Sheriff John Whetsel
Mike McCarville
The testy race for Oklahoma County Sheriff took a new twist today, with incumbent Democrat John Whetsel’s campaign manager noting a disgraced former county commissioner has joined those opposing Whetsel.
Former Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart has inserted himself into the campaign, said Pat Hall.
Rinehart joins Al Gerhart of the Sooner Tea Party and some Oklahoma County GOP officials in opposing Whetsel, who faces Republican Darrell Sorrels on Tuesday.
“Rinehart is not a candidate, but is throwing his support behind the challenger in the race and paying for lies to be published about Sheriff John Whetsel,” Hall said.
In 2007, Rinehart faced felony charges of conspiracy, money laundering and perjury in an alleged scheme to infuse illegal campaign donations through a political action committee into his own campaign for county commissioner.
“Brent Rinehart was a guest of Sheriff Whetsel’s at the Oklahoma County Jail,” said Hall. “I’d guess that Rinehart did not enjoy his stay in the Oklahoma County jail when he broke the law and so now he is trying to get even and help elect a new sheriff, one that might look the other way if he tries to break the law again.”
In 2009, Rinehart pleaded guilty for his role in the illegal campaign contribution scheme. He was fined $1,000 and his three-year sentence was deferred. Now that Rinehart’s three years have passed (as of October 14), “it looks like he is back to his old illegal tricks again,” said Hall.
Hall said Rinehart paid for an advertisement against Whetsel in the EastWord News, a weekly publication that is distributed in eastern Oklahoma County. The ad claims that Whetsel has “worked to restrict our gun rights.”
Hall said there is currently a radio ad almost exactly like the newsprint ad that aired on KTOK this morning which said it was paid for by “the defeat liberal democrat John Whetsel PAC.” No such political action committee is registered with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, as required by Oklahoma law.
“You can tell a lot about person’s character and integrity by who they align themselves with. Rinehart is toxic and I’m surprised any candidate, even one who is known for telling lies would align themselves with a disgraced former inmate of the Oklahoma County jail,” said Hall. “Sheriff Whetsel is a conservative Sheriff who is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, an active lifetime member of both the ORA and the NRA and has the support of a long list of influential community leaders – Republicans and Democrats.”
“Sheriff Whetsel is a conservative Sheriff who is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment”. That’s the best laugh I’ve had all day! Thanks Pat!!
Sorry Cinbin, Sheriff Whetsel is, as Mike stated, a life member of the National Rifle Association and the Oklahoma Rifle Association. A few years back he was the recipient of the Oklahoma Rifle Association’s “Police Officer of the Year” award for his cleanup and modernization of the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office, and yes, Sheriff Whetsel is “pro Second Amendment”.
My article http://www.capitalistsooner.blogspot.com/2012/10/no-guns-for-anyone-sheriff-whetsel-and.html details Sheriff Whetsel’s involvement in efforts on a national level to stop Concealed Carry, during his term as Chair of the International Association of Police Chiefs.
My article http://www.capitalistsooner.blogspot.com/2012/10/john-whetsel-thanked-by-bill-clinton.html covers Sheriff Whetsel’s actions during the debate about the Brady Bill and the Clinton Crime Bill.
Brent Rinehart used my blog post as a source for his advertisement, without my knowledge or permission. I do not know Mr. Rinehart, aside from seeing him maybe 2 times in my life, at political functions as part of a crowd.
The radio ads by “Defeat the Liberal Democrat John Whetsel PAC” are not affiliated with Mr. Rinehart in any way. The PAC in question was created on Tuesday, October 30th – and I am the Chair. Reporting requirements as called for by law have been met, and will be met in the future.
