Ohio sheriff who called VP Harris a ‘laughing hyena’ is barred from election security

CLEVELAND — An Ohio sheriff’s office will not be allowed to provide security for in-person early voting for the upcoming election following the sheriff’s controversial comments that some considered voter intimidation.

“As Board Members we are charged with preventing violence and disorder at the polls and to conduct a safe and secure election process,” Randi Clites, the chair of the Portage County Board of Elections, said in a statement. “It is clear by public comments in the past week there is perceived intimidation by our sheriff against certain voters.”

The motion to remove the Portage County Sheriff’s Office from the absentee voting election security was passed 3-1, officials said. Amanda Suffecool, the chair of the Portage County Republican Party, was the lone person to vote “No.” The board’s decision stemmed from a September 13 Facebook post by Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski, who used insulting language while referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, McClatchy News reported.

“When people ask me … What’s gonna happen if the Flip–Flopping, Laughing Hyena Wins?? I say … write down all the addresses of the people who had her signs in their yards!” Zuchowski said in the Facebook post on his public accounts. “Sooo … when the Illegal human “Locust” (which she supports!) Need places to live … We’ll already have the addresses of … their New families … who supported their arrival!”