The Department of Homeland Security says Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is no longer a candidate for a position in the agency.

The conservative firebrand said last month he was taking a job as an assistant secretary at the DHS, but the agency declined to confirm the appointment, saying it announces such senior appointments once the DHS secretary makes them official.

Craig Peterson, a political adviser to Clarke, said in a statement that the sheriff notified DHS Secretary John Kelly late Friday that he "had rescinded his acceptance of the agency's offer" to join the department. The Washington Post first reported on Clarke's decision.

The tough-talking Clarke, who is known for his provocative social media presence, is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. According to Peterson's statement, Clarke said he "is 100 percent committed" to Trump's success and that he "believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the President's agenda in a more aggressive role."

Clarke is "reviewing options inside and outside of government," the statement said.

A DHS spokesman said by email Sunday that Clarke is no longer being considered for a position within DHS.

Clarke has drawn a considerable amount of controversy as Milwaukee County sheriff.

He was hit by allegations last month that he plagiarized content in his master's thesis on homeland security, which he denied.

Seven workers at the county jail he oversees are at the center of a criminal investigation into the dehydration death last year of an inmate who prosecutors say was deprived of water as punishment. Clarke isn't among the seven staffers — prosecutors said he wasn't directly involved in the events that led to the death of 38-year-old Terrill Thomas — but the death happened under Clarke's leadership, which his critics say is enough cause for his firing.</s>MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke has withdrawn his name from consideration for an assistant secretary position at the Department of Homeland Security, an adviser to Clarke confirmed to Washington Post on Saturday, June 17th.

FOX6 News has obtained a statement from Craig Peterson, an adviser to Clarke:

“Late Friday Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Jr. formally notified Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, that he had rescinded his acceptance of the agency’s offer to join DHS as an assistant secretary. Sheriff Clarke is 100% committed to the success of President Trump, and believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the President’s agenda in a more aggressive role. Last Tuesday Sheriff Clarke met with President Trump and discussed other roles where the Sheriff could be of greater assistance to the President, and the Country. The Sheriff is reviewing options inside and outside of government. Sheriff Clarke told Secretary Kelly he is very appreciative of the tremendous opportunity the Secretary was offering, and expressed his support for the Secretary and the agency.”

CLICK HERE for much more on this story from The Washington Post.

Clarke announced on May 17th that he would resign in June so he could accept a position in President Donald Trump’s administration.

After Clarke made his announcement on May 17th, DHS officials tweeted the following:</s>MILWAUKEE (AP) - The Department of Homeland Security says Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is no longer a candidate for a position in the agency.

The conservative firebrand said last month he was taking a job as an assistant secretary at the DHS. But Craig Peterson, a political adviser to Clarke, said in a statement that the sheriff notified DHS Secretary John Kelly late Friday that he "had rescinded his acceptance of the agency's offer" to join DHS.

Clarke is known for his vocal support of President Donald Trump. The tough-talking sheriff says he "believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the President's agenda in a more aggressive role."

A DHS spokesman said by email Sunday that Clarke is no longer being considered for a position within DHS, though the agency had never confirmed Clarke's appointment.

The Washington Post first reported on Clarke's decision.</s>A late report on Saturday confirmed that controversial Milwaukee sheriff David Clarke has withdrawn his acceptance of a position within the Department of Homeland Security. According to The Washington Post, Clarke was in line to take his position by the end of June but had faced considerable delays that reportedly led to the decision:

“Late Friday, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. formally notified Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly that he had rescinded his acceptance of the agency’s offer to join DHS as an assistant secretary,” said Craig Peterson, an adviser to Clarke. “Sheriff Clarke is 100 percent committed to the success of President Trump and believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the president’s agenda in a more aggressive role.”

Clarke has been no stranger to controversy, including accusations that he plagiarized his master’s thesis and condemnation of the condition of Milwaukee’s jails following the death of mentally ill inmate. A prior report indicated that Clarke felt his position within the Trump administration was in jeopardy due to the plagiarism reports:</s>Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr. has withdrawn his name from consideration for an assistant secretary position at the Department of Homeland Security, an adviser to Clarke confirmed to The Washington Post on Saturday.

