Controversial Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke announced that he is resigning from office, effective tonight at 11:59 p.m. In his brief resignation letter, Clarke didn't give any indication as to why he was stepping down, but conservative talk radio host Mark Belling, who broke the news this afternoon, said Clarke has accepted a new job.
"Clarke tells me he is accepting a new position which will be announced next week," Belling posted. "He’s not disclosing what it is but I can tell you that it is not in government and will give Clarke the latitude to continue to speak out on the causes he is passionate about."
Of course, this wouldn't be the first time this year that Clarke announced he's accepted a new position. A prominent Trump supporter, this spring he said he was offered a job at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a claim that neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security ever confirmed. In June he said he would not take that job. It's possible the bad headlines surrounding Clarke, including an investigation into the dehydration death of an inmate at the Milwaukee County Jail, may have made him too toxic even for the Trump administration.
It will now be up to Gov. Scott Walker to appoint Clarke's replacement, who would hold the position until the next election for the office in 2018.
Meanwhile, for his final few hours in office, Clarke stayed on brand, doing what he does best: tweeting pictures of himself in a cowboy hat.
We'll have more information as it's available.
UPDATE 6:08 p.m.: Well it looks like there's no such thing as "too toxic" for the Trump administration. Politico is now reporting that Clarke is "expected to take a job in the Trump administration, according to two sources familiar with the matter." It's unclear what that position would be, but, the reporters note, "Clarke likely won’t be offered a Senate-confirmed role because his nomination would face opposition from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle."
