Sheriff Tom Knight - A pattern of immorality?

[Unregistered]

• Colonel Kurt Hoffman failed a polygraph test about stealing from multiple victims and from multiple employers. After failing the lie detector test, Hoffman fessed up to stealing pornography from a store, a boat from a citizen, and other things from past employers. While working as a reserve law enforcement officer, Hoffman stole gas from the Charlotte Sheriff's Office for use in his personal car (twice). None of this was ever forwarded to FDLE for certification issues. Some (not all) of these things have been documented in the media. Click here to see more. Knight still promoted Hoffman and he is still employed as the second in command at the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office.

• Captain John Walsh was investigated for conduct unbecoming an officer when he was caught by a deputy in the deputy's bed with the deputy's wife. Walsh was subsequently investigated by Internal Affairs (IA), but he lied to the investigator and denied ever being there. He said he had an alibi (Detective Mark Macale) who would vouch for him. Walsh had previously solicited Macale to lie for him, and Macale subsequently lied to the investigator, claiming that Walsh was with him and was never at the deputy's home. Macale eventually cracked under pressure and he told the truth to the investigator - by admitting that he lied as a false alibi for Walsh. When Walsh was re-interviewed, he continued lying until he learned that Macale had told the truth. It was never forwarded to FDLE for certification purposes. The Herald-Tribune newspaper did a story on it, but you can also read about it by clicking here. Knight still promoted Walsh to captain and both Walsh and Macale are still employed at the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office.

• Lieutenant Dan Tutko asked a K-9 deputy to lie during a traffic stop by claiming that the dog "alerted" to drugs during a sniff. That would allow deputies to legally search the car. The deputy refused and he then reported Tutko's request to Knight. No punishment was imposed on Tutko and the reporting-deputy was transferred out of the unit as political retaliation. You can read more about it by clicking here. Knight still promoted Tutko to lieutenant employed at the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office.

Frank Bybee was a rankless deputy who “broke ranks” by suing Knight – so Knight had solid political reasons to go after him – in addition to the fact that Bybee is obviously a hardened criminal. Meanwhile, Knight’s executive staff (aka “promoted perps”) are still un-gainfully employed in Knight’s inner circle on the 2nd floor, making moral or immoral decisions, as it suits their in-house political needs.

Bybee’s gone, but the roots of immorality remain and it starts at the top.

After review the above documented criminal histories of Knight's hand picked captains, is anyone honestly surprised that Frank Bybee lasted for so long under Knight?

Did you expect something different?

If so, then exactly what were you expecting?

[Unregistered]

Politics and conflicts-of-interest inside the Sarasota Sheriff's Office? It all comes from the 2nd floor. Take a close look at Knight and his unholy inner circle and all of your questions will be answered.

As someone else noted, the credibility of Knight is toast. Too many people know what's going on.

[Unregistered]

As someone else noted, the credibility of Knight is toast. Too many people know what's going on.

Riddle me this: have you ever seen the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office in this much political, criminal and moral turmoil? Nope!

[Unregistered]

While employed with the Sarasota Sheriff's Office, a deputy was accused of maintaining a sexual relationship with a woman who paid him more $100,000 in cash and gifts, according to an IA report. The woman detailed her "illicit relationship" with him — including sexual acts, some performed in his patrol car via a phone app. An IA inquiry found enough information to sustain allegations of moral character, conduct unbecoming, conformance with laws and...

http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20...-former-deputy.

Sorry, but just got to say it: Look at the histories of Kurt Hoffman, John Walsh, Ron Locke (Ret.), Kevin McElyea, etc... It starts with Knight's friends. Period.

[Unregistered]

Update to proposed expungement law...

Sheriff Tom Knight was arrested by Venice police officers for disorderly conduct when he got sloppy drunk and angry and emotional about a woman. He subsequently got into a violent fight. It may be old news, but it shows his past (and present) emotional outbursts in public, along with a pattern of immorality. Knight goes from an emotional 0 to 60 in one second when he gets angry. He then leads by fear, intimidation and revenge. He can be equally polite and cordial. He is extreme at both ends. The record of his criminal arrest might now be expunged.

Senator Greg Steube is trying to pass a bill that will make it illegal to post any online reference of the arrest of Sheriff Tom Knight for disorderly conduct by the Venice Police Department.

If Steube's bill passes, then Knight will be able to order leoaffairs (and all other online websites) to remove any online mention of his arrest.

If a website refuses to remove it, then civil fines of $500 per day will take effect against the ISP.

At the moment (2.22.17), it is still legal to discuss and mention Knight's arrest, but if Steube's bill passes, it will be illegal to discuss it online!

If Steube's bill passes, then will it be globally retroactive?

Welcome to Sarasota, Florida, the county of law enforcement's "senior staff misfits" and broken toys!

Here is Steube's proposed expungement bill:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bil...118.pre.ju.PDF

[Unregistered]

This is in reference to Steube's political favor to Knight (in the post above this one). The hotlinks below are clickable (as proof).

