The first-term Republican Sheriff of Oswego County, Florida has gotten himself in trouble with the public and the county commission after flying what was deemed a political flag on a boat owned by the Sheriff’s office. Donald Hilton was on a boat owned by the Sheriff’s office that flew a flag in support of Donald Trump, and he has declined all requests to talk about the incident.
What Happened?
A rally was taking place on the water, and a flotilla of Trump supporters was gathering. The Sheriff’s office was there for crowd control and to keep the peace. However, the boat that was used by the Sheriff and some of his deputies was flying a flag in support of Donald Trump. This flag was seen as a political statement, and the backlash happened almost immediately when a picture of the Sheriff on the boat was posted online.
What Is The Problem With The Flag?
When the Sheriff is riding on a boat owned by the Sheriff’s department, he is not within his rights to make political statements. Flying a Donald Trump flag in today’s climate does not look good. Plus, the Sheriff was flying this flag on the boat at a rally in support of President Trump. Because of this, it looked as though he was making a political statement.
What Did The Sheriff Say?
The Sheriff has only made one statement on the flag that was flown on the boat. The Sheriff has only said that he thought flying the flag in support of the President is not a big deal. He wanted to fly the flag because the President has shown his support for law enforcement. Unfortunately, his county commission did not see it that way. He is an elected official, but he must answer to the Oswego County commission.
During this time, the Sheriff did not acknowledge that he was on the boat. While it has not been confirmed, most people believe that the Sheriff was on the boat during the rally.
How Did The County Respond?
A Republican representing the county commission named James Weatherup said that the Sheriff violated county policy when flying this flag on the boat. Unfortunately, the Sheriff has never said that he was on the boat. People are left to decide for themselves. Mr. Weatherup also said that he spoke to the Sheriff and that that behavior would not happen again. This is something that many liberals appreciate because they did not need to force the county to take action.
A Democrat named Tom Drumm says that he does not care if the Sheriff supports the President or not. He is concerned that the county’s money was used to pay for a political statement. He does not appreciate the fact that the taxpayers had to pay for a political statement that does not reflect the views of everyone in the county.
Sheriff Donald Hilton will not speak on the matter further, and anyone is free to look at the picture and decide if he was on the boat. While Oswego County is in the news today for this issue, the Sheriff’s silence may cause problems as more liberal watchdogs focus on what his department does, how he spends public funds, and how he enforces the law.
