Complaint Filed

**The Watcher** · 12-21-2007, 08:52 PM

Did anyone else read the complaint filed against our current elected sheriff? NWFL Daily News had an extensive article on the complaint against Ralph Johnson. Apparently he used our $$$ to finance his research against his #1 competition in 2008. If this is true (I'll bet it is...) then he has some large problems ahead. Misuse of public funding is not a little mistake. Nor is firing two pregnant officers, forgetting to pay taxes = $20k fine, loosing $16k on the Internet (password needed), under filing officers taxes, costing them $$$, then paying them "extra" incentive pay....

This sounds like the next season of "The Shield" on FX. My oh my, what next?

**wrobert** · 12-21-2007, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Did anyone else read the complaint filed against our current elected sheriff? NWFL Daily News had an extensive article on the complaint against Ralph Johnson. Apparently he used our $$$ to finance his research against his #1 competition in 2008. If this is true (I'll bet it is...) then he has some large problems ahead. Misuse of public funding is not a little mistake. Nor is firing two pregnant officers, forgetting to pay taxes = $20k fine, loosing $16k on the Internet (password needed), under filing officers taxes, costing them $$$, then paying them "extra" incentive pay....

This sounds like the next season of "The Shield" on FX. My oh my, what next?

The complaint is really a waste of time. The expenditure could be listed in the report that is due on Jan 10th, but I doubt it. But how can anyone think that a Sheriff reporting a violation of Federal law is going to be found to be wrong?

**Smiling JOe** · 12-21-2007, 10:08 PM

If "financing his research" means hiring a lawyer, I wouldn't think the Sheriff is in the wrong. You didn't see him hiring a lawyer to determine whether someone on the beach should be arrested for trespassing. That business is left up to the prosecutor, or in this case of the election, the State.

**The Watcher** · 12-22-2007, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by WaltonGOP

The complaint is really a waste of time. The expenditure could be listed in the report that is due on Jan 10th, but I doubt it. But how can anyone think that a Sheriff reporting a violation of Federal law is going to be found to be wrong?

You'll see...

**Mystified** · 01-09-2008, 07:09 PM

OMG my son was right! How silly of me to think otherwise...the same sh!t goes on there as here!!!! Its almost as if I'm reading the local Long Island news, LOL.

**wrobert** · 01-09-2008, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Smiling JOe

If "financing his research" means hiring a lawyer, I wouldn't think the Sheriff is in the wrong. You didn't see him hiring a lawyer to determine whether someone on the beach should be arrested for trespassing. That business is left up to the prosecutor, or in this case of the election, the State.

I did not even realize that at the time the money was expended the Sheriff had not even pre-qualified for office. Going to be interesting how someone can connect an expenditure to a campaign that was non-existent. But I guess I will see.

**Smiling JOe** · 01-09-2008, 10:43 PM

Interesting point. It has been said that the Sheriff hired an attorney to discover this. Is it typical that a Sheriff would hire an attorney to determine whether or not someone was obeying the law? I thought that the County had a Prosecutor and the Court to handle the matter of determining one's guilt.

**wrobert** · 01-09-2008, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by Smiling JOe

Interesting point. It has been said that the Sheriff hired an attorney to discover this. Is it typical that a Sheriff would hire an attorney to determine whether or not someone was obeying the law? I thought that the County had a Prosecutor and the Court to handle the matter of determining one's guilt.

True and there are numerous resources. But the Sheriff is the highest law enforcement official, and a Constiutional officer. 8 years or so ago, a clerk of court decided that he thought a paving company was defrauding the county. He took it upon himself to hire his own investigator, to look into the matter. All of this could had been handled any number of ways, but a constitutional officer has a lot of latitude in how he/she runs their office. The voters can decide if they like it or not every four years. But someone else second guessing the way something was handled, it ain't gonna happen. The complaint thing is going to go nowhere when it is all done. But will ultimately cost the taxpayers in the end.

Remember, he did this while performing his duties as Sheriff. So guess who gets to pay for his attorney to answer and defend this complaint?