Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s candidate Steve Maxwell was recently interviewed by Rich Lieberman. Maxwell was recently endorsed by the Spotsy GOP. After the interview Lieberman attacked Maxwell’s character. Here is Mr. Maxwell’s unedited response to Mr. Lieberman’s attacks.

“Dear Spotsylvania Citizens:

I maintain that a Sheriff candidate truly needs to be willing to talk to any citizen who may have a question regarding his beliefs, background or plans. This goes beyond speaking with just those who support my campaign. How can I say I am going to be a Sheriff for all people, regardless of their political affiliations, if I only interview and speak to people who agree with my campaign. This is one of the big issues that separate me and my opponent. My opponent refrains from speaking with anyone who disagrees with his point of view. As an experienced Law Enforcement Officer and, simultaneously, the only candidate in this race with combat experience, I have the fortitude and professionalism to comprehend that I should not dismiss anyone who may wish to make an inquiry about my campaign – good or bad. My vast experiences have provided me with the disposition necessary to conduct myself in law enforcement with integrity, professionalism, and respect that my opponent clearly fails to employ. In addition, my career paths have required that I be an individual vested in truth and honor. I do not answer questions with half truths or provide any fabrications, therefore, I take great exception to the manner in which Mr. Rich Lieberman put out a “hit piece” subsequent to our recent Facebook Live interview. 

Mr. Lieberman’s request to interview me was one I readily granted knowing full well that he would wield a political slant within the interview due to his support for my opponent. As stated, I am of the belief that he and all citizens who desire to ask me questions about my candidacy are entitled to my time and respect. What Mr. Lieberman is not entitled to, however, the ability to misrepresent or distort my words or responses in any manner which is not truthful. The following points are examples of points made by Mr. Lieberman that are blatantly untrue:

• Mr. Lieberman has placed into question and/or has attempted to discredit the Leadership Awards I have received, my distinguished and proud service to my community and country, and the multiple capacities in which I have served in Law Enforcement.  Mr. Lieberman has done this despite being the recipient of copies of my awards and being made well aware of my wealth of service throughout the past 40 years. 

• Mr. Lieberman has attempted to mislead people into thinking I have had a thirty-year gap in my law enforcement career when I have proudly served in a Law enforcement capacity and military capacity for continuous decades. His assertions that contradict my service are absurd and disrespectful of my dedication and time given to serving my community.

• Lastly, I would like to address an incident to which Mr. Lieberman refers to, from several years ago, that took place at the Royal Farms Store on Plank Road. I was the sole witness to the incident and complaint. As such, I explained the incident in accurate detail. Mr. Lieberman tried to say he had the actual report filed about the incident when in fact he merely had a call log. The call log had many inconsistencies as to my direct eyewitness statements. This, as I pointed out in my interview, should concern everyone as it shows the numerous flaws that I express in my campaign including the lack of training, the lack of professionalism, and the lack of duty to one’s position. The numerous flaws of that speaks to the lack of proper law enforcement response,  and clearly shows that our current Sheriff has neither the energy or the care to ensure the proper investigation of a complaint of an illegal firearm call. Since the deputy did not follow up with the store video or could have pulled over the wrong vehicle should be concerning to all citizens of Spotsylvania. Not that the deputy failed to follow proper investigation into what was a serious complaint, but that the current Sheriff, after hearing of this concern, is more concerned about covering up the numerous flaws in its handling rather than training his staff on correct procedure. Again, this shows the Politics over policy, that I constantly refer in my campaign. We as a community deserve better. Let me be clear, I do not blame the Deputy for the lack of follow up and proper investigation into my complaint. I blame solely, the lack of leadership of our current Sheriff.

In closing, let me allude to the words of our current sheriff and my opponent.  He said in his interview with Mr. Lieberman, which was held subsequent to my interview, “I believe in term limits” while in practice he is seeking a 4^th term. His first three terms have been characterized by inept leadership that is far from what the citizens of Spotsylvania County deserve. This Sheriff needs to be held  accountable for the numerous civil lawsuits that look to deplete the millions of dollars from our tax base, (Freelance Star article March 3, 2021) during his tenure. Yet he desires and thinks he deserves another term. Let’s not make the mistake of giving him an additional four years to disregard the duties of his position by failing to uphold our Constitution. I will bring Commitment and Integrity back to our Community in a manner that displays a professional, proactive, and accountable approach to Law Enforcement and concrete adherence to our Constitution. Please support my campaign, Steve Maxwell for Spotsylvania County Sheriff, by going to smaxwellforsheriif.com.

Respectfully Yours,

Steve Maxwell”