‘This abuse cost me my job’: Former Clay County sheriff Darryl Daniels speaks out after acquittal
Former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels is speaking out after he was acquitted on all charges on Thursday evening.
Daniels was facing charges stemming from an investigation that began after an encounter between Daniels and his former mistress Cierra Smith in May 2019.
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That incident involved Daniels calling deputies to report a suspicious vehicle after Smith followed his truck.
Smith was arrested for stalking Daniels but was released without being booked into jail or formally charged.
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The state accused Daniels of destroying evidence and lying to law enforcement after Smith’s arrest to inhibit an Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation, but the defense argued Daniels was only trying to hide the details of his affair from his wife.
Daniels released a statement on Friday morning, saying in part that he has had to endure “abuse and overreach” for the past three years.
Comparing what he went through with the FBI’s raid of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, he said “this type of government outreach has to stop.”
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Here is Daniels’ full statement:
“I would like to thank the jury for their service and thank all of the people of Florida for their support during this challenging time for me and for my family. The abuse and overreach that I have had to endure over the past three years is an example of what happens when sectors of our government go unchecked. If this abuse of power by government entities can happen to a duly elected sheriff, then it can happen to anyone. I pledge to all Floridians and people from across the country who offered their support during these trying times, that I will continue to fight for them to ensure that we all receive equal justice under the law. This abuse cost me my job that I loved and it cost Clay County their sheriff. Similar to what we are seeing happen to former President Donald Trump and now with the Biden Administration working to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to harass and abuse Americans across the country, this type of government overreach has to stop. I look forward to identifying ways to continue to serve the people and working to ensure that the government works for them and not to persecute them.”
Darryl Daniels, former Clay County Sheriff
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