Former Sheriff David Clarke joins pro-Trump PAC

Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke (D), who resigned from his law enforcement post last week, is joining a leading pro-Trump political action committee, the PAC announced Tuesday.

America First Action praised the former sheriff’s career in law enforcement in a statement announcing his new role as its senior advisor and spokesman.

“David Clarke is an American patriot, and we are very proud to welcome him to America First,” the group’s president, Brian O. Walsh, said.

{mosads}“Having spent a lifetime in law enforcement — protecting and serving his community and fighting for justice and the Second Amendment — Sheriff Clarke doesn’t just believe in making America safe again; he’s devoted his life to it.”

Clarke resigned last week after months of speculation that he may join the Trump administration. In May, Clarke said he had accepted a job in the Department of Homeland Security but reportedly retracted his acceptance of the position in June.

“It’s truly an honor to join the America First Action team, most importantly because we share the same values that most hard-working, law-abiding Americans do,” Clarke said in a statement announcing his new job.

“It gives me the chance to do what I love most — promote President Trump’s agenda, including his fierce support for the American law enforcement officer, and ensure that the will of the American people who got President Trump elected is not derailed by the left or the self-serving Washington establishment.”

Clarke has faced criticism for a series of deaths in the Milwaukee jail he oversaw, as well as allegations of plagiarism.

Clarke was an outspoken supporter of Trump as a candidate, including speaking last summer at the Republican National Convention.

Trump last month tweeted support for Clarke’s book, saying he “highly recommended” it.