Ex-Sheriff Clarke rails against ‘lib media’ after reports on past FBI investigation

Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. railed against the media on Saturday, saying that recent reports about being under an FBI investigation are “designed to silence” him.

“I am UNINTIMIDATED by lib media attempts to smear and discredit me with their FAKE NEWS reports designed to silence me. I will continue to poke them in the eye with a sharp stick and bitch slap these scum bags til they get it. I have been attacked by better people than them,” the former sheriff tweeted with President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hashtag.

He continued later with a second tweet saying that the “fake news” media is trying to smear him. The tweet included a photo of a wrestling match that had been photoshopped to show Clarke kicking a man with the CNN logo on his face who was being held by President Trump. 

“BREAKING NEWS! When LYING LIB MEDIA makes up FAKE NEWS to smear me, the ANTIDOTE is go right at them. Punch them in the nose & MAKE THEM TASTE THEIR OWN BLOOD. Nothing gets a bully like LYING LIB MEDIA’S attention better than to give them a taste of their own blood,” he tweeted with the photo.

I am UNINTIMIDATED by lib media attempts to smear and discredit me with their FAKE NEWS reports designed to silence me. I will continue to poke them in the eye with a sharp stick and bitch slap these scum bags til they get it. I have been attacked by better people than them #MAGA pic.twitter.com/XtZW5PdU2b

— David A. Clarke, Jr. (@SheriffClarke) December 30, 2017 

BREAKING NEWS! When LYING LIB MEDIA makes up FAKE NEWS to smear me, the ANTIDOTE is go right at them. Punch them in the nose & MAKE THEM TASTE THEIR OWN BLOOD. Nothing gets a bully like LYING LIB MEDIA’S attention better than to give them a taste of their own blood #neverbackdown pic.twitter.com/T2NY2psHCR

— David A. Clarke, Jr. (@SheriffClarke) December 30, 2017

Clarke earlier Saturday denied reports that he was under FBI investigation after several news outlets reported on a March search warrant that had been filed targeting Clarke’s personal email address.

Multiple news outlets reported Friday on the unsealing of the application for a search warrant in the case, which detailed the complaint from a man, Daniel Black, against Clarke, including Black’s accusation that Clarke ordered him illegally detained for hours for shaking his head at him. 

The application shows that a Milwaukee County investigation found it to be “credible” that Clarke was “in excess of his lawful authority to direct his deputies to stop and question Black without legal justification.”

It is also unclear to which news outlets Clarke is referring, as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Huffington Post, the Washington Examiner and other media outlets reported the news while noting the criminal case is not active.

In his complaint, Black argues that any sheriff would have reasonably known that political opinions are not a valid reason to take someone for questioning.

John Bowden contributed to this report.