Sheriff David Clarke, arguably one of the most controversial figures to emerge in 2017 thus far, recently told media personnel that he has accepted the job of assistant secretary in the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security.
Oddly, however, officials from Trump's staff won't actually say if they offered the 60-year-old a job at all- possibly due to the fact that recent reports indicate he may have plagiarized a large portion of his master's thesis.
Whether he was offered the position or not, the American populace is divided on whether or not to like, support, or even pay attention to the black lawman that calls himself a Democrat but staunchly supports Republican ideas, and seems to stir up controversy at every corner.
Clarke has been in law enforcement for almost 40 years
A native of Milwaukee, reports indicate Clarke entered law enforcement almost 40 years ago, as a beat cop with the Milwaukee Police Department. Following a 24 year stint that saw him "slowly rise through the ranks" and transition from patrolman to lieutenant and later captain of the force, Clarke received a degree in Criminal Justice from Wisconsin's Concordia University. After former Milwaukee County Sheriff Leverett F. Baldwin resigned from the force in 2002, Clarke took over the position and has been at the helm of the county's law enforcement for the past fifteen years.
Much of Clarke's controversy comes from his outspoken political views
Sources claim the controversy surrounding Sheriff Clarke stems primarily from his outspoken (and some say outlandish) political viewpoints. As a black male on the Democratic ticket, Clarke has faced heat for criticizing many inherently liberal groups, policies, and schools of thought.
One such group that has been a target of his criticism is planned parenthood. The sheriff reportedly went on record to suggest that the nonprofit, which provides women with prenatal services that include abortion, be renamed "Planned Genocide." Additionally, the Milwaukee native has taken a strong stand against the Black Lives Matter movement, indicating that the movement is considered a hate group, and suggesting- sans evidence- that the Black Lives Matter collective is willing to "join forces with ISIS in order to destroy American society." He also claims the campaign should be renamed "Black Lies Matter" instead, due to its "deliberate misportrayal" of what he says actually occurs between black people and law enforcement.
In terms of the most recent controversy regarding the sheriff's allegedly plagiarized master's thesis, sources indicate that Clarke adamantly denies the claims.
The White House has yet to comment on whether or not Clarke was ever offered a position in the first place.
