A Virginia sheriff faces federal fraud and conspiracy charges for allegedly giving deputy sheriff badges in exchange for money to fund his re-election campaign, according to CNN.

Sheriff Scott Howard Jenkins of Culpeper County, Virginia, was named in a 16-count indictment along with three other businessmen who were accused of paying bribes to the sheriff.

The indictment reportedly claimed that since at least April 2019, Jenkins had been accepting cash and bribes from former campaign contributors named Rick Rahim, Fredric Gumbinner, and James Metcalf. Five others also reportedly paid bribes, including two undercover FBI agents.

[Jenkins is a Republican who pledged to issue deputy badges to allow citizens to carry their firearms if the state legislature restricted that right. It looks as though he might have found another purpose for those badges, assuming these charges are legitimate. — Ed]