War Of Word Erupts Between Sheriff, Bucks County Commissioner

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A war of words erupted on Friday between the sheriff of Bucks County and the chairman of the Bucks County Commissioners over a statement made by the chairman during this week's Bucks County Commissoners' meeting.

During comments at the end of the meeting, Bob Harvie took a moment to reflect on the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe happening the next day (May 8) and upon growing up with World War II veterans.

“For someone who’s spent a lot of time studying World War II, there are definite parallels that I see happening,” said Harvie. “Not nearly as great as what happened in 1920s Italy, 1930s Germany, but certainly not too far away from being in the same ballpark. It’s concerning. It’s something that all of us need to be more focused on.

"I got to know a lot of World War II vets - the histories, the stories they told. It's sad to know that's probably lost at this point," Harvie continued. "But let's not lose the big picture. Let's not lose the fact that this country, when it wanted to and when it became necessary, saved the world.

"And we did it working together and we did it fighting for freedom and democracy. And we did it by leading the world and building alliances and focusing on what we could do focusing on what we could do using our power, our wealth, our knowledge, our strength to make the world a better place," he said. "May that be the lesson we learn as we remember the end of the war in Europe tomorrow."

Watch Harvie's remarks below.

The remarks came at the end of a politically charged meeting that brought out residents protesting plans by Sheriff Fred Harran to participate in the 287(g) program, which would allow ICE to partner with the sheriff's department to identify and remove criminal aliens.

In a statement issued Friday morning, Harran blasted Harvie's remarks as "inexcusable," called for an apology, and accused Harvie of "directly connecting the law enforcement work of the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Harran – the only Jewish sheriff in Pennsylvania – to Nazism and pre-war Germany under Adolf Hitler.

“Commissioner Harvie likes history. So, here’s mine: I grew up in a Jewish home, studied at a Hebrew school, and attended synagogue (and still do). I bore the grief of members of my mother’s family who were murdered by the Nazis," said Harran. "I heard the stories of my father – a doctor in Patton’s Third Army – who liberated concentration camps and cared for fellow Jews dehumanized and destroyed by the cruelty of an evil and authoritarian regime.

"That’s why it is unconscionable to me that in a time of deep political divisions, anti-law enforcement sentiment, and rampant antisemitism in our nation and our world, Commissioner Harvie would use his position to intentionally and directly compare our community to Nazi Germany," he continued. "As the only Jewish sheriff in Pennsylvania, I find it notable that these sentiments – and many like them - are directed toward me and my role in public safety.

"Commissioner Harvie’s remarks were both personally offensive and derogatory to the Jewish community – both here in Bucks County and around the nation. Just as bad, his twisted version of history equates my deputies’ efforts to uphold the rule of law and keep our communities safe from known criminals to Nazi-era atrocities. His statements simultaneously demean law enforcement officers and minimize the very real, and very personal, horrors of the period he fancies himself an expert on."

In response to Harran's remarks, the county posted Harvie's remarks on its website and released a statement on Friday saying that Harran's claims "are entirely dishonest, wholly offensive and arguably libelous. The commissioner’s comments, which notably went unquoted in the sheriff’s statement, discussed the heroic spirit of the United States that drove our nation’s victory over the forces of evil and fascism in Europe during World War II.

"If the sheriff sees himself portrayed on the wrong side of those comments, then perhaps that says more about him and his intentions than it does about Commissioner Harvie.

"The County of Bucks is proudly home to many thousands of Jewish residents, and we honor their experience, including their incredible endurance in the face of unspeakable horrors. We do not twist their pain to score political points in an election year. For doing just that, the sheriff’s statement is as insulting as it is absurd."