A Florida sheriff nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to head the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is drawing criticism for enforcing a pandemic-era prohibition on large church gatherings, saying Sunday that he was simply enforcing the law.
Chad Chronister, the longtime sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, was announced as Trump's pick for the key federal agency on Saturday.
"As DEA Administrator, Chad will work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other illegal drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE lives," Trump wrote.
Chronister, appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott to lead the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in 2017, shared his excitement about the nomination, calling it "the honor of a lifetime."
The nomination drew sharp backlash from some of Trump's own supporters for actions Chronister took in March 2020, when his office arrested Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, the leader of River at Tampa Bay Church, for hosting in-person church services in defiance of Florida's COVID-19 restrictions.
Chronister ordered the arrest of Howard-Browne, who had openly criticized the lockdown measures and continued to hold large gatherings despite the statewide safer-at-home order. Howard-Browne was charged with unlawful assembly and violating public health emergency rules, but the charges were later dropped.
During a media briefing, the sheriff later said he had no choice but to arrest Howard-Browne because "practicing those beliefs has to be done safely."
Following the arrest, the Hillsborough County Council voted to reverse its previous stay-at-home order and recognized churches as essential businesses. The council also voted against imposing a 10-person limit and 6-foot social distancing restriction on churches.
Despite the dismissal of the charges, the arrest has become a key point of contention for critics who argue that it represented an overreach of authority, particularly on religious freedoms.
"I'm going to call 'em like I see 'em. Trump's nominee for head of DEA should be disqualified for ordering the arrest of a pastor who defied COVID lockdowns," Trump ally and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky tweeted.
The Libertarian Party of Mississippi also weighed in on the matter, tweeting, "Trump's nominee for DEA arrested a pastor for having the audacity to ... checks notes ... hold church service."
While social media lit up Monday with similar criticisms, others noted Chronister later reconciled with Pastor Howard-Browne, who previously warned that Chronister would have to "deal with Jesus" for his decision.
The pastor finally held a meeting in April 2020 with Chronister to discuss River Church's role in reopening Hillsborough County.
Howard-Browne and Chronister appeared in an online video Sunday, with the pastor offering his support for Chronister's nomination.
"Yes, I did get arrested during COVID. But we've always been friends, and we remain friends today," Howard-Browne said before offering his full endorsement.
Chronister said that he is a "follow-the-law sheriff."
"I was following the law back then — lousy laws or good laws," he said. "But you have to be the sheriff and do your job. ... I'm proud that Florida was the first [state] to roll back all those COVID restrictions. It was certainly a happy day when I was able to call the state's attorney and say, 'Drop those charges.'"
Chronister's wife, Nikki DeBartolo, is the daughter of former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., who was convicted in a 1990s gambling fraud scandal after building one of the NFL's most prestigious franchises.
In 1998, DeBartolo Jr. pleaded guilty to failing to report a felony when he paid $400,000 to former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards in exchange for a riverboat gambling license.
Chronister and DeBartolo met Trump at the White House when the president pardoned DeBartolo Jr. in Feb. 2020.
Trump's nomination of Chronister comes after Trump has already nominated several notable cabinet and top agency roles, including Tesla and X chief Elon Musk, former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and former TV host Mehmet Oz. Trump is slated to be sworn in for a second term in January.
