SAVANNAH, Georgia — Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee in Georgia’s pivotal Senate race, received some head scratches — and the reprimand from a debate moderator — when he waved an honorary sheriff badge during his debate with his Democratic opponent, Senator Raphael Warnock on Friday.
In a moment that echoed online, Mr. Walker, a football legend supported by former President Donald J. Trump, responded to Mr. Warnock’s accusations that he had misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer and had previously threatened acts of violence.
But Mr. Walker’s showing off the badge of honor, an acknowledgment not uncommon for celebrities to receive, sparked a new investigation into his credentials and the loosely defined relationships that can develop between law enforcement agencies and famous people.
The moment unfolded after Mr Warnock made claims about Mr Walker’s professional history, saying that Mr Walker “has a problem with the truth”.
“One thing I didn’t do: I’ve never pretended to be a police officer and I’ve never threatened a gunfight with the police,” said Mr. Warnock, referring to past controversies of Mr. walker. At that point, Mr Walker flashed the badge in response, saying he had “worked with a lot of police officers”.
The badge was given to him in recognition of the work he had done with the Cobb County Sheriff, according to his campaign spokesman, Will Kiley. Mr. Walker also holds an honorary insignia from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department in East Georgia, which includes his hometown of Wrightsville. Representatives from sheriff’s departments in both counties could not be reached for comment.
One of the moderators of the debate, WSAV anchor Tina Tyus-Shaw, admonished Mr Walker after waving the badge and asking him to put it down. She said he was “well aware” of the rules in the debate against the use of props on stage.
“It’s not a prop,” Mr Walker objected. “This is real.” However, the badge he presented on the debate stage was not an authentic badge that trained sheriffs wear, but an honorary badge often given to celebrities in sports or entertainment. (It seems likely that Mr. Walker and the moderator assigned different meanings to the idea of a prop. She apparently said that objects used for demonstrations were not allowed; she made no reference to the validity of the badge.)
It is not uncommon for athletes to be recognized by the police. In 2021, Cobb County named Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins a special deputy .
When Mr. Wilkins was sworn in, a sheriff’s spokeswoman noted… The Cobb County Courier that Mr. Wilkins did not have the same authority as an ordinary deputy sheriff to carry a gun and arrest people. She characterized his role as a liaison and partner.
In 2021, the sheriff’s office in Henry County, Georgia, about 30 miles southeast of Atlanta, gave a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, Shaquille O’Neal the title of director for community relations.
Neil Warren, who was the Cobb County sheriff when he named Mr. Walker an honorary deputy sheriff, approved his offer in the Senate in July.
In a statement At the time, Mr. Warren said that Mr. Walker “worked with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office for over 15 years” and “led leadership training, advocated mental health, encouraged numerous officers, and was always there to lend a hand when we needed to.” needed him.”
But many others express considerable skepticism about the kind of honorary recognition bestowed by law enforcement officers.
“Georgian sheriffs were seriously handing out those badges like candy in a candy bowl,” J.Tom Morgan, a former prosecutor in DeKalb County, Georgia, who was elected a Democrat, said in an interview on Saturday. “That badge doesn’t give you any law enforcement powers. He does not have the power to write a traffic fine.”
Morgan, who is now a professor at Western Carolina University, said the badges were so widely abused that the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association banned the practice of handing them out.
“What would happen is someone would be stopped for speeding, and they would pull out one of those badges,” he said. “And people were accused of posing as police officers.”
J. Terry Norris, the executive director of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, said in an email on Saturday that honorary credentials are not regulated by state law and are presented with the pleasure of law enforcement.
“There is no power of arrest associated with honorary credentials,” Mr Norris said.
Mr Walker has exaggerated his work in law enforcement before. In 2019 he has told soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State that he was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which was incorrect. He has also repeatedly said in campaign speeches that he worked as a member of law enforcement, but he did not.
In Georgia, the role of sheriff is an elected partisan position, and there may be rewards for both the donors and recipients of honorary badges.
According to the National Sheriffs’ Association, there are no formal guidelines governing the use and appearance of honorary badges — and what distinguishes them from real ones.
“It should be clear that a badge of honor is in front of the trophy cabinet,” Pat Royal, a spokesman for the National Sheriffs’ Association, said in an email on Saturday. mr. Royal indicated that he referred generally to honorary insignia, not to Mr. walker.
Mr Walker’s actions during the debate sparked a flurry of memes and widespread ridicule online.
“In fairness to Herschel Walker,” George Takei, the actor known for his role in “Star Trek,” tweeted on Friday nights: “I sometimes pull out my Star Fleet badge to get past security at Star Trek conferences.”
Erick Erickson, a conservative commentator, defended Mr Walker.
“He was named an honorary deputy sheriff in Cobb County, Georgia, and spent 15 years helping that department and discussing with the deputies how to deal with mental health situations,” Mr. Erickson said on Friday night. Twitter . “But I know facts don’t matter on Twitter.”
The image of Mr. Walker waving his badge during the debate was reminiscent of another celebrity with a penchant for badges: Elvis Presley. During a 1970 meeting with President Richard M. Nixon the king famous for a federal narcotics bureau badge . Mr. Presley’s widow, Priscilla Presley, discussed the badge’s appeal in her memoir, “Elvis and Me.”
“The narc badge represented some sort of ultimate power for him,” Ms Presley wrote.