1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I am writing to demand immediate action regarding Sheriff Nick Weems' egregious abuse of power in the arrest and 37-day detention of Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old former law enforcement officer and Perry County resident. This case represents a clear violation of constitutional rights and an alarming use of law enforcement authority to suppress political speech. On September 20, Bushart shared a Facebook meme featuring Donald Trump's quote "We have to get over it" from the 2024 Perry High School shooting in Iowa. The next day, Sheriff Weems arrested him on charges of "threatening mass violence at a school" and set bond at $2 million. Weems himself acknowledged to the Tennessean that his office knew the meme referenced a past shooting at a different high school in another state, yet proceeded with the arrest anyway. The lawsuit filed by Bushart reveals that Perry County has produced no evidence that any person interpreted the meme as a threat. The Perry County school district has no records concerning Bushart or the meme. Despite this, Weems claimed investigators believed Bushart "intentionally sought to create hysteria," a characterization unsupported by any documentation. The criminal charge was dropped in late October after Bushart spent 37 days in jail. This is political intimidation masquerading as law enforcement. Sheriff Weems admitted knowing the meme was not a genuine threat, yet used his authority to jail a constituent for expressing a political viewpoint. Bushart lost his post-retirement job in medical transportation due to this wrongful incarceration. I urge you to investigate this matter thoroughly and take appropriate action to hold Sheriff Weems accountable. This includes supporting legislation to prevent similar abuses and ensuring that law enforcement officials who violate constitutional rights face consequences. No constituent should fear arrest for protected political speech.