5Fewer than three weeks before election day, Charlie Crist’s campaign manager, Austin Durrer, was arrested over a dispute with the mother of his child.
According to court records and the prosecutor in the case, 43-year-old Austin John Durrer was arrested Tuesday, the day before he resigned. The mother of his child, Jackie Whisman, had marks on her face from the dispute, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The revelation comes just days after Durrer’s resignation. In a statement given 10 Tampa Bay, Crist Campaign Spokeswoman Samantha Ramirez said Durrer was “dismissed as soon as the campaign learned of the situation.” However, the departure was explained initially to Florida Politics as a voluntary resignation “to focus on a family matter,” leaving open questions about which party took the initiative.
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Regardless, the DeSantis War Room Twitter account quickly attacked the Crist campaign for the sanitized phrasing, tweeting a now-ironic montage of Charlie Crist affirming his support for women.
Charlie Crist talks a lot about how much he "respects women." But after his campaign manager was arrested for domestic violence assault 3 days ago, the @CharlieCrist campaign dismissed it as a "family matter."
No, it's a criminal matter, not something to brush under the rug. pic.twitter.com/SLE9n8FpUC
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 #FloridaStrong (@DeSantisWarRoom) October 21, 2022
NBC news reported Durrer was arrested “on the spot,” as police have a right to do so if they see physical evidence of injury within 14 hours of domestic violence allegations. Leonard, the interim state’s attorney for Dorchester County, told NBC News that there was an argument that had turned physical, leaving marks on her face as she described.
In a joint statement to 10 Tampa Bay, Durrer and Whisman asked for privacy.
“Very sadly, an incident took place this week at our home that we both regret. We are both working to drop legal charges and move forward. Our primary focus at this time is our daughter, our greatest joy, and we appreciate privacy and respect as we navigate this as a family.”
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