Apparently not. Or he simply enjoys playing a bully. [read_more]
First case in point. A couple of weeks ago Sheriff Chapman learned that the Republican member of the Electoral Board of Loudoun county was having a party in her home, hosted by her husband and his friends, for the Sheriff’s opponent, retired deputy Eric Noble. Â Chapman called a democrat member of the Electoral Board demanding that the party hostess be removed from her position on the Electoral Board. Officials in the Republican party were also contacted. Chapman tried to force the party hostess to abandon her position on the board or abandon her planned party. Ultimately it was learned that a member of the Electoral board is free to support any candidate she chooses. They are free to have parties, work to elect candidates, anything they choose, except chairing a party. Â An Electoral board member must resign if he or she becomes a party chair. They need not resign their position on the board of Elections for having a private party in their home supporting their chosen candidate.
Mike Chapman was wrong.
Last Sunday was the deadline for delegates filing for the Loudoun Republican Convention on May 2nd. Only two offices in Loudoun are being contested, Ashburn Supervisor and Sheriff. Ralph Buona is the current Ashburn Supervisor. Supervisor Buona and Sheriff Chapman challenged many of the delegate forms and asked for rulings from the attorney for the Republican Party of Virginia. They challenged some of the delegate forms for Buona’s opponent Joe Scalione because the email addresses and phone numbers had been blacked out. Those details were later given to the committee but Buona and Chapman wanted those delegates disqualified. The question was addressed  by RPV attorney Chris Marston,
   Do other campaigns have a right to challenge the acceptance of the altered delegate forms? (since the duplicated unaltered forms came in after 5 PM)
Campaigns never have this right, only delegates do. A delegate always has a right to challenge, but the forms were sufficient to meet the requirements of the call, so a challenge would not be well taken.
Do we need approval from RPV in order to add the phone numbers and email addresses to the certified delegate list since the additional information came in after the 5 PM deadline?
You do not need RPV’s approval to do this.
 Since on the original delegate filing form only the phone numbers and email addresses were redacted and all other information including the pledge were left intact are we required to challenge those forms?
The Credentials Committee is not required to challenge these forms as they are sufficient to meet the requirements of the call.
Mike Chapman was wrong.
Sheriff Chapman’s biggest objections were to Eric Noble’s delegate forms which had yellow highlights for the sections  of the forms that were required to be completed by the voter. He tried to challenge all of those delegate forms. The RPV attorney addressed those concerns,
One last separate issue: In a different race one campaign marked their delegate filing forms with a yellow highlighter so as to be able to identify their filings as opposed to the rest of the forms. The highlight coding was over the data field titles such as name, address, etc. and did not interfere with recording the information in its entirety. The other campaign in that race is asking if they have grounds to challenge those delegate forms. Could you please give us an opinion on this issue as well? Â
Assuming the forms are sufficient under the call in all other respects, highlighter marks (like coffee stains, stray ink marks, or anything else that doesn’t obscure the information required) do not make the forms insufficient. Such marks are not sufficient grounds to successfully challenge forms.
Mike Chapman was wrong.
Sheriff Chapman was wrong in every instance. Bullying never works and it won’t work in the Loudoun county’s sheriff’s race.
30 comments
I would encourage anyone reading this blog to cut through the crap. The basic, verifiable truth is:
1) Chapman promoted Noble and put him in a position of trust.
2) Noble violated that trust by making insidious comments to the media through blogs and emails.
3) Chapman fired Noble when he found out (Who wouldn’t?)
4) Noble’s security clearance was revoked because of his untrustworthy behavior.
This is all well documented at http://www.34questions.com.
Noble is a snake with a grudge, plain and simple.
