Opponent blasts GOP candidate Amesty for living in home owned by religious nonprofit

Democratic state House candidate Allie Braswell is criticizing his Republican opponent Carolina Amesty for living and registering to vote in a Windermere home owned by a nonprofit religious organization, Central Christian University, where Amesty is vice president.

“How can you represent me if you’re not facing the same responsibilities that I have, paying taxes on the very home that you live in?” Braswell said.

As a non-profit and religious group, Central Christian is exempt from income taxes and most property taxes.

Amesty, 27, said the home is designated for the president of the university, her father Juan Amesty, who founded the organization, and she lives there with her parents. She compared it to Barker House, the official residence of the president of Rollins College.

“When Dr. Amesty is no longer the president, that is no longer his home,” said Amesty, a Venezuelan American. “Whenever my family lives, wherever my father lives, that’s where I live. ... When I get married, I will no longer be there. It’s part of my Hispanic culture. You live with parents until you’re married, and I’m not married yet.”

On Nov. 8, Amesty faces Braswell, 60, a credit union executive and former president of the Central Florida Urban League, for an open seat in the newly redrawn District 45 in southwestern Orange County and western Osceola County, which includes Walt Disney World and Celebration.

Amesty is president of Orlando Republican Women Federated and was endorsed by Donald Trump Jr. as “an America First warrior” at a rally in August.

District 45 leans Democratic. President Biden got 52% of the vote there in 2020 to former President Trump’s 47%.

In its annual report for 2022, Amesty is listed as the vice president for Central Christian University, with Juan Amesty as president and CEO.

Her annual salary from the nonprofit was listed on her financial disclosure form as $107,000.

Since September 2020, Amesty has been registered to vote at the address in Windermere, which she also gave as her mailing address in her disclosure form.

The home is listed by the Orange County Property Appraiser as being assessed at $1.04 million and with a market value of $1.17 million.

Property records show it was purchased by Central Christian University in March 2022 for $1.33 million.

Florida law allows property tax exemptions for not-for-profit organizations that own real estate for religious purposes. The property records didn’t indicate whether Central Christian will be paying property taxes for the Windermere home for this year.

The property appraiser website states there is a homestead exemption on the property, but Amesty said the university has not filed this year for such an exemption, which is reserved for private homeowners.

There was an exemption listed on the property in 2020 and 2021 when Amesty was registered to vote there. The home was then listed as owner-occupied by Glenn and Christy Lynch, who sold the property to the university in March.

Amesty would not comment further about the home’s purchase or why she was registered to vote at the address when the owners were listed as the Lynches.

Before September 2020, Amesty had been registered to vote at a home in northwest Orlando owned by her parents.

That home, which sold in 2021 for $287,000, is outside of the newly drawn District 45. Legislators are required to reside in their districts.

Central Christian University’s nonprofit 990 form from 2019, the latest available, showed the organization taking in $1.475 million in revenues, leaving it with $520,000 after expenses. It listed total assets of $1.64 million.

A separate organization, Central Christian University Holding Corp., which owns the university’s Apopka-area campus, listed assets of more than $2 million at the end of 2019.

The University offers associate and bachelor’s degrees in religion, master’s degrees in Christian ministry and theological studies, and doctoral and postgraduate degrees in ministry, both in person and online.

The school notably hosted a Latinos for Trump campaign event in 2020 with Vice President Mike Pence.

Central Christian is one of seven nonprofits for which Amesty is listed as a registered agent, someone who must be notified of any legal action. The nonprofits include the separate Central Christian University Foundation and the Carolina Amesty Foundation.

She is also a registered agent with seven limited liability corporations. On her disclosure form, she lists complete ownership of the Pollo Juan restaurant in Orlando, Amesty Group, Central Food Group and Jordd Group.

She listed a net worth of $3.73 million, largely from Pollo Juan, which she valued at $3 million.

Amesty has raised more than $346,000 for her race, including a $200,000 self-loan and $49,000 from the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee. Her campaign has spent nearly $283,000.

Braswell has raised about $107,000, including a $40,000 self-loan. His campaign has spent about $38,000.

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