Candidate defends donations to Clarke
Former Milwaukee Police Capt. Earnell Lucas has been sharply critical of Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. in his bid to replace Clarke as the county’s top cop.
But that hasn’t always been the case. Campaign records show that Lucas has made three donations totaling $775 to Clarke’s campaign fund over the years and was listed as a sponsor on a 2009 fundraiser for the sheriff.
Chris Haworth, a campaign adviser to Clarke, said the past campaign contributions suggest that Lucas is just another flip-flopping politician.
“I’ve learned that in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies,” Haworth said. “Lucas proves that.”
“He’s an opportunist and the local liberal Democrat Party is taking advantage of him,” Haworth continued. “He’ll be beholden to them like every other Clarke opponent before him. No one owns Sheriff Clarke.”
But Lucas, a vice president of security with Major League Baseball, said the criticism is unfounded. Instead, he pointed the finger at Clarke, best known for his cowboy hats and incendiary remarks.
“I’m like so many people in Milwaukee County as it relates to the sheriff,” Lucas said via email. “Time has brought a change.”
Records show Lucas gave $275 to Clarke in 2002 and then $250 in 2006 and 2009. Clarke, who runs as a Democrat for political reasons, has been elected four times.
In April, Lucas filed paperwork to run in the Democratic primary for sheriff in August 2018. He made his first public appearance as a candidate on Wednesday at the Milwaukee Press Club.
During an hour-long meeting with the media, Lucas disclosed that he’ll keep his baseball job as he campaigns and would continue to draw his city pension even if elected.
He also declined a request to grade Clarke’s performance, or even criticize the sheriff. Rather, he focused on reordering the priorities of the Sheriff’s Office.
“I’ll be sincere,” he said. “When I entered into this race, I made it clear this was not about a person, it’s not about a party, but it’s about the people of Milwaukee County, and that’s the commitment I intend to bring.”
Lucas said he wouldn’t participate in the 287(g) program that would have deputies carry out immigration duties on behalf of the federal government. Clarke has sought such authority for the Sheriff’s Office.
Since Lucas got in the race earlier this year, Clarke has announced that he plans to take a position as an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
But Homeland Security officials have yet to confirm the appointment. Clarke has also been accused of plagiarism in his master’s thesis, a charge the sheriff has denied but has said might scuttle the Trump administration job.
A handful of civil rights groups have opposed the appointment of Clarke, who is African-American, over his past statements on racial issues and groups such as Black Lives Matter. By comparison, Lucas said Wednesday that Black Lives Matter is “a movement that is certainly about change.”
Also, 55 members of Congress, including Rep. Gwen Moore (DMilwaukee), have pointed to the recent deaths of four people at the Milwaukee County Jail run by Clarke in opposing his selection.
Last month, a jury recommended that prosecutors file felony charges against seven county officials in the death of Terrill Thomas, a 38-year-old inmate who died of dehydration at the jail in April 2016.
It is now up to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm to decide if he believes criminal charges are warranted in the case.