You should cut the crap. You have your facts wrong. Noble retired with honor and Chapman lauded his service in front of the Republican party. Noble gave up his security clearance upon retirement and will regain it once he is elected Sheriff. Also please tell me who in the Sheriff’s office hasn’t made negative comments about their insidious figurehead egotistical leader? Commonwealth’s Attorney Plowman has seen right through Chapman’s crap and with nothing to gain for himself has called out Chapman and endorsed who he feels is best for the job, that being Eric Noble. Even though you are Chapman’s minion at least Noble will be professional enough to allow you to keep your job, unlike Chapman who without explanation terminated careers of employees who dedicated their lives to the LCSO.
It was pretty clear the other night from the FOP meeting where both of them spoke who the better candidate for the office is. After the meeting there was a line to speak with Noble. And Chapman just kind of puttered around the room trying to pass out bumper stickers, going on and on about the same crap. Tell us more about “vacancy savings” Sheriff! Please! We can’t wait to hear more! You got all these poor deputies in the room that won’t even raise a hand to ask you a question out of fear of repercussions, yet asked several of Noble. Chapman wouldn’t even promise not to fire anyone this go around. Very telling. I don’t necessarily support Noble, and I’m personally hoping for a viable third candidate. But either way Chapman has got to go. If it’s Noble that does it so be it.
I would encourage anyone reading this blog to cut through the crap. The basic, verifiable truth is:
1) Chapman promoted Noble and put him in a position of trust.
2) Noble violated that trust by making insidious comments to the media through blogs and emails.
3) Chapman fired Noble when he found out (I’d do the same – who wouldn’t?)
4) Noble’s security clearance was revoked because of his untrustworthy behavior.
This is all well documented at http://www.34questions.com.
Noble’s a snake with a grudge, plain and simple.
You guys are grasping at straws, every candidate has the right to questions things that look or appear outside the rules, including Chapman. Politics is a dirty sport, so it is to be expected. The Lovettsville lady has apparently had a bad experience with the Sheriff, I guess he told you “no” about something. You can’t even acknowledge the Sheriff has done anything right. We have accomplished a lot as an agency since he has taken over from the good old boys of the Simpson era. Even Simpson did some good things. Chapman has changed our direction and has brought us into the 21st century. We are better equipped, well trained, professional law enforcement officers, and Chapman has had a lot to do with that. http://Www.34questions.com is not a lie, read the info and FOIA the info youself. Why would you vote for someone who intentionally undermines the Sheriff with other employees? Or is campaigning with a hothead like Frye? “In the know” (Noble) is still blogging under that name and bad mouthing the Sheriff and our agency. You guys got caught, that’s an integrity issue, I don’t want underhanded and sneaky as a Sheriff, I’ll stick with Chapman and continue to move forward!
Independent Thinker,
I actually agree with you on something. Yes, Chapman has changed the direction of the agency. He has managed to reverse the progress that began in the 80’s under Sheriff Isom and continued in the late 90’s and 2000’s under Sheriff Simpson. That is the period when the LCSO became better-equipped, well-trained, and professionalized. Well before Chapman came in the LCSO became an accredited agency. Chapman has indeed changed the agency. His self-centered leadership style and his yelling and cursing at employees is a new thing….. that kind of behavior was never demonstrated by the previous Sheriffs.
The web page you refer to is a product of you and a few others who are scared to death because Chapman brought you in and placed you in positions beyond your ability but that pay quite a high salary. When Noble wins you will be very lucky as he has promised that you will still remain employed, as opposed to what Chapman did when he terminated the careers of many good men and women, not even offering them the opportunity to assume a lesser position to preserve their retirement ability and ability to retain some retirement benefits. Some of these folks gave their entire life to the LCSO….. 20 to 30 years. One fellow was a mere 9 months from retirement and had worked their 31 years and Chapman gave him his walking papers. Others were supporting their families and with just 4 days notice Chapman kicked them out the door, leaving them scrambling to make ends meet, and all of this occurred while there were 37 vacant positions that needed filled. All these folks would have been perfectly happy taking one of these positions and it would have saved the taxpayers the immense cost of hiring and training new personnel. No wonder Chapman went so many millions over budget.
