Republished From This Week’s Editions
Of Freeman’s Journal, Hometown Oneonta
Clark’s Husband
Sheriff Prospect?
Devlin: She Should Recuse Self
In The Investigation Of My Son
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
COOPERSTOWN – It seems county board Chair Kathy Clark, R-Otego, may be playing two roles in the investigation of county Sheriff Richard J. Devlin, Jr.
►One, an inquisitor, participating in the March 9 meeting of the county board’s Public Safety & Legal Affairs Committee, which is investigating whether the sheriff’s son, Sgt. Ros Devlin, received special treatment following a “workplace violence incident” Jan. 9 at the county jail.
►Two, as spouse to the man who may be a challenger to Devlin in the 2018 sheriff’s election, Bob Fernandez, Clark’s husband and a recently retired state trooper.
Asked about the talk in political circles, Richard Abbate, chairman of the Democratic County Committee, said he was approached two times in recent months by Democrats sounding him out on whether the committee would cross-endorse Fernandez, a Republican, in next year’s race.
Abbate said he didn’t know of the Democrats who approached him were actually doing so at Clark or Fernandez’ request, but “if that’s the case, she should recuse herself” from the Devlin investigation.
A contact to Clark and Fernandez went unanswered.
I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop! I have always had the utmost respect for Sheriff Devlin and his work, having worked closely with city and county law enforcement in another part of the country before returning to Otsego County. I understand and appreciate the challenges of managing any jail or prison operation and would suggest that members of our county’s board of representatives who have apparently been so quick to join in this politically-motivated witch-hunt be required to spend at least one day at the county jail in order to gain an understanding of the challenges faced each day in an environment such as this.