Herschel Walker defends use of 'honorary' sheriff's badge in Georgia Senate debate - CNN

CNN  — 

Republican Senate campaigner Herschel Walker defended pulling retired a sheriff’s badge during Friday’s intimately watched debate successful Georgia, telling NBC successful an interrogation that aired connected Sunday it was “a legit,” but honorary badge from his hometown sheriff’s department.

Walker had pulled retired the badge during a treatment implicit enactment for constabulary – successful a determination that was admonished by the statement moderators and led to wide mockery from Democrats.

“This is from my hometown. This is from Johnson County from the sheriff from Johnson County, which is simply a legit badge,” Walker told NBC’s Kristen Welker successful a clip from the interview.

A CNN information check recovered Walker has ne'er had a occupation successful instrumentality enforcement. He has publicized a paper showing that helium was astatine immoderate constituent aft 2004 named an “honorary agent” and “special lawman sheriff” successful Cobb County, Georgia – titles that bash not confer apprehension authority.

The contention betwixt Walker and Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is one of the astir important Senate races successful the country, representing a cardinal authorities Democrats indispensable clasp to person immoderate accidental to support power of the Senate adjacent year. The contention has precocious been rocked by allegations that Walker paid for a woman’s termination and encouraged her to person different 1 – allegations the Republican has repeatedly denied and that CNN has not independently confirmed.

A survey released earlier this month, which was conducted aft the allegations emerged, recovered Warnock with 52% enactment among apt voters to 45% for Walker, astir the aforesaid arsenic successful a mid-September poll.

During Friday’s debate, Walker had accused Warnock of calling officers “names” and caused “morale” to plummet, but the Democrat cited a mendacious assertion from Walker that helium had antecedently served successful instrumentality enforcement.

“One happening that I haven’t done is I haven’t pretended to beryllium a constabulary serviceman and I’ve never, ever threatened a shootout with police,” Warnock said, alluding to a much than two-decade-old constabulary study successful which the Republican discussed exchanging gunfire with police.

“Everyone tin marque fun,” Walker said successful the NBC interview, arguing that the badge means helium has “the close to enactment with the constabulary getting things done.”

Walker, however, aboriginal admitted it was an “honorary badge” and pushed backmost against the idea, which NBC’s Welker work from a National Sheriffs’ Association statement, that specified badges should beryllium near successful a “trophy case.”