A candidate who wants to be the next sheriff of St. Louis says that he’s filed an ethics complaint against the current sheriff, accusing him of engaging in "illegal practices" to raise money for his reelection campaign.
Former deputy and current candidate Alfred Montgomery says in his complaint against Sheriff Vernon Betts that Betts has forced deputies in his office to contribute money or in-kind donations to the campaign.
"He has even gone so far as to hold roll calls during work hours, pressuring and threatening his deputies to donate or face consequences," Montgomery writes in his complaint, a copy of which he shared with the RFT.
Montgomery says in his complaint that Betts is violating a state law relating to "discrimination or intimidation relating to elections" and asks the Missouri Ethics Commission to initiate an investigation. The complaint does not include direct testimony or sworn statements from any sheriff’s employees.
Betts says the allegation is nonsense.
"The term I use is 'psychotic,'" Betts says, describing Montgomery. "When you try to come up with stuff or you dream up stuff, or you do stuff that's not true. I think he's psychotic."
Betts added later he thinks Montgomery needs to see a "specialist."
Betts says that the support he enjoys from his deputies is initiated by them, citing as evidence a fundraiser hosted by "Deputies for Vernon Betts" that occurred Tuesday night. Betts also tells the RFT that he's worked to help get legislation passed that would give his deputies a raise.
"I'm not spending my time threatening my employees. I spend my time trying to get my employees paid," he says.
Betts says that his own campaign is running strong and that two mornings a week he works the phones from an office in south city, calling law firms and other potential donors to raise money.
Betts adds, "Everywhere I go to talk all over St. Louis, people end up saying you ought to run for mayor."
Betts says he's heard talk of the sheriff's race turning into a three-way affair. Courthouse scuttle has that at a recent Peace Officer Standards and Training class, Corrections Commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah talked about throwing her own hat in the ring.
"I understand that the jail lady popped into our POST class here a few weeks ago and announced that she was going to run for sheriff," Betts says. "I don't know if she was just out of her mind or playing or what."
The RFT reached out to the Department of Public Safety asking about Clemons-Abdullah's plans. In response, spokesman Monte Chambers said only, "We are not aware of this comment or an action of this nature."
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