County sheriff: Johnson will uphold Constitution

Published 1:30 am Sunday, November 5, 2023

I am a retired law enforcement commander with 38 years experience. It is notable that every living former sheriff of Snohomish County is urging you to vote for Susanne Johnson for Sheriff. I hope I can help you understand why.

Since 2020, we’ve had Adam Fortney as sheriff. During that time, he rehired ex-officers terminated for violations of policy and professional standards. He publicly stated he would not enforce emergency mandates from our governor during covid, during which 1,459 people died in our county. He welcomed extremists armed with automatic rifles to “protect” businesses in the small town of Snohomish. He very publicly became a “constitutional sheriff,” violating his oath of office to uphold the Constitution, not interpret it or decide which parts to enforce. He invited extremist Sheriff Mark Lamb from Arizona to come and fundraise for him, a sheriff who sympathizes with insurrectionists who broke into our U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. These two sheriffs advocated for people to not wear masks or get vaccinated. Finally, his poor management of the Snohomish County Jail has led to deaths and overdoses of fentanyl inside the jail, due to ineffective jail security procedures.

Sheriffs are not the supreme legal authority in the U.S., and this belief and behavior is dangerous. We cannot have such a sheriff.

Please talk to your friends, family, and neighbors, and let’s elect a sheriff who has demonstrated her integrity, professionalism, and leadership; vote for Susanne Johnson.

Leslie Brown

Edmonds