Poured Water in Colleague’s Bag