All of the deputies and commanders who utilized their email to “discredit” Chapman should in reality be getting awards as whistleblowers. This is how the County government and media found out of Chapman’s budget busting expenses, the exotic trips he took under the guise of training, and the way he treated his staff.
Just thank your lucky stars that Mr. Noble will still have a job for you when he becomes the next Sheriff.
I guess you weren’t an employee w Simpson, and weren’t one of the lucky ones to get a phone call while on a traffic stop because the driver was a Simpson supporter, I was! Or contacting Deputies about DUI’s with Simpson supporters and getting the charges dropped! So explain how that is professional and not corrupt!
2 of those people that didn’t come back were recommendations of human resources based on ongoing investigations. The guy with 25+ years was able to return as a deputy to complete his career as a LC deputy for his benefits, and I beleive another returned and has been promoted. Those are the ones I have heard about so again you are wrong!
I’ve been here for 3 elections now and me and many others will say this is better than it has been in a long time. I’ve never been yelled at by the Sheriff and I’ve had to answer directly to him twice, in his office, uncomfortable but professional.
I applaud Noble for following through on something he believes in but I beleive he would bring us backwards and not forwards. I also have enough integrity that if he does become sheriff I would support him and give 110 percent also.
I love being cop, and I hope to finish my career where I started, at the LCSO!
Not sure what world you are living it with the statement “this is better than it has been in a long time”. All I can say to that is anyone who reads this post please just ask any deputy you run into and you will get either a blank stare, and “I am not allowed to talk about it for fear of losing my job”, or you will get the truth, which is the fact that morale could hardly be an lower, the troops despise their boss, favoritism rules, and we desperately hope that Eric Noble becomes our new Sheriff. One of these three responses will occur, and that’s a guarantee!!!
Obviously not every deputy!
There are no lies being spewed. As I said before, if you read this post and speak to any deputy you will find that what Jeanine Martin has stated above is true. Chapman’s troll and underling can try as hard as he can to try and cast a positive light on a horrible situation but at the end of the day anyone who reads this merely has to ask a deputy how things are and what they think. So, the next time you have occasion to meet a deputy just ask he or she what they think. It’s really just as simple as that.
That’s what I’ve done since Chapman took office. You’d be surprised how many deputies are in the grocery stores and I ask each of them how they feel about Chapman. I’ve done that since he was elected. I’ve also asked the two nice deputies who have helped me when I had car trouble on two different occasions and I’ve asked the deputies who cover our festivals in Lovettsville. I have yet to speak to deputy who likes Chapman. Not one, ever. Those are simply the facts.
I challenge anyone to find a deputy (caveat: not one of Chapman’s political appointees) that has anything positive to say about Chapman. But, let’s take this a step further … I also challenge anyone to find a deputy who has anything negative to say about Noble (same caveat applies).
Chapman attacked Noble with an IA investigation because he was fearful that Noble would be running against him. Period. This had nothing to do with someone boss-bashing. For Chapman to take such dialogue personally speaks volumes to his lack of leadership.
I have never met a deputy who likes working under Chapman. They all have horror stories about him and while they had some problems with Simpson they would all trade him for Chapman in a New York minute. What you have said is 100% right, the deputies hate him and they fear losing their job if they ever dare to speak out against him. He’s a bully and a tyrant.
That’s not true! Again I have delt with him a couple times and he has been nothing but professional to me! Most deputies have only met him once or twice in roll call, they don’t hate him. None of the patrol deputies fear for their jobs, most of them stay out of the politics, and do their jobs, very well I might add. It is bad form to bad mouth your boss to the public, and against the general orders, that Simpson created! Speaking of bullies, Jeanine, you are the definition of a bully! You use a public forum to spew lies about Chapman, lying about the LCSO deputies and how they feel. Maybe you should talk to a few more deputies other than the ones Noble or Frye has asked you to talk to. Plenty of deps live up there in Lovettsville and I know they are all not Noble supporters!
