Thread by @ConnorASheets

Sheriffs across Alabama told me their predecessors took steps after losing 2018 reelection bids that undermined their offices & harmed the public, from destroying public property & wasting funds to pocketing public $. A breakdown of the allegations: 1/X
propublica.org/article/alabam…

Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims says his predecessor, former Sheriff J. Scott Walls, left behind 5 of these govt-issued smartphones w/ holes drilled through them. Hard drives were removed from 2 office computers, and reams of records were missing 2/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

Sims alleges that a 40-pound bag of rice was poured down the drain the weekend before he took office, the last bit of food left in the jail he runs as sheriff. "There was no food" in the jailhouse kitchen" when he took office, Sims said propublica.org/article/alabam… 3/X

Meanwhile, between Dec 2017 and Aug 2018, more than $81k worth of wire transfers were made from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office’s general fund into one of Walls’ personal bank accounts, sheriff's office records show... 4/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

... The records show no other wire transfers from the fund over the period, and two sheriff’s office employees told me they did not know why the disbursements — more than $29k of which took place after Walls lost his reelection bid last yr — were made 5/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

Moving on to Etowah County: I reported last yr that former Sheriff Todd Entrekin (aka the "Beach House Sheriff") personally pocketed $750k worth of funds allocated to feed inmates in his jail, who say the were underfed & served rotten, expired food
6/X al.com/news/birmingha…

But sheriff's office records I obtained earlier this year via public record request reveal that even after Entrekin lost his reelection bid last year, he continued receiving checks for large amounts of jail food funds 7/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

Meanwhile, in Covington County, Sheriff Blake Turman says his predecessor, Dennis Meeks, spent over $6,000 on Frisbees, coloring books & other promotional items emblazoned w/ his name after he lost his reelection bid last year
8/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

Turman said he could have used the discretionary funds Meeks spent on his way out of office to better equip his deputies, who each carry one of a variety of mismatched pistols, many of which require different types of ammunition
9/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

Turman (pictured below) also said he’s been unable to locate about $40,000 from the state to pay for feeding inmates in Dec 2018 & Jan 2019. “I have no idea where it went,” Turman said. “It did not come here though.”

10/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

In Walker County, Sheriff Nick Smith (pictured below) says his predecessor, Jim Underwood, wasted tens of thousands of dollars worth of sheriff's funds on items he considers unnecessary, overpriced & excessive
11/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

Internal records show the sheriff's office spent approximately $162,000 of discretionary funds in the 3 months following Underwood's (pictured below) July electoral loss. That’s $9,000 more than was spent in the 10 previous months. 12/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

In the final weeks of Underwood's term, the sheriff's office bought ~$9k worth of rubber gloves, spent $13,050 to buy a new washing machine and have it delivered to the jail & bought 4 brand-new sheriff’s office vehicles, incl. a $32k+ Toyota Camry. 13/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

Smith said he was able to quickly find the same model of gloves retailing online for $59.99 less per box than Underwood paid, and that he found a similar washing machine for sale online for over $10k less than the outgoing sheriff spent.
14/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

Some of the allegations were more petty: For over 6 weeks, Crenshaw County Sheriff Terry Mears says he didn't have a badge because former Sheriff Mickey Powell had them made for every sheriff's office deputy, but failed to have one made for him. 15/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

And all the sheriffs who I was able to speak with about the allegations denied most of them, often insulting the new sheriffs or offering counter-narratives. 16/X propublica.org/article/alabam…

(Quick clarification: The last tweet above should say "all of the PREVIOUS sheriffs who I was able to speak to") 17/X

But many of the allegations are corroborated by sheriff's office records & other evidence. There are numerous other claims as well, in the main story and in this companion piece, which breaks down some of the most serious ones county-by-county
18/x propublica.org/article/alabam…

For years, the dubious tradition of Alabama sheriffs who lose elections hobbling their successors persisted w/o the public ever catching wind. That's no longer the case, thanks to the support of @propublica's Local Reporting Network & @aldotcom/@reckonalabama. 19/X

@propublica @aldotcom @reckonalabama Thanks for reading. And please subscribe to your local newspaper. 20/20