Last week, just prior to Tuesday’s Primary Election, anonymous text messages were sent to citizens of the county threatening supporters of incumbent Sheriff Scottie Ward.
Some of the text messages, apparently intended to intimate supporters of Sheriff Ward, said, “Those who vote for Scottie Ward this election will be shot dead.” While some of the message senders posed as Ward, saying, “Hello, I’m Scottie Ward and Adolf Hitler is my savior,” according to a report by WBKO.com. Some of the messages use repulsive language in saying that Sheriff Ward “hates” and “will kill” minorities.
Other messages attacked Sheriff Ward’s credibility, claiming he embezzles public funds, as one citizen left a Facebook comment on Sheriff Ward’s personal Facebook page with a message she said she received. It reads, “Scottie Ward has been known to frequently embezzle and squander Morgantown’s pool of tax dollars. Vote him out.”
Sheriff Ward, who has been in office since January 2011, and also served as a Kentucky State Police Trooper, said authorities are not sure how many people received the messages, but that his office has received many complaints.
As part of its investigation, the BCSO is ordering subpoenas for “the IP address and phone records” hoping that information leads to the suspect, according to the WBKO.com report.
If caught, the suspect or suspects will likely face felony charges, and possibly be charged with violating election laws.
Sheriff Ward, a Republican, won the Primary Election and will not face a challenger in November.
(Photo: Butler Co. Sheriff Scottie Ward, courtesy of the Beech Tree News)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
