A legislative ethics panel investigating the case of a lawmaker caught repeatedly pouring water into a colleague's tote bag will require Rep. Mary Morrissey (R-Bennington) to work to repair the damage caused by her bizarre actions.

In a joint statement on Thursday, Morrissey and Rep. Jim Carroll (D-Bennington) said they had completed a “restorative justice process” after Carroll filed a complaint about Morrissey’s conduct earlier this year with the House of Representatives Ethics Panel.

During the process, in which perpetrators typically meet with victims, Carroll expressed how Morrissey’s actions had “caused distress and disrupted his life over several months” and generated media attention that “reflected negatively on the integrity and reputation of the Vermont House of Representatives.”



The attention also caused harm to Morrissey, the joint statement read. “Representative Morrissey takes responsibility for her behavior and all the harm she caused,” the statement read.
During the process, Morrissey apologized to Carroll and “committed to making amends, including activities that encourage the development and strengthening of collaborative and positive relationships within the legislative community.”

It’s not clear what those activities will be. The statement said five members of the ethics panel, who deliberate in secret, would have no comment. It referred questions to a legislative attorney, who did not respond to an email from Seven Days.

The statement concluded by saying the panel would “monitor Rep. Morrissey’s compliance with her commitments to repair the harm she caused” and would consider training to help lawmakers treat one another with “greater respect and civility.”

The statement appears to resolve the complaint Carroll filed after he twice caught Morrissey on hidden camera pouring water in the canvas bag he regularly hung outside his Statehouse committee room.

Carroll said he purchased and mounted a tiny remote-controlled camera in an effort to catch whoever was dousing his belongings. Twice in late April the camera captured Morrissey clearly approaching his bag, pouring a cup of liquid into it, and sneaking off. Carroll shared the video with legislative leaders and Capitol police.

Carroll told Seven Days he found his things wet dozens of times during the session, and he suspected someone was harassing him. He turned the videos over to Seven Days after the paper requested them under the state Public Records Act.

Neither he nor Morrissey immediately returned calls for comment.

The statement mirrors a public apology Morrissey made on the floor of the House in June when she said she was "truly ashamed" of her actions. She offered no explanation.

The incident generated intense local media attention and was the butt of jokes nationally. It was used by the nationally syndicated radio news quiz program “Wait Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!” with host Peter Sagal describing it as a case of “wet-bagging.” Comedian Steven Colbert referred to it as “watergate.”