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Federal authorities investigate New York sheriff who flew pro-Trump flag while on patrol
The Blaze ^ | March 14, 2021 | Chris Enloe

Posted on 03/14/2021 3:15:59 PM PDT by Twotone

Federal investigators issued an official warning to a New York sheriff after a complaint was lodged against him for flying a pro-Trump flag on his patrol boat last summer.

What happened? While patrolling Oneida Lake during a "Flotilla for Trump" rally last August, Oswego County Sheriff Don Hilton said he proceeded to fly a "Making America Great Again" flag that a rally participant gave him, Syracuse.com reported.

Hilton later admitted he permitted the flag, which had Donald Trump's image emblazoned on it, to be flown from the government-owned patrol boat because Trump "has supported law enforcement at a time when many groups are unjustly vilifying our profession."

The incident polarized Oswego County, and many residents publicly spoke out against Hilton.

What did the federal investigator say? The complaint alleged Hilton had violated the Hatch Act by flying the pro-Trump flag.

More from the Palladium-Times:

The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939 that limits certain political activities of federal employees, in addition to some state and local government employees who work in connection with federally funded programs, according to [the U.S. Office of Special Counsel]. The Hatch Act is aimed at protecting the public workforce from partisan political influence and ensuring the nonpartisan administration of laws.

The OSC said Hilton and the Oswego County Sheriff's Office are subject to the Hatch Act because the department receives federal funding for certain activities and is therefore covered by the law.

(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: doj; donhilton; fbi; hatchact; investigation; newyork; oswegocounty; trump
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1 posted on 03/14/2021 3:15:59 PM PDT by Twotone
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To: Twotone

Be careful, everyone. Big Brother is watching you.


2 posted on 03/14/2021 3:17:54 PM PDT by Savage Beast (Dhritarashtra reigns! Duryodhana and Duhshasa rule! Truth-seekers be damned!)
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To: Twotone

Sheriffs can’t show support for the {actual} President?


3 posted on 03/14/2021 3:17:54 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: Twotone

But if he were flying a blm or antifa flag then you best ask no questions


4 posted on 03/14/2021 3:19:18 PM PDT by Smellin Salt
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To: Twotone

because the department receives federal funding for certain activities and is therefore covered by the law.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
As idiotic as it may seem etc etc etc....

You can imagine the furor if a BLM or Rainbow etc had been flown BUT no one probably would have made an ‘official complaint’ lest they be looked upon as bigots etc.

Sort of comes under the old

“I don’t care if you are 40, live in my house RENT FREE and you will follow MY rules”....


5 posted on 03/14/2021 3:20:05 PM PDT by xrmusn (6/98 "Message to GOP "GO FUnd YOURSELF")
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To: Twotone

The sheriff is not a federal employee!


6 posted on 03/14/2021 3:23:48 PM PDT by elpadre
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To: Twotone

A Trump Flag Exemption should be passed to protect government employees that fly the Trump Flag.


7 posted on 03/14/2021 3:26:47 PM PDT by Meatspace
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To: Twotone

Frankly, if he flew a Biden sign, I wouldn’t like it, but I would
deem Biden to be the president and therefore someone the sheriff
should respect.

Every post office in the land used to have the sitting president’s
portrait hanging on the wall.

Should every local postmaster be arrested?

This event was nothing more than voicing support for the
sitting president.

The authorities should rethink this silliness and back off.


8 posted on 03/14/2021 3:27:40 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (The Republican Party is dead. Long live the Founders Party.)
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To: Twotone

I would suggest this act of going after the local sheriff to
be a bigger political action that the sheriff displayed.

Hatch Act their asses.


9 posted on 03/14/2021 3:28:49 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (The Republican Party is dead. Long live the Founders Party.)
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To: Twotone

Each election cycle local dignitaries support the federal level
candidates. Are they all serious law breakers for voicing their
support in public? Of course not.

They endorse locals, state level, and federal candidates.

Telling them they can’t, is a abridgement of their Constitutional
rights, not that that would matter to these federal political
hacks.


10 posted on 03/14/2021 3:33:09 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (The Republican Party is dead. Long live the Founders Party.)
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To: All

First of all, A County Sheriff is not a “federal worker”.

Second of all, After all of the actual violations of the Hatch Act that have taken place over the last four and a half years, and have actually damaged the nation, yet gone unremarked upon by these expletives who run the OSC, they are worried about what some county Sheriff did that had no effect upon the nation, just ‘triggered’ some biden loving snowflakes in Oswego County???

Their excuse: The sheriff’s department got some grant money from the feds..

WELL, LET HIS BE A LESSON TO EVERY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTRY:
DON’T TAKE ANYTHING FROM THE FEDS.

I told my County Sheriff years ago, not to take anything from the Feds. If they actually need anything that the county budget can’t cover, I and Constitution loving patriots like me will take up a collection.


11 posted on 03/14/2021 3:46:07 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: LegendHasIt

Are they going after the FBI wimps who knelt for the blm idiots?


12 posted on 03/14/2021 3:49:16 PM PDT by Glennb51
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To: Twotone

I don’t think the Feds have any business in the Sheriff’s business.


13 posted on 03/14/2021 3:50:33 PM PDT by Dalberg-Acton
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To: Dalberg-Acton

everyone who recieves federal money is subject to the hatch act... like say teachers....

yeah right


14 posted on 03/14/2021 4:08:28 PM PDT by orionrising
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To: Twotone

If the Sherrif had flown the American flag, he would still be labeled a racist.

If federally funded Democratic mayor’s (of federally funded cities), congressman, council members, and even AG’s like K Ellison up in Minnesota, can be strong financial and material proponents and enablers of BLM-Antifa-Sunrise, or the mayor of a Federal jurisdiction like DC has a large yellow BLM painted over an entire street in front of the FBI —

If we are going after this sherrif, can we at least go after every blatantly guilty Crat...!


15 posted on 03/14/2021 4:15:57 PM PDT by patriotfury ((May the fleas of a thousand camels occupy mo' ham mads tents!) )
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To: orionrising

That is the Feds philosophy is if you take the Kings coin , you do the King’s bidding.


16 posted on 03/14/2021 4:21:50 PM PDT by sport
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To: Twotone

And not one worthless GOP Senator or Representative will utter a word of protest.


17 posted on 03/14/2021 4:29:21 PM PDT by Artcore
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To: Twotone

Hmmm, an interesting legal “fine line”.

I understand that the Hatch act applies to those that receive some or all of their salary from the federal government. I understand that the Sheriff may have some duties that he executes with the feds, but does part of his salary come from the feds?

Further, if found in violation, since the Sheriff is an elected official, wouldn’t the penalty be the loss of the portion of salary provided by the feds?


18 posted on 03/14/2021 4:30:26 PM PDT by taxcontrol (You are entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong it is.)
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https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3942039/posts


19 posted on 03/14/2021 4:34:06 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Savage Beast

Big brother can go proverbially suck down a 10# bag of Haribo sugar free bears and blow it out his ass.


20 posted on 03/14/2021 4:49:21 PM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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