A day before departing his role as campaign manager for Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, Austin Durrer was reportedly arrested.
Durrer, 43, was taken into custody Tuesday for a second-degree misdemeanor assault charge following a domestic dispute at his Maryland home with the mother of his child, Jackie Whisman, NBC reported Friday. Crist’s campaign has replaced him with Sydney Throop, who did prior work on Crist’s congressional campaigns.
CRIST DENIES CAMPAIGN TURMOIL AFTER MANAGER DEPARTS
“Very sadly, an incident took place this week at our home that we both regret. We are both working to drop legal charges and move forward,” Durrer and Whisman said in a statement, per NBC. “Our primary focus at this time is our daughter, our greatest joy, and we appreciate privacy and respect as we navigate this as a family.”
In addition to facing charges, Durrer reportedly pressed second-degree misdemeanor assault charges against Whisman over the same incident. Crist’s campaign announced that Durrer was departing the campaign a day after the arrest.
“Mr. Durrer was dismissed as soon as the campaign learned of this situation,” Crist campaign spokeswoman Samantha Ramirez said, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Durrer’s abrupt departure turned heads with the midterm elections less than three weeks out. When discussing his resignation, the campaign noted that Durrer needed to tend to a “family matter.”
A prosecutor in the case, Amanda Leonard, revealed that the domestic dispute involved a physical altercation.
“[The alleged victim] indicated that there had been an argument that had turned physical with the father of her child who is identified as Austin Durrer. There were signs of physical injury to her face, consistent with what she reported,” Leonard told NBC News.
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Crist is trailing incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the latest RealClearPolitics polling aggregate by 9.2 points. DeSantis, who first ascended to the governor’s office in a tight 2018 contest, has been a rising star in Republican circles and enjoyed speculation that he may run for president in 2024.
Meanwhile, Crist has prodded Democrats to direct more firepower to his Sunshine State showdown, insisting it will be cheaper to sack DeSantis now than in 2024. His campaign has denied assertions that it is in turmoil amid Durrer’s abrupt exit.
