David Clarke Could Lose His Graduate Degree if He Doesn't Revise His Thesis, CNN Reports

Though it's a drop in the bucketcompared to his reckless rhetoric and the four deaths that occurredunder his watch at the Milwaukee County Jail, one of the odderblotches on former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke's record isthe allegation that he plagiarized portions of his 2013 master'sthesis for the Naval Postgraduate School, "Making U.S. securityand privacy rights compatible.”

According to a CNN report in May, Clarke lifted language wholesale for that thesis from avariety of sources, including the 9/11 Commission Report, theWashington Post and even former President George W. Bush's bookDecision Points. Because in part because of the baggage surroundinghim, Clarke was denied a position at the U.S. Department of HomelandSecurity this spring.

It seems that the Naval PostgraduateSchool has taken those plagiarism allegations seriously. In a newreport published this afternoon, CNN KFile writes that Clarke mustrevise his master's thesis or risk losing his security studiesdegree. Citing records obtained by a Freedom of Information Actrequest, CNN reports, “The Naval Postgraduate School's dean ofstudents, Cdr. Paul Rasmussen, wrote in a July letterto Clarke obtained by KFile that he concurred with a finding of an'Honor Code Board' that the thesis was 'in violation' of the school'shonor code.” The letter reportedly informed Clarke that he had 100days (until Oct. 23) to resubmit his thesis, though it also offeredhim an extension of 100 days should he request it.

It's been a roller-coaster year for Clarke. Last month Clarke resigned assheriff and announced he was accepting a position at the pro-Trumpsuper PAC American First Action. Reports later emerged that Clarkehad been in consideration for an official position in the Trumpadministration, but was denied it because of the objections of WhiteHouse Chief of Staff John Kelly.

“Kelly’s position as chief ofstaff made the arrangement a 'non-starter,' as one senior White Houseofficial put it,” as the Daily Beast reported. “Earlier thisyear, while serving as DHS Secretary, Kelly had informed Clarke thatan appointment to that department would not happen in part due toscandal surrounding the treatment of inmates in Clarke’s jail, andthe ensuing negative media attention.”