Really? They’re not? Perhaps all the deputies I meet in Western Loudoun have lied to me? Why would they? I’ve never asked any of them about Noble, but they’re all happy to volunteer their dislike and distrust for Chapman. I’ve been hearing it since long before Noble decided to run. I know one who retired rather than continue to work under Chapman. He told me morale has never been lower but that was over a year ago. He said Simpson was looking better and better. No doubt morale’s even lower now
Maybe he should join forces with Shawn Williams, Leo Rogers (County Attorney) and the latest Todd Kaufman-ish Director of Planning and Zoning,Ricky Barker (see http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7001958/). Loudoun deserves better.
Glenn. You could not be more wrong. A minimum amount of research casts your assertions aside as silly.
The fact is this Sheriff is in panic mode causing him to engage in thuggish behavior. Calling for events to be cancelled andtrying to pressure Republican Activists is who support his opponent is ametuer hour and unbecoming of an elected official.
The facts are as follows Mike Chapman lost this agency years ago with his bombastic and self centered leadership style. Further, come to find out he simply does not possess the skill sets to run a large local law enforcement agent.
This is about leadership and temperament . Sheriff Chapman thru his history , actions and deeds has proven he posses neither.
Our Sheriff has to care more about his team, his Deputies on the street and in the jail and the citizens of Loudoun than he does himself. Sheriff Chapman’s number one concern is Sheriff Chapman. Those who have or currently work for him have seen this close up and are demanding a change. With the exception of a small cadre of folks who are willing to set aside what they know to be true, rationalize or lie to themselves for personal gain everyone else has vacated the Chapman experiment. It was a failure. A failure predicted by some of us 4 years ago.
We we right , they were wrong and the smart ones amongst the Chapman crowd have moved onto supporting Eric Noble.
The pro-Noble camp seems out of touch. From what I can tell:
1) Chapman promoted Noble and put him in a position of trust.
2) Noble violated that trust by making insidious comments to the media through blogs and emails.
3) Chapman fired Noble when he found out (I’d do the same – who wouldn’t?)
4) Noble’s security clearance was revoked because of his untrustworthy behavior.
This is all well documented at http://www.34questions.com.
Seems to me like Noble’s a snake. Not sure why anyone would want a snake running the sheriff’s department.
Avatar you are dead wrong. Major Noble honorably retired and Chapman even praised his service at a Republican meeting. Also his security clearance was not revoked. As for the website you refer to it is yet another construct of Chapman’s desperate campaign team to divert attention away from the serious problems in the Sheriff’s Office, and is full of untruths. Likely every commander and others in the LCSO has sent similar messages. Noble and the others should actuallly be getting awards as whistleblowers.
Not sure how I’m dead wrong. http://www.34questions.com provides clear and convincing evidence that Noble is not trustworthy.
Chapman’s campaign set up that website! It’s filled with lies.
No, your blogs have been full of lies. It’s easy to tell the difference because everything on http://www.34questions.com is clearly substantiated, and none of your comments are.
And it looks like Noble has a history of spewing lies via blogs under multiple aliases (again, on http://www.34questions.com). Looks like the same thing is going on here too.
Chucky Avatar,
Everyone knows continuing in your position hinges on your boss’s ability to get re-elected hence you are spending work time on the blogs. You should consider yourself very, very lucky, for unlike Chapman who took food off table for 11 deputies and their families when he took over, Eric Noble has pledged to retain all employees. That is the right and honorable thing to do. BTW I no for a fact the Mr. Noble is not posting to this blog……. he doesn’t have to as there are so many people who already are posting the truth about Chapman and the horrible condition the LCSO is currently in.
Wow… This hit piece is a new low for the Bull Elephant. And as a note, I have not endorsed either candidate in the race. I will be out of the State on May 2, so I will not be able to attend the convention. I think either candidate will be a good Sheriff, so I simply plan on supporting the Republican nominee.
