Chronister's promotion draws praise from Florida politicians
TAMPA. Fla. - Law enforcement leaders around Florida are supporting President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister as the DEA administrator.
File: Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister discusses rescue efforts following a hurricane.
Trump announced his pick over the weekend.
Chronister has served the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for over 30 years.
"I think this is what our country needs right now," Brian Dugan, the former Chief of the Tampa Police Department, said. "You know, we can't keep appointing the same type of people to government agencies and expect different results."
Dugan worked alongside Chronister in Tampa and Hillsborough County for three decades.
"He worked as a detective with other DEA agents years ago, and he also, as Sheriff, worked with the heads of DEA locally," Dugan said.
Dugan says Chronister is an excellent choice for a DEA Administrator and that he would bring a unique and fresh perspective to Washington.
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"What you have to remember is federal law enforcement works with local cops," Dugan said. "It's local cops that are providing them with the intel or providing them with the resources that they need to be successful."
When Trump announced the nomination, he pointed to Chronister’s work on the Attorney General’s Florida Statewide Council on Human Trafficking.
Trump also said Chronister would work well with the U.S. Attorney General nominee, Pam Bondi, who served as the Florida Attorney General and worked alongside Chronister.
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"There are so many different types of federal task forces that local law enforcement is involved in," Dugan said. "He's going to have a very unique perspective on what that's like when a federal agency comes in and says, ‘Hey, we need your help.’ He knows exactly how that feels," Dugan said.
Dugan says Chronister can hit the ground running with his experience.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister
Chronister joins a list of other Florida officials and leaders nominated to serve in the incoming Trump Administration.
"Familiarity and trust is something that's very important to the president-elect," John Hanley, an associate lecturer in political science at UCF said. "I think in the first term, you saw a very conventional Republican Party lineup."
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Hanley points out that although Chronister runs a major agency, the position of DEA administrator still has an expected learning curve.
"Taking that up to the federal level is another thing," Hanley said. "You've got more interactions with states and foreign governments."
Sheriff Bill Prummell, President of the Florida Sheriffs Association, said in a statement that The Florida Sheriffs Association supports Chronister’s nomination.
Prummell’s statement reads:
- "The Florida Sheriffs Association strongly supports Chad Chronister’s nomination to become the next Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). For decades, Chad has worked to keep the citizens of Hillsborough County safe, and he will bring this same level of law-and-order commitment to the DEA. When a rogue prosecutor was failing the people of his county, Chad acted and strongly supported his removal. Most recently, Chad was appointed to Florida’s Statewide Drug Policy Advisory Council, and he also chaired the FSA’s Human Trafficking Committee, where he directed funds that led to saving and protecting numerous victims of human trafficking. This is the kind of leadership we need at the national level when combating the drug trafficking and fentanyl epidemic. Florida sheriffs look forward to working with Chad Chronister to build strong partnerships between federal and local law enforcement to keep dangerous drugs off our streets."
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In a post on social media, Chronister called the nomination the "honor of a lifetime."
If Chronister is confirmed as DEA Administrator, Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to appoint a new sheriff and eventually hold a special election.
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