Virginia Politics

Prince William County sheriff fires deputy for ‘disturbing comments’ on social media

By Antonio Olivo
Dec. 26, 2020 at 8:22 p.m. EST

A Prince William County sheriff’s deputy has been fired for posting “disturbing comments” to a conservative social media website, the county sheriff’s office announced Saturday. But the former deputy said that he didn’t make the comments and that his account was hacked.

Prince William Sheriff Glendell Hill said he was alerted to the comments on Christmas morning and promptly launched an internal investigation. ... Several of the comments advocated violence, including against Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr. for allowing the dismissal of a case seeking to overturn the results of the presidential election.

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The deputy, Aaron Hoffman, said in an interview with The Washington Post that he did not post those comments, saying the account he had recently opened on Parler, a social media website that has become a favorite among conservatives, was hacked. ... “I did not make those posts,” Hoffman said. “I’m trying to figure out who did.”

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Hoffman, who has been employed by the county sheriff’s office for 15 years, said he closed the Parler account after he noticed suspicious activity on his email. ... He disavowed the hateful messages attributed to him and said he plans to consult with attorneys about his firing and the social media account. ... “I do understand the community’s concern,” Hoffman said. “I’ve been a public servant for over 15 years, and I take that very seriously. I am in no way a threat to the public. This disturbs me as well.”

Antonio Olivo
Antonio Olivo covers government, politics and other issues in Northern Virginia. He has also reported from Afghanistan and Mexico after joining The Washington Post in 2013. Follow https://twitter.com/aolivo