Spartanburg sheriff candidates offer views on diversity hiring, ICE enforcement
On July 15, they took the stage at C.C. Woodson Community Center for an event hosted by the Spartanburg NAACP.
All nine candidates in the Republican primary, which will decide the election since no Democrats are running, were in attendance: Nick Duncan, Rusty Clevenger, Adam Crisp, Ric Stephens, Bill Rhyne, Robert Cheeks, Andy Clark, Randy Hollifield, and Joseph Pilato. Clevenger arrived late because of a prior speaking commitment.
They are running to replace former Sheriff Chuck Wright, who resigned in May amid controversy and investigations by the FBI and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
The forum covered much of the same ground that candidates discussed at a July 11 event sponsored by the Spartanburg County Republican Party.
Key themes included pay for deputies, staff morale, transparency and accountability, community relationships, and overcrowding at the Spartanburg County Detention Center.
Candidates differ on the question about diversity
The NAACP forum also provided some new insights.
Candidates were asked about their views on hiring a diverse staff that reflects the county's demographic makeup. Most stressed that they would hire and promote officers based on merit.
Duncan said he believes diversity can be 'beneficial' in a law enforcement agency, but said, 'I would make sure officers are qualified, not hired just because of their race.'
Crisp said it's important for deputies to relate to diverse communities within the county, but that he wouldn't hire officers 'because of the color of their skin. That stuff is over.'
Pilato gave the example of a patient undergoing surgery. 'You'd want the best surgeon,' he said. 'You don't want it to be a DEI situation.'
Rhyne added that if he becomes sheriff, hiring will be based 'solely on merit and qualifications.'
Cheeks offered a different perspective. He previously served as supervisor of the sheriff's office's gang unit. He said that in working with young people who are in or have been affected by gangs, 'sometimes having an officer who looks like you can matter.'
Clark and Clevenger each stated that they would work to build a team that reflects the county's increasingly diverse population.
'The sheriff's office should look like the community,' Clark said.
Stephens added, 'I will build up staff numbers with other ethnic groups. And I'll try to go into those communities to do it.'
Former police chief Tony Fisher offers perspective
Former City of Spartanburg Police Chief Tony Fisher was in the audience at C.C. Woodson.
Fisher, who is Black, was intrigued by the discussion of diversity in law enforcement. He said it's not a matter of hiring officers simply because of the color of their skin – it's that a diverse staff can build relationships throughout the community and ultimately be more effective.
Fisher said a law enforcement agency lacking diversity is comparable to 'a bank that wants to make loans in a Hispanic community but none of the loan officers know Spanish.'
Fisher, who served as police chief from 1995 to 2022, said he might endorse a candidate but was not yet ready to do so.
'I think all the candidates expressed sincerity in wanting to work with the community,' he said.
He added that he hopes voters will consider the candidates' 'experience in a leadership role' and assess their ability to 'organize a team in a major event.'
Candidates say why their experience matters
The candidates touted their resumes as they made their case for the county's top law enforcement role.
Duncan discussed his years working for the sheriff's office and his willingness to take on Wright in the 2024 Republican primary.
Crisp also worked as a sheriff's deputy. He now serves on the Lyman Town Council and touted his leadership in pushing through a pay increase for Lyman's police officers.
Pilato urged voters to consider his perspective as an outsider. He served in law enforcement in Texas and Florida before joining the City of Spartanburg Police Department.
Stephens has experience working in Europe as an organized crime investigator. He said he has 'no friends' in the sheriff's office and promised to bring an end to what he described as 'this good ol' boy mess going on.'
Rhyne worked as a sheriff's deputy before joining the South Carolina Highway Patrol, where he led statewide public information and community relations efforts.
Hollifield went to work in the sheriff's office in 1982. He served in various leadership positions, including as a member of the command staff at the Spartanburg County Detention Center.
Clevenger currently serves as the Spartanburg County Coroner. He was first elected to the position in 2008. He previously worked as a sheriff's deputy.
Cheeks has been in law enforcement since 2010. He recently served as 1st Lieutenant over the Uniform Patrol Division with the sheriff's office.
Clark has served in both the sheriff's office and the City of Spartanburg Police Department. He pointed to his experience working in urban neighborhoods surrounding the C.C. Woodson Center.
Candidates discuss immigration enforcement
As in the Republican Party-sponsored debate, the topic of immigration and ICE was discussed.
While candidates' promises to support the work of ICE were applauded at the GOP event, the July 15 audience was less enthusiastic.
'As far as partnering with ICE – yes, we're going to partner a thousand percent,' Crisp said, drawing jeers from some in attendance.
ICE has drawn criticism for what some Americans view as overly aggressive tactics in support of President Trump's plans for mass deportation of illegal immigrants.
'The media has been sensationalizing a lot of things taking place,' Rhyne said. He believes most ICE activity has been aimed at 'getting illegal aliens who are posing a direct threat. We have to make sure we are protecting people.'
