Mike Carroll (politician)

Mike Carroll was raised in Long Island. He received a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from American University and received his Juris Doctor degree from St. John's University School of Law, where he served as an editor for the St. John's Law Review. He worked as a corporate attorney for a "Wall Street law firm."{{Cite web |title=Mike Carroll - Irvine City Councilmember |url=https://www.michaelchristophercarroll.com/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=www.michaelchristophercarroll.com}}

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Carroll took a sabbatical from his job as an attorney to research the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. His book, entitled Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Plum Island Germ Laboratory, was published by William Morrow on February 17, 2004, and highlighted connections between Plum Island and outbreaks of Lyme disease, the West Nile virus, duck viral enteritis, African swine fever virus, and Rift Valley fever, as well as the history of mismanagement at the Disease Center.{{Cite book |last=Carroll |first=Michael Christopher |title=Lab 257: the disturbing story of the government's secret Plum Island germ laboratory |date=2004 |publisher=Morrow |isbn=978-0-06-001141-3 |location=New York}}

In 2019, Donald P. Wagner, the mayor of Irvine, California at the time, became a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. As a result, Christina Shea, a current member of Irvine City Council, was promoted to the position of mayor. This left an opening on the City Council, which was filled when the remaining members of the City Council appointed Mike Carroll to the position.{{Cite web|last=Custodio|first=Spencer|date=2019-05-14|title=Irvine Appoints Planning Commissioner to Fill Council Vacancy|url=https://voiceofoc.org/2019/05/irvine-appoints-planning-commissioner-to-fill-council-vacancy/|access-date=2020-09-20|website=Voice of OC|language=en-US}}

Near the end of 2019, a petition was started to recall Irvine Mayor Christina Shea and Councilmember Carroll.{{Cite web|first=|date=2020-01-03|title=Effort underway to recall Irvine Mayor Christina Shea and Councilman Mike Carroll|url=https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2020-01-03/irvine-recall-effort-veterans-cemetery|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-09-18|website=Daily Pilot|language=en-US}} The recall effort was abandoned in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no recall election was held.{{Cite web |title=Mayor and city council recall, Irvine, California (2020) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Mayor_and_city_council_recall,_Irvine,_California_(2020) |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}} The Mayor and Councilmember claimed the petition was a campaign effort by a political opponent preparing for a run in the 2020 elections. Ultimately, the recall effort failed.

In September 2020, Councilwoman Melissa Fox, filed a complaint to the City Council stating that in the last year, Councilman Mike Carroll had spent $70,000 on city mailers.{{Cite web|last=Biesiada|first=Noah|date=2020-09-02|title=Irvine City Councilman Carroll's Taxpayer Funded Mailers Called Into Question|url=https://voiceofoc.org/2020/09/irvine-city-councilman-carrolls-taxpayer-funded-mailers-called-into-question/|access-date=2020-10-03|website=Voice of OC|language=en-US}} Similar to events held by federal, state, county, and local elected officials, the mailers promoted neighborhood town hall meetings attended by residents and featured Carroll's name.{{Cite web|last=Biesiada|first=Noah|date=2020-09-23|title=Irvine Stalls Investigations Into Councilman Carroll Mailer Spending Despite Clear Violations of City Policies|url=https://voiceofoc.org/2020/09/irvine-stalls-investigations-into-councilman-carroll-mailer-spending-despite-clear-violations-of-city-policies/|access-date=2020-10-03|website=Voice of OC|language=en-US}} The California Fair Political Practices Commission, dismissed all claims and rejected any investigation into the complaint.

On May 14, 2024, four First Amendment auditors attended an open town hall hosted by Councilmember Carroll which was intended to "discuss upcoming planning commission decisions," in which they verbally confronted many attendees. Afterwards, the town hall was moved to a restricted area, with the auditors being denied access. Irvine Watchdog contributor Tiffany Im criticized Carroll's conduct during the town hall meeting itself, including his alleged dismissal of public inquiries and failure to address the hostile behavior of attendees.{{Cite web |last=Im |first=Tiffany |date=2024-05-17 |title=Opinion: Councilmember Mike Carroll's Townhall Highlights Leadership Concerns and Community Tensions |url=https://irvinewatchdog.org/city-hall/opinion-councilmember-mike-carrolls-townhall-highlights-leadership-concerns-and-community-tensions/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=Irvine Watchdog |language=en-US}}

The incident followed a series of city council meetings which were repeatedly overwhelmed by activists protesting the Gaza war, resulting in multiple Irvine councilmembers, including Carroll, to step out during public comment due to feeling that the matter was not within the City's subject-matter jurisdiction.{{Cite web |last=Elattar |first=Hosam |date=2024-03-27 |title=Irvine Struggles to Finish City Council Meetings as Ceasefire Calls Persist |url=http://voiceofoc.org/2024/03/irvine-struggles-to-finish-city-council-meetings-as-ceasefire-calls-persist/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=Voice of OC |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-03-08 |title=Feeling threatened for their response to Israel-Hamas war, Irvine councilmembers get police protection |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2024/03/08/feeling-threatened-for-their-response-to-israel-hamas-war-irvine-councilmembers-get-police-protection/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=Orange County Register |language=en-US}}

Mike Carroll is married to Betty Carroll, who was selected to serve as the Irvine Unified School District Board of Education President for one year on December 17, 2019.{{Cite web |title=IUSD Board Elects New President and Clerk {{!}} IUSD.org |url=https://iusd.org/article/iusd-board-elects-new-president-and-clerk |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=iusd.org}}{{Cite web |title=Mike Carroll for Irvine City Council |url=https://www.mikecarroll.org/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=Mike Carroll for Irvine City Council |language=en}}

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Category:California city council members

Category:California Republicans

Category:Living people

Category:People from Irvine, California

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

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