As to the first point, regardless of whether she is legally required to resign if she supports another candidate, hosting a fundraiser for a candidate while you are in that position is usually seen as bad form. There are things where a office holder has done things that does not legally disqualify him from the office, but can raise questions about that person’s ability to do his or her job correctly. I’m thinking back to the numerous posts on this blog about Shaun Williams. A little consistency from the Bull Elephant would be great, but apparently upholding high ethical standards only applies to those you don’t like, not the candidates and people you support.
Glenn, Hello, Anyone home ? This is a party process. That’s right a party process, not a process run by the County or State. You flat out don’t know what you don’t know. You are ignorant of the rules and therefore grasping at straws. Which would be consistent with the Chapman campaign.
My understanding of the rulings so far by RPV is that it took them longer to stop laughing than to render the ruling. The level of ignorance on behalf of the Sheriff and those advising him is astounding. It further illustrates that this guy lacks the leadership skill sets which includes the ability to do basic research and fact finding to run the Sheriffs Office.
For Christs sake will one of you do a minimum amount of research before you step it again.
Greg….I find it ironic that you are calling someone a bully after the move you Charlie and the other thugs pulled when you didn’t get your way on the metro vote. Now, you’re bullying everyone in your path. Threatening to run to the Post with dirt. How come you don’t run for office? You seem to know what’s best for all of us. But no, you just sit ont he sidelines and cast stones. Charlie’s treatment of Williams is already well known. People are talking and they too are disgusted by it. Thanks…ill be casting my first ever vote for a dem.
It was not a fundraiser. NO money was involved. The party was private, hosted by her husband and some of his friends. Undecided delegates from the neighborhood were invited to meet Eric Noble and hear his plans for the Sheriff’s office.
There was NOTHING illegal or unethical about a private party in a private home hosted by a private citizen. No one gives up their rights when they are appointed to office, nor do their spouses.
The Electoral Board has absolutely nothing to do with a PARTY RUN convention. Nothing. They are not involved. The Republican party runs the entire process. The party decides the rules, all of the rules. The party decides on the place, and the balloting. They party then reports the results to the state and county. The Electoral Board is in NO WAY involved.
Incredible, yet not surprising. This is indicative of a desperate man whose actions of the past few years are finally catching up with him. When you lose the support of the Republican Party, the Commonwealth’s Attorney, the other Constitutional Officers, several members of the Board of Supervisors, and the deputies this is the kind of thing that happens. He has nobody but himself to blame; under his watch the narcotics problem in Loudoun has skyrocketed (he disbanded the Narcotics Unit and re-assigned them to regional task forces), the morale of the deputies has been driven to an all-time low, resignations and early retirements abound, and in the meantime he jets around the country to conferences held in exotic locations. His command staff advises he is in the office typically just a few hours each week. Could be possibly have expected a different result? As it appears extremely likely that Eric Noble will be the Republican nominee and our next Sheriff it seems like a man with a huge ego is having trouble accepting this fact. Had he spent a little more time supporting and leading the deputies and cooperating with his peers he may not be in this situation. Instead he chose to lead with a ‘my way or the highway” cavalier attitude. Noble is the polar opposite of this; he is going to bring a much-needed selfless, humble style of leadership the Sheriff’s Office and will restore the confidence and morale of the deputies.
Agreed. The current Sheriff has lost everyone with the exception of a very few. I would not categorize his few supporters as leeches but others might. I disagree with that assertion, and take people at their word as to why they support one candidate over another. One side on an issue or movement. The leeches moniker is empty headed and childish unbefitting serious observers of the political process. However, it is used and those who use it should really rethink their position to include examining their own abilities to make connections, use rational thought and see the entire field. This might include linking their own ability to be truthful and self examination in the areas of ethics and morals as they pertain to politics.