Crist campaign manager arrested on domestic abuse-related charges prior to resignation

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Prior to his resignation earlier this week, the campaign manager for Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist was arrested in Maryland after he and the mother of his child each filed domestic abuse-related charges against each other.

Austin John Durrer, a 43-year-old who worked as chief of staff in Crist’s congressional office before joining the campaign, was arrested Tuesday at his Cambridge, Md., home. The arrest was first reported by NBC News. Authorities arrested only Durrer but he later pressed charges against the child's mother, Jackie Whisman, according to court records.

“Very sadly, an incident took place this week at our home that we both regret,” read the statement Durrer. “We are both working to drop legal charges and move forward. 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.”

There were “signs of physical injury” on the child’s mother when police arrived, according to a probable cause affidavit first reported by NBC News. The Dorchester County State Attorney's office, which is handling the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One day after Durrer's arrest, Crist’s campaign said Durrer was resigning to “focus on a family matter,” but offered no specific details. On Friday, the campaign issued a statement saying that Durrer “was dismissed as soon as the campaign learned of this situation.”

Durrer was released shortly after his arrest, after posting a $10,000 bond, according to online court records.

The campaign shakeup comes in the final stretch of a campaign that has Crist losing by nearly every metric to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis is winning by nearly 10 points in the Real Clear Politics average of polls.