The group’s founder said at a seminar attended by Sheridan that sheriffs should be prepared to “abandon” the federal government if Harris is elected.
PHOENIX — A candidate running to become the next Maricopa County sheriff is facing criticism for being affiliated with a movement the Anti-Defamation League calls an “anti-government extremist group.”
a Recent documentaries on YouTube Dateline – Australian Special features Republican Gerry Sheridan harshly criticizing government tyranny and attending a seminar on the controversial constitutional sheriff and peace officer movement. are.
The group’s founder, Richard Mack, has spoken out about discrimination against white Americans and Catholics. He advised Sheridan and other attendees to prepare to “abandon” the federal government if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected in November.
“Don’t vote. Throw it away,” Mack said.
Mack asserted at the seminar that the United States “has never been a democracy,” adding that “we are currently experiencing the greatest election fraud in this country.”
The documentary provides a close-up look at Sheridan’s campaign to lead the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s alarming,” said Democrat Tyler Kampf, Sheridan’s opponent in the November election. “This shows someone who thinks they can take the law into their own hands. That’s why we paid $350 million 10 years ago because the sheriff didn’t follow a court order.” We’ve seen the damage done to the dollar.”
Group calls Harris a ‘disruptive force’
Sheridan did not respond to interview requests about his participation in the documentary or his reaction to Mack’s comments. Instead, Sheridan issued a written statement to 12News, vowing to uphold the Constitution and saying that as sheriff he would “protect the civil liberties of all people as outlined in the Bill of Rights.”
The video also shows the Sheridans watching as Mack darkly describes America as Vice President Kamala Harris, who, if elected, will take guns away from Americans.
“I’ve never advocated violence, but tell me what America would be like if Kamala Harris became president. Our Constitution doesn’t allow for more destructive power,” Mack said. spoke.
Kampf said the video shows why Sheridan doesn’t understand office boundaries.
“He says he won’t follow federal laws he doesn’t agree with. We have legislators who make the laws, courts who interpret those laws, and law enforcement who enforce those laws. exists,” Kampf said.
Sheridan said in the documentary that examples of government tyranny include tax laws, Environmental Protection Agency regulations and pandemic-era regulations.
Military research links constitutional sheriff ideology to violent groups
The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Police Association encourages sheriffs not to enforce gun control laws with which they disagree. They promote election conspiracies and frequently portray the Democratic Party as America’s evil force. The group’s legal philosophy stems from a 1997 Supreme Court decision.
West Point Counterterrorism Center The military academy links the ideology of constitutional sheriffs to “overtly violent and extremist groups,” including the Oath Keepers. Mack, a former rural sheriff in Arizona, also founded the Oath Keepers. Some of the group’s members were charged for their role in the January 6 riot, and evidence in court showed they brought stockpiles of weapons to Washington, D.C., in preparation for combat.
“What’s the old adage your mom always told you? You’re who you’re with,” said Chris, the Pima County sheriff and a strong critic of Constitutional Sheriffs. Nanos said. “Think about it. You’re a law enforcement leader. When you associate with people like this, it’s bad. We’re supposed to be neutral, right? If you’re a citizen, when you call 911, Don’t you expect neutrality?”
Sheridan says he will investigate election corruption
Mr. Sheridan also told the film crew in the documentary that he believed his office had a role in detecting and investigating corruption in elections. As a Trump supporter, Sheridan did not accept the results of his loss to Paul Penzone in the 2020 election.
Sheridan is not the only supporter of Mack and his organization. Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting As of 2022, more than half of Arizona’s sheriffs were found to have some kind of relationship with a constitutional sheriff.
“Some of them believe that by doing so they have to keep their jobs,” Nanos said. “Every time they go to work, it’s like they’re running for office.”
In debates and television interviews, Sheridan did not specifically address the ideology of constitutional sheriffs. During Trump’s rally, Sheridan spoke about combating animal cruelty, homelessness, improving safety for prison inmates and protecting civil liberties. He told 12News on the night of the primary that being a “constitutional sheriff” means protecting the rights of all citizens.
But in a September debate with Kampf, Sheridan acknowledged that he had defied a federal judge while serving as Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s chief executive in the Melendrez civil rights case. Then Sheridan said he wanted to do it again.
“If it goes against the opinion of a federal district court judge and you suffer the consequences, so be it,” Sheridan said.