Cheeks said he would partner with ICE on illegal immigration crackdowns but would work to ensure that 'we afford everybody the opportunity for due process.'
Stephens said he'd support ICE in targeting illegal immigrants but that he would review the agency's work if Spartanburg County residents were arrested.
He said it's not uncommon for immigrants here legally to have trouble producing the correct paperwork at a moment's notice. There can be mix-ups on the part of enforcement officers.
'Please don't think they don't make mistakes,' Stephens said.
Primary later this summer
The Republican Party primary will be held on August 5. If necessary, a runoff will take place on August 19.
There will also be a Republican primary to nominate a candidate for Spartanburg County Council District 3, which became open in May after longtime council member David Britt took a position with the state Public Service Commission.
The winner of the Republican nomination for County Council will face Democrat Kathryn Harvey, a Spartanburg native and businesswoman, and Sarah Gonzalez, of the Forward Party.
A special election is set for November 4.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg sheriff candidates offer views on diversity hiring, ICE
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
9 minutes ago
- New York Times
Republicans on Senate Panel Vote to Advance Bove's Nomination After Democrats Storm Out
A Senate committee voted on Thursday to advance the nomination of Emil Bove III, the Justice Department enforcer who oversaw dozens of firings and the dismissal of bribery charges against Mayor Eric Adams of New York, to a lifetime post as a federal judge. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the nomination after Democrats stormed out in protest when the panel's chairman, Senator Charles E. Grassley, called the roll before every Democrat on the committee had a chance to air their objections. 'Sir, this lacks decency,' said Senator Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, his voice raised and visibly agitated. 'It lacks decorum. It shows that you do not want to simply hear from your colleagues. This is absolutely wrong!' Mr. Grassley ignored him and plowed on. In a voice vote, committee Republicans voted to confirm Mr. Bove, 44, to a lifetime appointment on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which encompasses Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The vote was a prelude for what is expected to be an even more intense battle on the Senate floor over a nominee seen by his many critics of the embodiment of the administration's obliteration of institutional safeguards intended to shield the department from White House interference. Mr. Bove is more likely than not to be confirmed, barring any new developments that will sway several Republican senators to reject a lifetime judicial appointment for a taciturn and unyielding former Manhattan federal prosecutor who swiftly rose to prominence after serving on Mr. Trump's criminal defense team.
Los Angeles Times
10 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Senate passes $9 billion in spending cuts to public broadcasting, foreign aid requested by Trump
WASHINGTON — The Senate has passed about $9 billion in federal spending cuts requested by President Trump, including deep reductions to public broadcasting and foreign aid, moving forward on one of the president's top priorities despite concerns from several Republican senators. The legislation, which now moves to the House, would have a tiny impact on the nation's rising debt but could have major ramifications for the targeted spending, from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to U.S. food aid programs abroad. It also could complicate efforts to pass additional spending bills this year, as Democrats and even some Republicans have argued they are ceding congressional spending powers to Trump with little idea of how the White House Office of Management and Budget would apply the cuts. The 51-48 vote came after 2 a.m. Thursday after Democrats sought to remove many of the proposed rescissions during 12 hours of amendment votes. None of the Democratic amendments were adopted. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Republicans were using the president's rescissions request to target wasteful spending. He said it is a 'small but important step for fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue.' But Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the bill 'has a big problem — nobody really knows what program reductions are in it.' Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joined Democrats in voting against the legislation. Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former Republican leader, had voted against moving forward with the bill in a Tuesday procedural vote, saying he was concerned the Trump White House wanted a 'blank check,' but he ultimately voted for final passage. The effort to claw back a sliver of federal spending comes after Republicans also muscled Trump's big tax and spending cut bill to approval without any Democratic support. The Congressional Budget Office has projected that measure will increase future federal deficits by about $3.3 trillion over the coming decade. Lawmakers clash over cuts to public radio and TV stations Along with Democrats, Collins and Murkowski both expressed concerns about the cuts to public broadcasting, saying they could affect important rural stations in their states. Murkowski said in a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday that the stations are 'not just your news — it is your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.' Less than a day later, as the Senate debated the bill, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the remote Alaska Peninsula, triggering tsunami warnings on local public broadcasting stations that advised people to get to higher ground. The situation is 'a reminder that when we hear people rant about how public broadcasting is nothing more than this radical, liberal effort to pollute people's minds, I think they need to look at what some of the basic services are to communities,' Murkowski said. The legislation would claw back nearly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which represents the full amount it's due to receive during the next two budget years. The corporation distributes more than 70% of the money to more than 1,500 locally operated public television and radio stations, with much of the remainder assigned to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service to support national programming. