Vermont lawmaker 'secretly poured water' into colleague’s bag for months

A Vermont Republican has apologised after being caught pouring water into a colleague’s bag multiple times across several months.

Mary Morrissey said she was “truly ashamed” for her actions after being caught on video pouring water into the bag of Democrat Jim Carroll while at work.

The incident came following a ‘personal rivalry’ between the two state lawmakers who both serve the Bennington town, according to Boston.com.

In an address at a Vermont State House session on Monday 17 June, Morrissey, 67, said she had personally apologised to Mr Carroll.

“I am truly ashamed for my actions and I have given my sincere apology to Jim directly and publicly and will be working towards resolution and restoration through our legislative process”, she said.

“It was conduct most unbecoming of my position as a representative and as a human being and is not reflective of my 28 years of service and civility that I do value towards my colleagues.

“I hope Jim, my legislative colleagues, all of our state house staff and those who work in this building and the citizens of Vermont can forgive me for my poor judgment and actions and allow me to take the necessary steps to repair what I have done.”

Jim Carroll suspected it was Mary Morrissey who had been pouring the liquid into his bag but was without any evidence so he secretly recorded footage of his backpack, he told the Guardian.

“For five months I went through this and each time, each day that I went through this, representative Morrisey had a choice to make.

“Each time that she didn’t choose to either drop it or to come to me and say, ‘look I’m sorry we screwed up, let’s let’s put our heads together and try to serve our constituents the way they ought to be’.

“For that I’m really sorry and sad that that happened.

“But frankly you know after five months of that ,and it was torment there’s no doubt about it, with me anyway, there there’s going to be some work to be done between the two of us and that first time that we sit down together it’s going to be kind of awkward but uh we have to start somewhere, so thank you.”