LA Sheriff’s running for re-election ethics question

Because they’re keeping you safe is why.

If a state trooper runs for sheriff, would you let them wear their uniform in a commercial? Two sheriff deputies running for an open sheriff position, is it ok for them to wear their uniform?

How do you expect them to show on the job footage without showing the uniform?

They basically make the deputies and other employees campaign for them. Louisiana is backwards and they're fine with it because back the blue or something.

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It would violate the First Amendment to prohibit an elected official from highlighting their office in a campaign ad.

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You can highlight the office and what you have done in the roll without wearing the uniform and getting to drape yourself in the symbols of office which are owned by the government and not the candidate.

The sheriff’s deputies are at-will employees in Louisiana.

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But you can’t pass a law defining what symbols a candidate can display in his ad, obscenity notwithstanding.

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Of course you can, just look at stolen valor laws. You have to have a narrowly defined reason, and I would think keeping a level playing field for elections by not using the sheriff’s uniform would fall under that.

Deputies are not civil service and are employed at the discretion of the sheriff.

They aren’t required to campaign for him but it is in their best interests to do so.


That also has risks. Family friend is a retired deputy who was employed when the long time sheriff retired in midterm. Most of the deputies campaigned for the hand picked replacement who held the job until the election. He lost and most of them subsequently lost their jobs completely or got moved to lesser positions.

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Of course you can, just look at stolen valor laws.

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Those have been ruled unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Thanks for proving my point.