After being arrested by undercover Lakewood police in April for violating a city strip club ordinance that forbids dancers from touching themselves, Carey, born Mary Ellen Cook, was given a reprieve to “behave for one year” or face jail time of up to a year and seven months.
Carey also was fined $300.
Carey reportedly thanked the judge for the chance to behave for a year, but after reflecting on what jail time might be like, she said, “I don't think I could survive that." Carey expressed additional concern that time spent in jail would have catastrophic effects on her hair and nails.
After her court appearance, Carey told reporters she felt that exotic dancers should be allowed to touch themselves during their performances, and that she might consider moving to Washington State to run for governor and change the law.
Carey is no stranger to running for political office. In 2003, she was a gubernatorial candidate for governor of California alongside fellow candidates Gary Coleman and Larry Flynt. She was the first porn star to campaign for higher office.
Among Carey’s many political promises was to tax breast implants, which she said would bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue into the California economy.
Other Carey political ambitions included attending a private dinner in July at the White House, accompanied by Kick Ass Pictures President Mark Kulkis. Kulkis serves as an honorary chairman on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Business Advisory Council.
“We thought it would be good to remind President Bush and other Republicans that the we are businesspeople too,” Kulkis told XBiz. “You won’t find a group of people more pro-business than pornographers. We contributed more than $10 billion to the national economy last year.”