Jennifer Carroll

Who is Jennifer Carroll?

Jennifer Sandra Carroll is a Trinidadian-born American politician who was the 18th Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. state of Florida. The first black American and the first woman elected to the position, she assumed the office on January 4, 2011. She was the first black person elected lieutenant governor of Florida, and the first black person elected to statewide office in Florida since Reconstruction. Carroll previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2003 until 2010.

The New York Times reported that Carroll's tenure as lieutenant governor was "marred by scandal and poor judgment" and she was "increasingly viewed as an embarrassment to the man who chose her for the job." She resigned her post as lieutenant governor on March 12, 2013, following allegations that she was involved in an effort to steer money into Internet cafés that are fronts for gambling, the subject of federal and state criminal investigations.