Florida State Representative Carolina Amesty was arrested on felony charges related to forgery and notary misconduct following an FDLE investigation into her previous role at Central Christian University.

State Representative Carolina Amesty, a Republican representing Florida House District 45, was arrested on Thursday after surrendering to authorities at the Orange County Jail.

The arrest follows an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and centers on multiple felony charges, including forgery, falsely certifying a document as a notary public, and notarizing her own signature, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

First reported on Thursday morning by Florida Politics, Amesty turned herself in after an outstanding warrant was issued for her arrest.

Amesty, the current representative for Florida House District 45, which covers parts of Orange and Osceola counties, is seeking re-election against former Disney executive Leonard Spencer. Amesty initially won the seat in the 2022 election. Those backing her 2022 campaign included Donald Trump Jr., Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran.

“This prosecution, initiated just a few weeks prior to absentee ballots being dropped, is based on misleading reports from a partisan newspaper about a notarization of an employee verification background report, the truth of the contents which have not been questioned in any manner,” Amesty’s campaign said in a published statement. “Rep. Amesty calls for a speedy trial, looks forward to her day in court, and is confident of her public vindication.”

The FDLE began investigating Amesty after The Orlando Sentinel conducted an investigation into her role as a notary for Central Christian University, where she previously served as Vice President. The inquiry was based on allegations that Amesty notarized documents listing an individual, Robert Shaffer, as an instructor at the university, despite Shaffer’s claims that he did not teach there.

According to the Sentinel, Amesty’s campaign responded, stating that Shaffer worked at a K-12 school affiliated with the university and that other employees have confirmed this in affidavits, but they also noted Shaffer’s memory issues.

The publication also reported inconsistencies in the university’s faculty listings, suggesting the presence of graduate-level employees who did not work at the institution.

Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried responded to the reports, calling for Amesty to be removed from the Florida Legislature.

“Carolina Amesty can’t effectively represent the people of House District 45 while defending herself from felony charges,” said Fried. “She should resign from office immediately, and if she refuses to take responsibility for her actions, we demand that the Florida House of Representatives expel her from membership.”

This is a developing story.