Sheriff guilty of fundraising "macing"

The Associated Press reports that former Allegheny County Sheriff Pete DeFazio has agreed to plead guilty Tuesday to charges that he benefited from strong-arm political fundraising tactics (known as macing) in order to raise money from underlings.

Paula Reed Ward from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains it this way:

As part of the scheme, top officers in the department would sell tickets to campaign fund-raisers to deputies and other employees. Those who bought tickets and contributed were rewarded with plum assignments and overtime opportunities. Those who didn't were punished, the government said.

DeFazio stepped down from the sheriff's office on Oct. 31, ending a 36-year career in law enforcement. He will still get his pension "because macing is not among the 22 state charges that can disqualify a person from receiving a pension." And he may only get probation when sentenced.

I bet if they were his daughter's girl scout cookies instead of tickets to a political fundraiser people wouldn't be as upset.