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Bice: Sheriff Clarke taunts man making harassment claim

Daniel Bice
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Meme posted by Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr.'s office.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. isn't backing away from his strong words for a Riverwest resident who filed a harassment complaint against the sheriff.

Clarke is amping up the threats and rhetoric.

On Wednesday, in response to a protest of his earlier remarks, Clarke's office posted this on his county Facebook page:

"Sheriff Clarke regrets that he cannot attend this juvenile, leftist, anti-cop tantrum. He is pleased that he has their attention however.  The Sheriff is in Washigton (sic) to witness the swearing in of our next President Donald J. Trump as we embark on a mission to MakeAmericaGreatAgain!"

The post included a meme taunting Dan Black, a 24-year-old resident who alleged that he was harassed by Clarke. Black claimed he was confronted, interviewed and then escorted out of Mitchell International Airport by a group of deputies after a brief exchange with Clarke on a flight from Dallas on Sunday.

"Cheer up, Snowflake," said the meme, which has a photo of Black. "If Sheriff Clarke were to really harass you, you wouldn't be around to whine about it."

Earlier this week, Clarke issued a statement saying Black and others like him may be "knocked out" if they hassle him on a plane: "The sheriff said he does not have to wait for some goof to assault him. He reserves the reasonable right to pre-empt a possible assault."

Clarke did not respond to messages on Thursday about the latest post on his county Facebook page. His spokeswoman, Fran McLaughlin, is out of the office for the next week.

According to the New York Times, the Milwaukee County sheriff was busy at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

"David A. Clarke Jr., the Milwaukee County sheriff, a Fox News regular and a Trump supporter, was camped in the bar sipping Stoli Cranberi vodka," the story posted Thursday afternoon said. "Among the other guests were Hary Tanoesoedibjo, a billionaire businessman and politician from Indonesia who is Mr. Trump’s business partner in two hotel projects there, and former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York.

"The minimum nightly rate at the hotel will be $735. One suite during inauguration week was offered for $500,000, with various perks."

On Thursday night, Clarke is slated to be a special guest at the DeploraBall, a party to celebrate Trump on the eve of his inauguration, according to the Boston Globe. The ball is jokingly named after former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's infamous "basket of deplorables" statement about some Trump backers.

The ball has been the source of some controversy.

"Critics quickly labeled the event a gathering for the alt-right, a white nationalist movement associated with racism and anti-Semitism whose followers emerged as eager supporters of Trump’s candidacy," the Globe report said. "After one of the DeploraBall organizers went on an anti-Semitic tirade on Twitter, a divide opened up among organizers."

Among those expected to attend the event, which costs up to $2,500 a ticket, are Trump adviser Roger Stone, conservative activist James O'Keefe and Clarke.

It is not clear who is paying for Clarke's flight, lodging, food or flavored vodka.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @ DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.