Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll Resigns Amid Investigation of Internet Cafe Ties

Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll

TALLAHASSEE – Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll, serving for two years under Rick Scott, tendered her resignation in a letter to the Governor dated Tuesday.

Carroll's leave comes during an ongoing federal investigation of Allied Veterans of the World, a company the Lt. Gov. has been closely affiliated with. The owner of Allied Veterans, Oklahoma-based Chase Burns, has been accused of supplying illegal gambling software to Florida internet cafes.

Burns has been charged with racketeering, and he and his wife Kristin are currently looking at extradition charges to Florida.

Earlier this week, Carroll was interviewed by Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers about her ties to Allied Veterans. She had been an official representative for the company through her public relations firm, 3.N. and J.C., during the years of 2009 and 2010, when she was a Congresswoman in the Florida House of Representatives. During her tenure in the Capitol building, she also proposed a bill that would have solidified the legal status of internet cafes in Florida, something that has been a controversy in many Florida counties, including Manatee.

At the time of this writing, Governor Scott is slated to comment on his deputy's resignation during an appearance to news media on Wednesday afternoon.