Criminal Complaint to the State Attorney’s Office

Regarding CASEY (a/k/a KOUSAY) ASKAR’s

Fraudulent Misrepresentation of Education in
Violation of Florida Statute § 817.566

To Amira Fox, State Attorney, Florida’s 20 th Judicial Circuit

Filed by Andrew Duskin
6/15/2020

FLORIDA STATUTE VIOLATED (CRIMINAL)

Title XLVI
Chapter 817
CRIMES | FRAUDULENT PRACTICES
§ 817.566: “Misrepresentation of association with, or academic standing at,
postsecondary educational institution.”

END OF COVER PAGE

 EXPLANATION
Casey (a/k/a Kousay) Askar, a candidate for the Republican nomination for
Florida’s 19th Congresional District, violated Florida Statute § 817.566 by falsely
claiming that he graduated from Harvard Business School. A press release from Mr.
Askar’s campaign announcing his candidacy states that Mr. Askar “attended Oakland
College… and later graduated from Harvard Business School” (see Addendum I). As
Mr. Askar intended, this false claim was spread via media outlets covering his
announcement of candidacy (Addendums II and III).
However, conversations with those close to the situation, as well as
communication with the Harvard Alumni Association, reveal that Mr. Askar is not in fact
a graduate of Harvard Business School. This is in direct violation of Florida Statute §
817.566, found in its entirely in Addendum IV, which states that “any person who, with
intent to defraud, misrepresents his or her association with, or academic standing at,
any postsecondary educational institution… is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first
degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.”
Casey (a/k/a Kousay) Askar’s false claims about his academic status at Harvard
Business School are worsened by the fact that Mr. Askar did not even graduate from
Oakland College, either. He has no college degree at all. Clearly, his press release was
worded deliberately to mislead the public into thinking that he was educated at Oakland
College and then later moved on to Harvard Business School. However, this is far from
the true story. Candidates for public office should not lie to the public, and by doing so,
Mr. Askar is both breaking the law and violating the trust of his potential constituents.
This matter is inherently urgent, and an investigation into these particular wrongdoings
by Mr. Askar should thus be launched immediately.

END OF EXPLANATION
 ADDENDUMS

Addendum I
Press Release: Casey Askar For Congress
See - “Casey Askar grew up in a small town in Michigan, attended Oakland
College, served in the United States Marine Corps, and later graduated from
Harvard Business School.”
Press Release Email Header -

Press Release Content To Follow -

Addendum II
Floridian Press
Title - U.S. Marine Casey Askar owes everything to America
See - “The Harvard Business School graduate founded and runs the family business,
which besides owning properties, owns a bunch of restaurant franchises like Church’s
Chicken and Dunkin Donuts.”
Web URL -
https://web.archive.org/web/20200327202259/https://floridianpress.com/2020/03/u-s-
marine-casey-askar-owes-everything-to-america/

Addendum III
Florida Politics
Title - Food industry mogul Casey Askar enters CD 19 fray
See - “Askar grew up in Michigan and graduated from Harvard Business School after
his service with the U.S. Marine Corps.”
Web URL -
https://web.archive.org/web/20200406210705/https://floridapolitics.com/archives/32436
0-food-industry-mogul-casey-askar-enters-cd-19-fray

Addendum IV
Florida Statute § 817.566
Web URL -
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_Strin
g=&URL=0800-0899/0817/Sections/0817.566.html
Statute Text -
817.566 Misrepresentation of association with, or academic standing at,
postsecondary educational institution.—Any person who, with intent to defraud,
misrepresents his or her association with, or academic standing or other progress at,
any postsecondary educational institution by falsely making, altering, simulating, or
forging a document, degree, certificate, diploma, award, record, letter, transcript, form,
or other paper; or any person who causes or procures such a misrepresentation; or any
person who utters and publishes or otherwise represents such a document, degree,
certificate, diploma, award, record, letter, transcript, form, or other paper as true,
knowing it to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as
provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. Individuals who present a religious academic
degree from any college, university, seminary, or institution which is not licensed by the
Commission for Independent Education or which is not exempt pursuant to the
provisions of s. 1005.06 shall disclose the religious nature of the degree upon
presentation.

END OF ADDENDUMS