jagbender
Registered
Colorado sheriff: Dems threatening raises over opposition to gun control
Sheriffs stand in opposition to some gun control measures in Colorado
Credits:
Adam Motter
On Saturday, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa told radio station KVOR that he received an email last week that said Democrats would either stop or stall pay raises for the state?s elected sheriffs if they did not support Colorado?s pending gun control legislation, The Blaze reported Sunday.
"I have not been directly threatened or coerced in any way nor would I tolerate any threat," he wrote on Facebook, but added that a message that was delivered verbally to a representative of the Colorado Sheriff's Association "basically stated that the Senate Dems are very upset with the Colorado Sheriffs opposing the gun legislation proposed by the Senate Democrats."
Colorado sheriff speaks out against Democrat threatsColorado sheriff speaks out against Democrat threats
Maketa said he was ?absolutely outraged by that. Number one, the salary bill for elected officials is a mandate of the legislature. Creating gun control is not a mandate, and in this case, there is no factual basis for it."
In the interview, Maketa said he made it clear the pressure being put on sheriffs borders on extortion and an attempt to influence a public official.
According to Maketa, some sheriffs in the organization suggested a compromise, supporting a proposal that would remove firearms and ammunition from those accused of domestic violence before being convicted.
KVOR's Jeff Crank said the incident should be investigated by the attorney general as a crime.
According to Mike Opelka, elected sheriffs in Colorado have not seen a pay raise in seven years.
Calling the email a "quid pro quo," Maketa said Democrats "are holding the salary of sheriffs hostage to gain compliance with gun control matters."
He also said the gun control measures passed by Democrats will not increase public safety or save lives.
"Rather than create laws that criminalize law abiding citizens or infringe on due process and property rights, we should be targeting criminals," he wrote.
Maketa wrote that the salary increase will not affect him personally since he is being term limited.
"I want to make it clear this is not about me, or any threats made directly toward me; this is about doing what's right and we have many sheriffs around this state standing their ground and defending law abiding citizens," he wrote.
Of the 30 sheriffs that stood against the gun control measures, only one was allowed to speak.
A post at Spotlight on Corruption said the email is being withheld as possible evidence in a potential state or federal investigation.
Video of the interview with Sheriff Maketa can be seen here.
Related:
- Gun control
- March 10, 2013
- By: Joe Newby
- Subscribe
Sheriffs stand in opposition to some gun control measures in Colorado
Credits:
Adam Motter
On Saturday, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa told radio station KVOR that he received an email last week that said Democrats would either stop or stall pay raises for the state?s elected sheriffs if they did not support Colorado?s pending gun control legislation, The Blaze reported Sunday.
"I have not been directly threatened or coerced in any way nor would I tolerate any threat," he wrote on Facebook, but added that a message that was delivered verbally to a representative of the Colorado Sheriff's Association "basically stated that the Senate Dems are very upset with the Colorado Sheriffs opposing the gun legislation proposed by the Senate Democrats."
Colorado sheriff speaks out against Democrat threatsColorado sheriff speaks out against Democrat threats
Maketa said he was ?absolutely outraged by that. Number one, the salary bill for elected officials is a mandate of the legislature. Creating gun control is not a mandate, and in this case, there is no factual basis for it."
In the interview, Maketa said he made it clear the pressure being put on sheriffs borders on extortion and an attempt to influence a public official.
According to Maketa, some sheriffs in the organization suggested a compromise, supporting a proposal that would remove firearms and ammunition from those accused of domestic violence before being convicted.
KVOR's Jeff Crank said the incident should be investigated by the attorney general as a crime.
According to Mike Opelka, elected sheriffs in Colorado have not seen a pay raise in seven years.
Calling the email a "quid pro quo," Maketa said Democrats "are holding the salary of sheriffs hostage to gain compliance with gun control matters."
He also said the gun control measures passed by Democrats will not increase public safety or save lives.
"Rather than create laws that criminalize law abiding citizens or infringe on due process and property rights, we should be targeting criminals," he wrote.
Maketa wrote that the salary increase will not affect him personally since he is being term limited.
"I want to make it clear this is not about me, or any threats made directly toward me; this is about doing what's right and we have many sheriffs around this state standing their ground and defending law abiding citizens," he wrote.
Of the 30 sheriffs that stood against the gun control measures, only one was allowed to speak.
A post at Spotlight on Corruption said the email is being withheld as possible evidence in a potential state or federal investigation.
Video of the interview with Sheriff Maketa can be seen here.
Related:
- Colorado Dem: Vets should not have magazines because 'some' are mentally ill
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein claims it's 'legal to hunt humans' during Senate hearing
- School removes toy soldiers with guns from cupcakes, calls them 'insensitive'
- White House petition calls for Sen. Dianne Feinstein to be tried for treason
- Public schools turning stupid over guns
- Second-grade Maryland boy suspended after chewing pastry into shape of gun
- Washington boy suspended for talking about toy Nerf guns, suspension overturned
- Actor Joseph C. Phillips says teacher threatened son over photo of BB gun
- Philadelphia fifth-grader searched, threatened, called a murderer over paper gun
- Seven-year-old boy suspended for tossing imaginary grenade at recess
- Middle-school student ordered to cover Marine Corps t-shirt or face suspension
- Six-year-old suspended from school for making finger gun, saying ?pow?
- Five-year-old named terrorist threat, suspended after threat to shoot bubbles
- Thousands gather across nation to celebrate ?Gun Appreciation Day?
- Obama uses videos of children begging for gun control in campaign against NRA
- NRA president blames Obama, media for ?hundreds? of death threats
- NRA more popular than President Obama, media silent
- MSNBC?s Martin Bashir compares NRA to Hitler
- Thousands gather across nation for ?Day of Resistance? rallies
- Liberals on Twitter call for murder of NRA members after NRA press conference (Video)
