Did Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson encourage his deputies to support a political agenda?
Did Johnson, further authorize the expenditure of county assets to forward his political agenda?
Updated October 18, 2011
"We have, I fear, confused power with greatness."- Stewart Udall
Recently, VolusiaExposed.Com received the below 2008 emails from Volusia Sheriff Ben Johnson (or his office) to the entire Volusia County Sheriff Department staff.
Sheriff Johnson sent these emails to his staff to gain their support in securing the Deltona City Commission's support of continuing the VCSO law enforcement contract.
Is Sheriff Johnson's support of any political agenda, in his official capacity, ethically appropriate or legal?
We ask you to review the following, and determine for yourself:
VolusiaExposed.Com contacted the Volusia County Sheriff Department via their Public Information Officer, Gary Davidson. We sent Mr. Davidson the below email. Within this email we asked him to first confirm the authenticity of the emails, and then to comment on whether Sheriff Johnson felt comfortable requesting his staff's assistance in forwarding his political agenda with the expenditure of county tax dollars?
Within the below email, Mr. Davidson not only authenticates the 2008 emails, he articulates the VCSO position that given the importance of the Deltona police department referendum on the operations of the VCSO that the 2008 emails and apparently the expenditure of county tax dollars were appropriate.
While we appreciate Sheriff Johnson's position that the Deltona police department referendum had some serious ramifications to the VCSO. We are left wondering - would Sheriff Johnson also employ that same rationale if or when he should send some emails to his staff asking for their support in his re-election? We would imagine that the selection of a sheriff has serious ramifications to the operations of the VCSO.