- Courtesy ©️ Seven Days
- Rep. Jim Carroll (D-Bennington) and Rep. Mary Morrissey (R-Bennington)
Spy camera videos of a Republican lawmaker dumping water into a Democratic rival’s bag at the Statehouse were released on Tuesday, confirming previous reporting by Seven Days about the bizarre incident.
Rep. Jim Carroll (D-Bennington) shared with Seven Days two videos he surreptitiously took in the Statehouse hallway that captured Rep. Mary Morrissey (R-Bennington) pouring a cup of liquid into his tote bag as it hung on a hook outside his committee room.
The paper requested copies of the videos on May 30 under the state Public Records Act, a request Carroll initially denied through an attorney. But on Tuesday morning, days after Seven Days wrote about the videos and the confidential ethics investigation into Morrissey’s conduct, Carroll released a written statement. 
The videos, which Carroll took using a remote camera in an effort to catch the person responsible for repeatedly soaking his belongings, show Morrissey, 67, approaching a bag outside Carroll's committee room and dumping a cup of water directly into it. Portions of both videos are obscured, as though the camera is partially concealed behind something.
Both videos captured Morrissey from behind, so her face is not shown. But her distinctive shock of long gray hair leaves little doubt that it is her. Her committee room is right across a Statehouse hallway from Carroll's.
In the first video, taken March 23 at 9:10 a.m., shows Morrissey, wearing a gray suit, entering the frame. She walks directly to the tan and green bag, reaches up and, as though watering a houseplant, pours a cup of liquid into the bag.
In the second, taken March 26 at 12:21 p.m., Carroll can be seen sticking his arm into the bottom of the bag, as though checking its contents. The bag has a Statehouse logo on it, and it rests against a blue sport coat on a hanger.
Carroll then walks toward his committee room, and seconds later, Morrissey, wearing a rose-colored jacket and scarf, pops into the frame. She quickly lifts a clear cup of water up to the top of the bag, dumps it in and scurries off.
"What that tells me is that she was watching me," Carroll told Seven Days on Tuesday.
Carroll initially told his committee chair, Rep. Mike Marcotte (R-Coventry), about his stuff getting soaked and asked for help figuring out how it was happening. After ruling out other explanations, Carroll concluded he was being targeted. So he conducted a one-man Statehouse sting operation.
He installed a small $23 spy camera in the hallway pointed at the coatrack outside his committee room. He took the video evidence to House Speaker Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington), who confronted Morrissey about it.
Krowinski has been out of the country and unavailable for an interview.
After the meeting, Krowinski blocked Morrissey, who was first elected in 1997, from serving on a key legislative committee. The matter was then referred to the House Ethics Panel. The status of the complaint is unclear.
The five-member panel operates in secret and only publicly releases details about complaints if the accused person wants them released or if the panel finds after a formal hearing that the person violated ethics rules.
Morrissey has not returned multiple calls and emails for comment. Minority Leader Rep. Pattie McCoy (R-Poultney), who was present when Krowinski confronted Morrissey, has also not responded to multiple messages.
Rep. Jim Carroll (D-Bennington) shared with Seven Days two videos he surreptitiously took in the Statehouse hallway that captured Rep. Mary Morrissey (R-Bennington) pouring a cup of liquid into his tote bag as it hung on a hook outside his committee room.
The paper requested copies of the videos on May 30 under the state Public Records Act, a request Carroll initially denied through an attorney. But on Tuesday morning, days after Seven Days wrote about the videos and the confidential ethics investigation into Morrissey’s conduct, Carroll released a written statement.
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"I have been very reluctant to disclose the video because I believe it will deeply embarrass Representative Morrissey,” Carroll wrote. “However, it has become clear to me that the media are aware of the details of Representative Morrissey’s behavior, and likely will continue to report on that behavior in the near future.”
The videos, which Carroll took using a remote camera in an effort to catch the person responsible for repeatedly soaking his belongings, show Morrissey, 67, approaching a bag outside Carroll's committee room and dumping a cup of water directly into it. Portions of both videos are obscured, as though the camera is partially concealed behind something.
Both videos captured Morrissey from behind, so her face is not shown. But her distinctive shock of long gray hair leaves little doubt that it is her. Her committee room is right across a Statehouse hallway from Carroll's.
In the first video, taken March 23 at 9:10 a.m., shows Morrissey, wearing a gray suit, entering the frame. She walks directly to the tan and green bag, reaches up and, as though watering a houseplant, pours a cup of liquid into the bag.
"What that tells me is that she was watching me," Carroll told Seven Days on Tuesday.
Carroll initially told his committee chair, Rep. Mike Marcotte (R-Coventry), about his stuff getting soaked and asked for help figuring out how it was happening. After ruling out other explanations, Carroll concluded he was being targeted. So he conducted a one-man Statehouse sting operation.
He installed a small $23 spy camera in the hallway pointed at the coatrack outside his committee room. He took the video evidence to House Speaker Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington), who confronted Morrissey about it.
Krowinski has been out of the country and unavailable for an interview.
Morrissey initially denied responsibility, Carroll said, but in a follow-up meeting where Carroll was present, she apologized to him.
"It was a very uncomfortable meeting," Carroll recalled.
The five-member panel operates in secret and only publicly releases details about complaints if the accused person wants them released or if the panel finds after a formal hearing that the person violated ethics rules.
Morrissey has not returned multiple calls and emails for comment. Minority Leader Rep. Pattie McCoy (R-Poultney), who was present when Krowinski confronted Morrissey, has also not responded to multiple messages.
Rep. Angela Arsenault (D-Williston) previously told Seven Days that Carroll showed her the video during the session and she couldn't believe her eyes.
"It was jaw-dropping," Arsenault recalled. "It was bizarre. Why? That's what I kept saying. Why?"
Some suspect the dousings were related to Carroll’s own legal troubles. He was arrested at 8:30 a.m. on February 21 in a Statehouse parking lot. A Montpelier police officer noticed his car's muffler was too loud and then reported signs that Carroll, 62, was impaired.
Carroll's drunken driving arrest was widely publicized. He issued a statement expressing disappointment in himself and went to rehab.
In his statement, Carroll said various factors played into his decision to release the videos "on advice of counsel." Continuing to withhold the video "would only subject me to continued and more amplified media criticism, litigation and continued warnings of more litigation to follow." He noted there is "already a story in the news."
"It was jaw-dropping," Arsenault recalled. "It was bizarre. Why? That's what I kept saying. Why?"
Some suspect the dousings were related to Carroll’s own legal troubles. He was arrested at 8:30 a.m. on February 21 in a Statehouse parking lot. A Montpelier police officer noticed his car's muffler was too loud and then reported signs that Carroll, 62, was impaired.
Carroll's drunken driving arrest was widely publicized. He issued a statement expressing disappointment in himself and went to rehab.
In his statement, Carroll said various factors played into his decision to release the videos "on advice of counsel." Continuing to withhold the video "would only subject me to continued and more amplified media criticism, litigation and continued warnings of more litigation to follow." He noted there is "already a story in the news."
"I believe it is right that I release the video and be fully transparent to my constituents and all Vermonters," he wrote.
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