MANASSAS, Va. A sheriff’s deputy in Virginia has been fired after authorities said “disturbing comments” were posted by his account on a conservative social media site.
The Washington Post reports that the sheriff’s office in Prince William County announced on Saturday that it had been fired.
The former deputy said he had not commented and that his account had been hacked.
Prince William Sheriff Glendell Hill said he immediately launched an internal investigation after becoming aware of the comments on Christmas morning.
The comments favored violence, including against U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts for dismissing the case to block the outcome of the presidential election.
“I find them very contemptible, and that’s why I took the action I took,” Hill told The Washington Post. “I certainly do not agree with that, and it is, of course, contrary to our policy.”
Deputy Aaron Hoffman told the newspaper he did not comment. He said the account he opened on the Parler website was hacked.
“I did not make those posts,” Hoffman said. “I’m trying to find out who did it.”
Hoffman was employed by the sheriff of the country for 15 years. He said he closed the Parler account after noticing suspicious activity in his email.
He rejected the messages attributed to him, saying he intended to consult lawyers about his dismissal.