According to this morning's Los Angeles Times, newly reelected Sheriff Mike Carona has “vowed to heal the department torn by scandal and politics.” And, it seems, the healing has already begun, and begun in interesting way, if the goal is to avoid political strife in the department. As the Times reports:
One day after winning reelection in an incendiary campaign battle against one of his lieutenants, Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona placed that lieutenant on paid administrative leave.
Carona declined to comment on Lt. William Hunt's fate, saying it was a personnel matter. But he praised Hunt's pledge to put the heated campaign aside….
Hunt, who got about half as many votes as his boss, said he was due back Wednesday after taking a month off to campaign, and was caught off-guard by the action.
“The only reason I was given was that there were open investigations regarding election activities,” Hunt said from his home in San Clemente.
Perhaps the Times story contains a typo, has a word out of place. Maybe it makes more sense if you move the word “torn” to another spot in the sentence. Carona vowed to heal the torn department by scandal and politics– that makes more sense. That would explain going after one of your election rivals as soon as the votes are counted– that would be the politics side of things. As for the scandal– is an appearance by The Little Sheriff too much to hope for?