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he secured a deal from the White House that some funding administered by the Interior Department would be repurposed to subsidize Native American public radio stations in about a dozen states. But Kate Riley, president and CEO of America's Public Television Stations, a network of locally owned and operated stations, said that deal was 'at best a short-term, half-measure that will still result in cuts and reduced service at the stations it purports to save, while leaving behind all other stations, including many that serve Native populations.' Slashing billions of dollars from foreign aid The legislation would also claw back about $8 billion in foreign aid spending. Among the cuts are $800 million for a program that provides emergency shelter, water and sanitation and family reunification for those who flee their own countries and $496 million to provide food, water and health care for countries hit by natural disasters and conflicts. There also is a $4.15 billion cut for programs that aim to boost economies and democratic institutions in developing nations. Democrats argued the Trump administration's animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America's standing in the world and create a vacuum for China to fill. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said the amount of money it takes to save a starving child or prevent the transmission of disease is miniscule, even as the investments secure cooperation with the U.S. on other issues. The cuts being made to foreign aid programs through Trump's Department of Government Efficiency were having life-and-death consequences around the world, he said. 'People are dying right now, not in spite of us but because of us,' Schatz said. 'We are causing death.' After objections from several Republicans, GOP leaders took out a $400 million cut to PEPFAR, a politically popular program to combat HIV/AIDS that is credited with saving millions of lives since its creation under then-President George W. Bush. Looking ahead to future spending fights Democrats say the bill upends a legislative process that typically requires lawmakers from both parties to work together to fund the nation's priorities. Triggered by the official recissions request from the White House, the legislation only needs a simple majority vote instead of the 60 votes usually required to break a filibuster, meaning Republicans can use their 53-47 majority to pass it along party lines. The Trump administration is promising more rescission packages to come if the first effort is successful. But some Republicans who supported the bill indicated they might be wary of doing so again. 'Let's not make a habit of this,' said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, who voted for the bill but said he was wary that the White House wasn't providing enough information on what exactly will be cut. Wicker said there are members 'who are very concerned, as I am, about this process.' North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis echoed similar concerns and said Republicans will need to work with Democrats to keep the government running later in the year. 'The only way to fund the government is to get at least seven Democrats to vote with us at the end of September or we could go into a shutdown,' Tillis said. Republicans face a Friday deadline Collins attempted to negotiate a last minute change to the package that would have reduced the cuts by about $2.5 billion and restored some of the public broadcasting and global health dollars, but she abandoned the effort after she didn't have enough backing from her Republican colleagues in the Senate and the House. The House has already shown its support for the president's request with a mostly party line 214-212 vote, but since the Senate amended the bill, it will have to go back to the House for another vote. The bill must be signed into law by midnight Friday for the proposed rescissions to kick in. If Congress doesn't act by then, the spending stands. Freking and Jalonick write for the Associated Press. Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed to this report.
New York Post
10 minutes ago
- New York Post
Dana Bash refuses to read Trump's CNN insult while quoting Truth Social post
CNN anchor Dana Bash refused to read a disparaging reference to her network while quoting a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Trump's Truth Social post said, 'It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions [sic] Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together. Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement.' Bash read the whole thing aloud on 'Inside Politics,' except for the phrase 'which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together.' Instead, she said, 'I'm not even going to read that,' and skipped it. Bash's comments came as the U.S. Senate was set to vote on President Donald Trump's $9 billion rescission package, a bill set to cut over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the government-backed funding arm for NPR and PBS. 8 CNN anchor Dana Bash refused to read a disparaging reference to her network while quoting a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump. CNN 8 Donald Trump's Truth Social post calling to defund PBS and NPR. 8 President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony to sign the 'Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act.' AP Trump has threatened to pull federal funding for NPR and PBS and signed an executive order to slash taxpayer funds for the organizations in May. The president has also repeatedly attacked CNN, saying in February, 'Nobody watches CNN anymore, because they have no credibility.' 8 The president has also repeatedly attacked CNN, saying in February, 'Nobody watches CNN anymore, because they have no credibility.' Getty Images 8 Trump has threatened to pull federal funding for NPR and PBS and signed an executive order to slash taxpayer funds for the organizations in May. AFP via Getty Images Earlier this month, Trump revealed that he and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem were looking into ways to prosecute CNN for its reporting on an app that allows users to track ICE agents. He added the network could face prosecution for 'having given false reports on the attack in Iran,' after it claimed U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities 'did not destroy' the country's nuclear program. Bash has pushed back on Trump in the past on her show as well, addressing some of his comments against CNN on air. 8 Bash has pushed back on Trump in the past on her show as well, addressing some of his comments against CNN on air. Getty Images 8 Senators John Thune and John Barrasso at a press conference. AP 8 Katherine Maher and Paula Kerger testifying at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing. AFP via Getty Images Speaking about border numbers dropping, Trump said in April, 'Well, they get out, but the fake news, like CNN over here, doesn't want to put them out because they don't like putting out good numbers … because I think they hate our country, actually.' 'I just want to say for the record, since we heard President Trump say in the Oval Office that CNN hates our country. CNN does not hate our country. That should go without saying. I've been here for 32 years, and I see a rhetorical device in him trying to — to say such a thing,' Bash said in response.
