A Hennepin County board committee voted unanimously to publicly censure Sheriff Dave Hutchinson, less than one month away from him leaving office and setting up a full board of commissioners vote on the matter next week.
The Administration, Libraries, and Budget committee, with seven members, heard a brief prepared statement from administrator David Hough, who said the county mounted an investigation after allegations into Hutchinson’s management and behavior came to light.
“The findings conclude the sheriff engaged in racist, sexist, harassing, bullying, and retaliatory behavior,” said Hough.
Most of the comments from commissioners who were present for the vote were in praise of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office as a whole. District 3 Commissioner Marion Greene said she’d read the investigation’s findings.
“Ultimately, having seen the report, this public censure is warranted. It’s that simple,” Greene said in the meeting. “We as elected officials need to be held accountable for our actions.”
None of this is directly related to Hutchinson’s drunken driving arrest last December, when he crashed his county vehicle near Alexandria. He was found to have alcohol and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.
Hutchinson, citing PTSD and other concerns, has been on sick leave for several months, and he did not run for re-election to a second term. A state licensing panel also suspended his peace officer’s license .His last day in office will be January.
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners could vote to censure Hutchinson at its meeting next Thursday.
