Rick Scott's Office Wants Judge To Shield Jennifer Carroll

Lt. Gov. Carroll and Beatriz Ramos (in black), her alleged side piece

I know y'all haven't forgotten Carletha Cole's eyebrow-raising allegations from a couple of months ago. Florida Governor Rick Scott's top attorney has asked a judge to issue an order to keep lawyers from questioning Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll or her travel aide (and alleged lover) Beatriz Ramos. From NBC 6 South Florida: "Saying it wants to end a 'public campaign of harassment,' the administration of Gov. Rick Scott is asking a judge to shield Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll from a criminal case involving one of her former aides. Scott's top lawyer wants a Leon County judge to issue a protective order to keep lawyers for the former aide, Carletha Cole, from questioning either Carroll or her travel aide Beatriz Ramos. A hearing on the request is set for next month. Cole is charged with violating state law for allegedly giving a recording of a conversation with Carroll's chief of staff to a newspaper reporter."

The article continues about the situation: "Cole's lawyers subsequently filed court documents in which Cole claimed to have found Carroll in a 'compromising position' with Ramos inside's Carroll's office. The former aide also alleged that Carroll's chief of staff secretly recorded conversations routinely at the direction of those working for Scott and that the trash can at Cole's desk might have been deliberately set ablaze following an argument between her and Ramos. Carroll, a former Navy officer who is also married and a mother of three, has called the allegations 'false and absurd.' But last month lawyers for Cole served subpoenas on both Carroll and Ramos and asked them to sit down for a deposition. That prompted the governor's general counsel to file a motion for a protective order and ask Circuit Judge Frank Sheffield to quash the subpoenas."

More: "In a previous court filing, Cole went into lengthy allegations regarding Carroll and Ramos, including saying that she was ordered by Ramos to find adjoining hotel rooms for Carroll and Ramos when they traveled. Carroll has said previously the allegations are an attempt by Cole and her attorney to get the criminal charges against Cole dropped. Cole is charged with a third-degree felony and could get up to five years in prison. Cole's attorneys are also seeking additional information that could be used in the trial, asking if there are surveillance tapes of Carroll's office. They are also seeking calendars, telephone logs and hotel billing information for both Carroll and Ramos."