Say what? : Candidate: Sheriff made racial comment
Posted on Thursday, December 6, 2007
BENTONVILLE - The first shot has been fired in next year's Benton County Sheriff's race.
Former sheriff Andy Lee claims current Sheriff Keith Ferguson recently made a racist remark to a Hispanic waiter at Whole Hog Cafe in Bentonville, where a Republican function was taking place. Lee attended the Nov. 20 meeting.
Lee and Rogers police Sgt. Kelly Cradduck have announced their candidacy for the Republican Party's nomination for Benton County sheriff in next year's primary election. Ferguson has announced he will seek re-election.
Lee said Ferguson was discussing the 287 (g ) program - a federal program that allows local officers to enforce federal immigration policies and gives them access to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement computer system - when he made the remark. Lee said Ferguson referred to a Hispanic waiter at the restaurant as being illegal. The waiter's back was to Ferguson, and Lee claims Ferguson then said the waiter could not understand English, and Ferguson then laughed.
"I know he's here legally. … I'm just kidding," Lee claims Ferguson said to the group.
Ferguson said he would not respond to any allegations that Lee e-mailed to or told the media.
Reporters for The Daily Record spoke with other people who attended the meeting. They each gave slightly different versions of what Ferguson said. None of the people contacted wanted to be quoted.
Lee described Ferguson's actions as an attempt to make a racist joke or racially profile the waiter.
"If that's coming from the chief law-enforcement (officer ) in a public meeting, then what type of leadership does he display privately in front of the troops ? "Lee asked.
Lee called Ferguson's remarks hypocritical because Ferguson had previously raised concerns about Rogers police racially profiling people when Rogers Mayor Steve Womack and Rogers Police Chief Steve Helms announced the city's interest in the 287 (g ) program.
Ferguson said he attended the Nov. 20 event - which was attended by 20 to 25 people, mostly politicians - to talk about his office's involvement in the 287 (g ) program, and to tell how many illegal aliens the BCSO had processed through the program.
Trey Crawford, the managing partner of the restaurant, on Wednesday said Ferguson returned to the restaurant last week and made him aware of the incident. Crawford and Ferguson talked with the employee, who did not hear the remarks, Crawford said.
"The sheriff said he did not mean any harm, and the employee did not take any offense," Crawford said.
Ferguson said he would be happy to debate Lee on specific issues, but he was not "going to get in the mud"to win re-election.
"If I start answering or responding to e-mails sent to newspapers from people with an ax to grind with me or opponents running for the same office, then it would take up all my time," Ferguson said. "I'm not getting involved in that type of political debate. I'm not going to play his game."
Lee said bringing attention to Ferguson's statements does not equal dirty politics.
"He's the one that stood at a public meeting as an invited guest and made a pathetic, racist joke or profiled a Latino," Lee said. "How that is dirty politics is beyond my understanding. He may think it's dirty politics, but I believe it's a lack of quality leadership."
Ferguson said he is going to run on his own accomplishments. "If (Lee ) wants to run on that, then he doesn't have much to run on," Ferguson said.
Lee said he plans to notify ICE officials, who supervise the 287 (g ) program, of Ferguson's comments.
"I've always claimed (Ferguson ) has poor leadership skills," Lee said.
Cradduck declined to comment on the matter.
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