Sheriff David Clarke withdraws acceptance of Homeland Security post

(Getty Images)

The Milwaukee County Sheriff that caused a commotion when he said he was up for the job of assistant secretary position at the Department of Homeland Security has withdrawn his name from consideration.

“Late Friday, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. formally notified Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly that he had rescinded his acceptance of the agency’s offer to join DHS as an assistant secretary,” said Craig Peterson, an adviser to Clarke. “Sheriff Clarke is 100 percent committed to the success of President Trump and believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the president’s agenda in a more aggressive role.”

The plan had been for Clarke to begin in his new role at DHS at the end of June but according to a source close to the situation, his appointment had been subject to delays that played a part in contributing to his withdrawal.

— David Clarke, Sheriff Sunken Place, lands job in Trump administration — 

Clarke who gained fame as a vocal supporter of Trump during the presidential campaign is a controversial figure in his own right. Since publicly accepting the job at DHS he has been accused of plagiarism and before that, he had come under fire for the conditions in his jails that left at least one inmate dead.

Clarke met with Trump in Wisconsin on Tuesday and they discussed what other roles Clarke could fill that would support the Trump agenda.

“The sheriff is reviewing options inside and outside of government,” Peterson said. “Sheriff Clarke told Secretary Kelly he is very appreciative of the tremendous opportunity the secretary was offering and expressed his support for the Secretary and the agency.”