"Late Friday, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. formally notified Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly that he had rescinded his acceptance of the agency’s offer to join DHS as an assistant secretary," said Craig Peterson, an adviser to Clarke. "Sheriff Clarke is 100 percent committed to the success of President Trump and believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the president’s agenda in a more aggressive role."

Clarke was expected to start in a role at DHS at the end of June, but according to one person close to the administration who is familiar with the situation, his appointment had been subject to significant delays that contributed to his withdrawal.

Clarke, a vocal supporter of Trump during the 2016 campaign, is also a controversial figure. He was accused of plagiarism, and has drawn scrutiny for conditions in his jails that left one mentally ill inmate dead.

Trump and Clarke met in Wisconsin on Tuesday, according to Peterson, and they discussed other roles in which Clarke could support Trump.

"The sheriff is reviewing options inside and outside of government," Peterson said. "Sheriff Clarke told Secretary Kelly he is very appreciative of the tremendous opportunity the secretary was offering, and expressed his support for the secretary and the agency."

Homeland Security and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</s>According to the Washington Post, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has told Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly he will not accept the role he was to start at the end of June.

Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke has withdrawn his name from consideration for an assistant secretary position at the Department of Homeland Security, an adviser to Clarke confirmed to The Washington Post on Saturday. “Late Friday, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. formally notified Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly that he had rescinded his acceptance of the agency’s offer to join DHS as an assistant secretary,” said Craig Peterson, an adviser to Clarke. “Sheriff Clarke is 100 percent committed to the success of President Trump and believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the president’s agenda in a more aggressive role.” Clarke was expected to start in a role at DHS at the end of June, but according to one person close to the administration who is familiar with the situation, his appointment had been subject to significant delays that contributed to his withdrawal.

This isn’t all that surprising. Clarke’s incendiary rhetoric was lauded by Trump supporters but it was bound to be an issue. Clarke also faces plenty of criticism for issues at the Milwaukee County Jail where inmates have died. Clarke is also criticized for spending more time on the lecture circuit than doing his job as Sheriff.

In the end, this is not a very surprising decision.</s>Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke reportedly has withdrawn his name from consideration for an assistant secretary position at the Department of Homeland Security. one person close to the administration says Clarke's appointment had been subject to significant delays that contributed to him rescinding accepting the new position.

Start the conversation, or Read more at WKOW-TV.</s>MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is no longer under consideration for a position in the Department of Homeland Security, a DHS spokesman told CNN.

The spokesman added, “We wish him well.”

Clarke, who was a vocal surrogate for President Donald Trump on the campaign trail, announced in May that he would be joining the administration as an assistant secretary in DHS, serving as a liaison with law enforcement at several levels across the country.

“I am both honored and humbled to be appointed to this position” in the “office of partnership and programs,” Clarke told WISN radio at the time. He said would begin the new role in June.

However, the sheriff’s potential appointment faced numerous problems. A review by CNN found that Clarke plagiarized sections of his 2013 master’s thesis on US security, failing to correctly attribute his sources at least 47 times.

Clarke himself has been the subject of scrutiny for his controversial comments, including calling members of the Black Lives Matter movement “purveyors of hate.” He has also faced backlash for his management of a Milwaukee County Jail, in which an inmate died of dehydration after going a week without water, according to prosecutors.

The Washington Post on Saturday, June 17th first reported Sheriff Clarke has withdrawn his name from consideration for an assistant secretary position at the Department of Homeland Security.

An adviser to Clarke issued the below statement to FOX6 News Saturday:

“Late Friday Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Jr. formally notified Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, that he had rescinded his acceptance of the agency’s offer to join DHS as an assistant secretary. Sheriff Clarke is 100% committed to the success of President Trump, and believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the President’s agenda in a more aggressive role. Last Tuesday Sheriff Clarke met with President Trump and discussed other roles where the Sheriff could be of greater assistance to the President, and the Country. The Sheriff is reviewing options inside and outside of government. Sheriff Clarke told Secretary Kelly he is very appreciative of the tremendous opportunity the Secretary was offering, and expressed his support for the Secretary and the agency.”</s>Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is no longer under consideration for a position in the Department of Homeland Security, a DHS spokesman told CNN.

The spokesman added, “We wish him well.”