Ah this is a very slippery slope. The friendships between Greg Steube and Tom Knight and Karen Rushing and Oralia Rushing (Knight’s executive assistance) go back many years. In Sarasota and Manatee Counties, it’s a small inbred world. How so?

For example, last week Greg Steube was not allowed to enter the Sarasota Clerk of Court building (that’s Karen Rushing’s electoral jurisdiction) because Steube was carrying a pocketknife (even though he is a CCW permit holder). He got pissed off at the SSO deputies who were manning the checkpoint, so he filed a complaint with Knight. Before we look at what Knight did with Steube’s complaint, let’s look at the security checkpoint backstory.

Rushing got Knight to contractually put in a security checkpoint in her building to keep out armed citizens, to include those with CCW permits. Per her policy, SSO deputies refused to allow Steube inside her building with his pocketknife, so he got very angry called Knight to complain and ***POOF*** the SSO deputies manning the security checkpoint vanished. They completely disappeared. ***POOF*** and they were gone. So Rushing had to staff the checkpoint with private security guards who don’t have arrest authority.

Ah but the politics and political backscratching doesn’t end there!

Knight still owes Rushing a political favor because earlier in the year, Rushing donated money (in the form of inventory) to Knight. It just keeps getting deeper. Here’s the backstory on that: Rushing complained to the state legislature that she didn’t have enough money to staff her building, so she petitioned the Florida legislature for more money – and she got it. But then after she got the money, she mysteriously discovered that she had an extra 135k in her budget that was completely unneeded, so she donated it to Knight by purchasing expensive bullet proof vests with it and then donated it all to the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office. So on the surface, it looks like she is being fiscally prudent, but in reality, it’s not. Nonetheless, Knight still pulled deputies out of her building as a favor to Steube – because Steube was mad that a CCW permit holder (himself) was denied access to Rushing’s Clerk of Court building AND because Steube’s political favor is bigger to Knight than Rushing’s political favor to Knight. So what is Steube’s pending favor to Knight?

Steube is going to propose the passage of a new expungement law that will allow Knight to tell any and all websites to remove any mention of when VPD arrested him for disorderly conducted, after he got into a sloppy drunk fight over a woman. However, there are some First Amendment “flawed issues” with Steube’s expungement update. For example, Steube and Knight can order a government to expunge Knight’s arrest, but can they also order citizens, newspapers and private websites to expunge any mention of his arrest? Or is that covered by the First Amendment? Steube is going down a very slippery slope on this issue.

It’s all messy politics and backroom deals – as usual. It appears that Greg Steube and Tom Knight and Karen Rushing and Oralia Rushing (Knight’s executive assistance) are all drinking out of the same piss bucket, together, when the doors are closed and nobody is looking.

[Unregistered]

Rushing got Knight to contractually put in a security checkpoint in her building to keep out armed citizens, to include those with CCW permits. Last week Greg Steube was not allowed to enter the Sarasota Clerk of Court building (that’s Karen Rushing’s electoral jurisdiction) because Steube was carrying a pocketknife (even though he is a CCW permit holder). He got pissed off at the SSO deputies who were manning the checkpoint, so he filed a complaint with Knight.

Look at all the citizen comments below the article:

http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20...wmaker-objects

[Unregistered]

… with Knights history and public reputation.

Consider all the published articles that have already been printed about Knight and his “appointed inner circle.”

Look at all the names of reporters who those publish exposé articles, to include Tom Lyons, Elizabeth Johnson, Lee Williams, Greg Martin and others.

Either all those reporters are liars – or where there is reported smoke, there is actual fire.

At least it’s documented in ink!

Whew!

Only one word describes Knight, each and every time the media prints another nail in his political coffin: disgruntled. lol

[Unregistered]

Consider all the published articles that have already been printed about Knight and his “appointed inner circle.”

Look at all the names of reporters who those publish exposé articles, to include Tom Lyons, Elizabeth Johnson, Lee Williams, Greg Martin and others.

Either all those reporters are liars – or where there is reported smoke, there is actual fire.

At least it’s documented in ink!

Whew!

Only one word describes Knight, each and every time the media prints another nail in his political coffin: disgruntled. lol

You forgot to mention Ms. Shelby Webb from the H-T because she also published one of Mr. Tom Knight's "disgruntled threats." BTW, what happened with Mr. Knight's public threat to "go after" Ms. Caroline Zucker? Was his disgruntled threat administratively flushed?

Knight said he is considering filing an ethics complaint with the state against Caroline Zucker.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20...paign-material

Mr. Knight's disgruntled threat against Ms. Zucker is memorialized in the newspaper. But wait! There's more! You get two legal and political battles, both for the price of one!

Mr. Knight now has a much more important public battle to focus on, such as fighting his newly started war the chief judge of the entire 12th judicial circuit. OMG! Will Senator Greg Steube be able to rescue and awaken Mr. Knight from this ringmaster's knightmare?

Stay tuned!

[Unregistered]

I bet Knight gets a major hard on watching all these cops around the country getting fired. Be careful deps, cause da ***** Knight is watching, oh and stroking off Hoffman !!