I am not affiliated with the Sorrels campaign. I have led efforts as a GOP Precinct Chair to hold other Republicans accountable for endorsing Whetsel. I am also a blogger and have become much more disgusted with the actions of the Sheriff, the deeper I have looked at his record. The most shocking is the incidents surrounding the use of inmates to make signs on county property. I wrote about that here: http://www.capitalistsooner.blogspot.com/2012/10/slave-labor-signs.html
Whetsel says one thing, and does another. He claims to be pro-gun but his actions say otherwise. He has serious issues with management of the jail, resulting in prior and current investigations, including criminal ones if news reports are correct. If we get a new jail it’s going to cost, on the low side, about $500 per person in the county – and he was elected to fix the problems with the jail 16 years ago. He has failed.
It is time to fire the sheriff.
I heartily agree with Ol Feller. Sheriff Whetsel is all that of the above. Do you realize that Whetsel was a Janet Reno toady at one time? He saw the light. He is one of the most conservative Dems that I know of. I do not live in Oklahoma County. I have followed Whetsel for years because I believe he is a man of integrity.
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4279622.html
John Whetsel of Choctaw, Okla., doesn’t see a need for everyone in his hometown to be strapping on a firearm under his or her coat. Yet it is likely the Oklahoma Legislature will allow them to do just that.
To say that there should be relaxed laws on who can carry concealed weapons “means we’ve given up on our society,” said the Whetsel, police chief for the town of 7,500.
(In his own words)
I hate to break up the party, but you have done absolutely NO research. Sheriff Whetsel just received a National ACA Accreditation for the jail. To receive this award, the Department of Justice and accreditation inspectors spend weeks monitoring the daily routines, auditing records, going through that place with a fine tuned comb. You sir, are spreading lies and untruths. Do your homework, Do some research. You’re making claims that absolutely false and incorrect.
Sheriff Whetsel is a conservative and a life member of the National Rifle Association and the Oklahoma Rifle Association. He also received the Oklahoma Rifle Association’s “Police Officer of the Year” award for his cleanup and modernization of the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office, and Sheriff Whetsel is “pro Second Amendment”.
I have my CC license and I’m C.L.E.E.T. certified, Sheriff Whetsel has been most supportive…
I’m a registered Republican and most of all a Conservative and John Whetsel has my vote. The ads that have been run on KTOK for Republican Darrell Sorrels are despicable. I wouldn’t vote for him if he was the only person running, his lies and half truths are most Democrat like…
If you want honesty and effective police work vote for Sheriff Whetsel…
Paper: Chicago Sun Times
Date: April 16, 1995
Quote: “John Whetsel of Choctaw, Okla., doesn’t see a need for everyone in his hometown to be strapping on a firearm under his or her coat. Yet it is likely the Oklahoma Legislature will allow them to do just that.
To say that there should be relaxed laws on who can carry concealed weapons “means we’ve given up on our society,” said the Whetsel, police chief for the town of 7,500.”
Link: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4279622.html
Paper: Daily Oklahoman
Date: May 5th, 1995
Quote: “On the concealed handgun bill before the Legislature, Whetsel said that putting more guns on the street is not the answer to the crime problem.”
Link: http://okne.ws/MZbhbr
Add that to the articles I have written on this subject, listed above. That’s just some of what is out there. It is easy to join the NRA and ORA. That does not make you pro gun. When his actions are different that his speeches, and he uses such a membership to hide behind, I have a serious problem with it.
If facts get in the way of what you believe to be true about someone, perhaps your perception of that person is wrong. As a lifelong conservative Republican, I cannot support someone who has been provably anti-gun for over 20 years. I cannot support someone who has failed massively in the primary responsibility of their job – running the jail he was elected to fix. I also cannot ignore the multiple felonies committed THIS YEAR by his department in the construction of signs for his campaign on county property. That’s what you want to vote for?
Update – Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Alliance endorses Darrell Sorrels for OK County Sheriff.
http://ok2a.org/
The Gun Owners of America endorses Darrell Sorrels for Oklahoma County Sheriff.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/111868034/Larry-Pratt-GOA-Endorses-Darrell-Sorrels-for-OK-County-Sheriff-2012
So let me get this straight, Whetsel got an award in 1998 for cleaning up the Sheriff’s Office and jail…and has spent the last four years cleaning up the jail that he has run since 1997. I wonder if he will get another award for that?