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Sheriff Fires Deputy One Minute After Polls Close; Deputy Beats Sheriff in Primary

The Sore Loser Award in yesterday’s primary goes to Sheriff Lenny Gramkow of Bon Homme County. One minute after the polls closed in Bon Homme County last night, he sent this termination letter to his opponent in the Republican sheriff’s primary, Deputy Mark Maggs:

Sheriff Lenny Gramkow, termination letter to Deputy Mark Maggs, posted to Facebook by Maggs, 2018.06.05.
Sheriff Lenny Gramkow, termination letter to Deputy Mark Maggs, posted to Facebook by Maggs, 2018.06.05.

Maggs beat his suddenly former boss last night 878 votes to 331 and, since there is no Democratic or other candidate, will become sheriff come January. But for the moment, Maggs is unemployed.

Sheriff Lenny Gramkow, sore loser.
Bon Homme County Sheriff Lenny Gramkow, sore loser.

South Dakota Codified Law Chapter 7-12 gives sheriffs pretty broad authority in hiring and firing deputies. And one can find court precedent from elsewhere affirming the sheriff’s broad power to employ only those deputies whom he feels can support his policies and goals.

Sheriff Gramkow is catching heat for firing Maggs on the Bon Homme County Sheriff’s Facebook page, though remarkably, a lot of the reviews come from suspiciously anonymous, heavily memey accounts that smell more like fake-newsers than concerned local citizens.

Nonetheless, the online trolls have an easy target here, a small-town sheriff who appears to be using the power entrusted to him by voters to punish a fellow law enforcement officer who beat him at an election fair and square. Maybe legal, Sheriff Gramkow, but not cool.

15 Comments

  1. owen reitzel 2018-06-06 12:08

    From what I hear this isn’t uncommon. In fact if a deputy runs against the sheriff he’ll get fired right away.

  2. Rorschach 2018-06-06 12:21

    Gramkow better do everything above board between now and January because something tells me if the next sheriff finds any illegal or improper activity by Gramkow there will be repercussions for the outgoing sheriff.

  3. Gail 2018-06-06 12:28

    There is more to this story. See the May 30th Tyndall Tribune letters to the editor.

  4. Loren 2018-06-06 12:39

    Heartlessness, vindictiveness, pettiness, cruel, stupid,… GOP, right????

  5. David B 2018-06-06 13:47

    That happened in Madison back in the mid-80’s (’85 or ’86). The Sheriff not only fired the night shift Deputy who beat him in the election, but he also fired his Chief Deputy (my dad) for supporting the other Deputy. Once the new Sheriff took over the following January, he hired my dad back as Chief Deputy. The outgoing Sheriff also trashed the Sheriff’s Office before he left the building at midnight on December 31. Files thrown across the floor, desks overturned, file cabinets tipped over, etc. I couldn’t believe it.

  6. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-06-06 16:47

    I’d think sheriffs could exemplify maturity and respect for the law.

  7. Tim 2018-06-06 17:45

    Totally a bad deal for the elected sheriff. One thing I hope is the county commission involves the newly elected sheriff on his upcoming budget, as it will be something he will have to live with for an entire year.

  8. bearcreekbat 2018-06-06 18:28

    Or at least act the defeated Sheriff might consider acting in the best interest of their community. Removing the newly elected sheriff from office rather than assisting him in making the transition seems selfish and contrary to what might help the community during the new sheriff’s tenure.

  9. Debbo 2018-06-06 23:59

    Firing your opponent seems childish and immature.

  10. Johnboy longshanks 2018-06-07 03:03

    I love it when they turn their pettiness and bullying ways on each other. Every second they’re fighting each other is another second someone or someone’s pet gets to avoid being on the receiving end of their terroristic ways.

  11. Dana P 2018-06-07 07:17

    What a petty, immature, and unprofessional thing to do. Sounds like the citizens of Bon Homme were correct in their decision.

  12. Roger Elgersma 2018-06-07 13:04

    Bad cops are the ones who took that position to be a control freak. Good cops are there to keep others safe. At least the people saw who the bad one was. Winning by that big of a majority says something as well.

  13. Debbo 2018-06-08 15:14

    This made WaPo, and apparently nobody in Bon Homme County is happy with Gramkow.

    The county commission is meeting next week to decide if they want to take action. The sheriff’s office is flooded with calls, petitions are making the rounds getting hundreds of signatures. Gramkow may not make it to November. Wouldn’t that be ironic?

    Here’s the link:
    https://goo.gl/K5gTCM

  14. bearcreekbat 2018-06-08 15:55

    Sheriff Gramkow is quoted in the WaPo article: “I wish it was hired just like any other job, I wish you wouldn’t have to worry about your job every four years.”

    How quaint and ironic in this “right to work” state, especially where most employees in “any other job” can be fired at any time for almost any reason and made right after the Sheriff summarily fired Maggs.

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