Clarke, who was a vocal surrogate for President Donald Trump on the campaign trail, announced in May that he would be joining the administration as an assistant secretary in DHS, serving as a liaison with law enforcement at several levels across the country.

“I am both honored and humbled to be appointed to this position” in the “office of partnership and programs,” Clarke told WISN radio at the time. He said would begin the new role in June.

However, the sheriff’s potential appointment faced numerous problems. A review by CNN’s KFILE found that Clarke plagiarized sections of his 2013 master’s thesis on US security, failing to correctly attribute his sources at least 47 times.

Clarke himself has been the subject of scrutiny for his controversial comments, including calling members of the Black Lives Matter movement “purveyors of hate.” He has also faced backlash for his management of a Milwaukee County Jail, in which an inmate died of dehydration after going a week without water, according to prosecutors.

A representative for Clarke did not return CNN’s request for comment.</s>Update: Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke reportedly will remain on the job in Milwaukee County. Earlier this spring, he announced that he would join the Trump administration as an assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security.

Clarke had not been specific about the timing, but indicated that he would begin work in his new post in June.

However, as the weeks went on without further word from Clarke -- and with no official announcement from Washington, D.C. -- some observers began to wonder whether he indeed was leaving Wisconsin.

In the interim, Clarke received unwanted attention related to the death of an inmate at the Milwaukee County Jail. An inquest jury recommended charges against Clarke's staff in the death.

In addition, Clarke made headlines after a CNN report was released, which alleged he plagiarized others' work in portions of his master's thesis -- a charge Clarke refutes.

Now, the Washington Post has reported that Clarke has withdrawn from consideration for the Trump administration post. The article quotes an adviser to Clarke as saying the sheriff believes he can better serve the president's agenda in his current role.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, who says the Dept. of Homeland Security plans to appoint him as an assistant secretary, is blasting reporter Andrew Kaczynski who claims Clarke plagiarized sections of his master's thesis on homeland security.

The report that CNN carried over the weekend cites close to 50 instances in Clarke's 2013 thesis where it seems he failed to put quotation marks around statements he took almost verbatim from other sources. The sheriff, on Twitter, called Kaczynski a political hack who has accused others of plagiarism, and Clarke insisted the reporter and CNN have a political agenda.

The Naval Postgraduate School in California where Clarke submitted his thesis, removed it from its website late Saturday.

Sheriff David Clarke announced on Wednesday that he will leave Milwaukee to take a job with the Trump administration, as an assistant secretary with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Clarke mentioned the appointment during an interview on WISN Radio saying he was looking forward to joining the Trump administration. The appointment would not require Senate confirmation.

For years, Clarke has been a favorite of conservative media and campaigned for President Trump during the 2016 election. It had been rumored that Clarke was in the running for several appointments within the new administration.

Clarke would be leaving the Sheriff’s Department on the heels of an inquest jury recommending that criminal charges be filed in the case of a man in the county jail who died of dehydration after staff had turned off his water for seven days.

Following Clarke's announcement on Wednesday, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele issued a statement reading, "I’ve said repeatedly that Milwaukee deserves better than Sheriff Clarke. America does too."

Abele says he is excited about the prospect of working with a new sheriff who might find evidence-based solutions to improve public safety and reduce the number of people in jail. "The last thing America needs," according to Abele, "is another loud voice angrily and unproductively telling you who to blame and who not to trust."

The group Voces de la Frontera which has been challenging Clarke for his tough stance against unauthorized immigrants also reacted to his planned departure as sheriff. Voces' statement reads: "Clarke is unfit for any office and should face criminal charges for the deaths and abuses at the jail. Trump's appointment of Clarke shows this administration's disregard for human rights. Scott Walker must appoint a sheriff who will withdraw from 287g, end collaboration with Trump's campaign of mass deportation and terror against immigrant families, and support reforms to prevent deaths and abuses at the Milwaukee County Jail."

If he remained Sheriff, Clarke would face re-election in 2018. One person mounting a campaign is Earnell Lucas, a former captain with the Milwaukee Police Dept. and vice president of security with Major League Baseball.

Lucas released a statement on Wednesday saying he will submit his name to Governor Walker to be considered as an appointee for the position. Lucas says he still plans to run for a full-term in 2018.
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke withdraws his name from consideration for an assistant secretary position at the Department of Homeland Security.