VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – The leader of an antisemitic group in Florida is threatening to sue Volusia Sheriff Michael Chitwood after the sheriff held a news conference in February.
On Feb. 27, Chitwood held a news conference to discuss members of one particular antisemitic group, a “white supremacist neo-Nazi hate group” that had been distributing hate propaganda in nearby neighborhoods and parking lots.
Recommended Videos
“We have unity in this county. We stand beside one another in this county, and we stand beside our Jewish neighbors,” Chitwood said during the conference. “We are not going to tolerate this.”
In response, the leader of the group filed a notice of intent to sue Chitwood on May 30, claiming that the sheriff’s comments put the group at risk. According to the notice, the leader accused Chitwood of threats, cyberintimidation, treason and domestic terrorism.
News 6 is not naming the group or its leader because it is a recognized hate group.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
The leader also lambasted Chitwood’s recent line of merchandise showing the sheriff flushing people with a swastika and the group’s logo into a toilet with the words “SCUMBAG ERADICATION TEAM.”
“I don’t know what you were thinking by posting tweets of yourself on a shirt flushing living breathing human beings with unalienable rights down the toilet for using such rights,” the leader wrote. “But when the subject is a political matter, it is clear that you should be classified as a domestic terrorist.”
As such, letter demands that Chitwood provide either “50 1 Oz. of solid gold” or $100,000 in cash as reimbursement.
The following demands were also made to Chitwood:
- Issuing a public apology on a local news station for referring to Minadeo and his group as “cowards” and “scumbags”
- Stating publicly that Chitwood will “uphold the rights of European men who choose to raise concern about nefarious political activities and groups that are actively working against the interests of Europeans in the United States”
- Removing social media posts showing Chitwood flushing “activists” down the toilet
- Debating the information in the group’s flyers with “activists” live online
- Paying $100,000 in a one-time cash payment
Chitwood has previously shown footage of antisemitic activists harassing others and using bigoted language. Chitwood said he has also received similar notices from three other people.
“What their tactic is — the ‘master race’ is — is they filed a complaint against me with the Department of Justice, which went nowhere,” Chitwood announced in response to the notices. “They filed an ethics complaint against me, which is going nowhere. So now, they have filed a frivolous lawsuit, furthermore, telling me I have to hold a press conference to talk about their group, and they’re demanding $100,000. So here’s the way I look at it: like you and your organization, you’re a bunch of pieces of (explicit).”
Chitwood then filmed himself ripping up a copy of the notice.
Additionally, Chitwood announced that he would be mailing out pacifiers that read “Mike Chitwood hurt my feelings” to each of the members who issued a notice.
The white "master race" scumbag losers who like to harass innocent people have put their brilliant minds together and sent me the dumbest notices of intent to sue I have ever received, and that's saying something. Here's my response pic.twitter.com/ddVFnEtT7o
— Mike Chitwood (@SheriffChitwood) June 6, 2023
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: