President-elect Donald Trump’s recent nominee to lead the DEA, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, withdrew from consideration on Tuesday, Dec. 3. He faced scrutiny for past actions that did not reflect the conservatism of Trump’s electorate yet garnered support from an unexpected source. One of the major objections to his elevation to this office was that during the Covid-19 pandemic, he had a pastor arrested at his Hernando County residence for having in-person services.
In a Truth Social post on Nov. 30, President-elect Donald Trump announced, “I am pleased to nominate Sheriff Chad Chronister for Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). For over 32 years, Sheriff Chad Chronister has served the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and received countless commendations and awards for keeping his community SAFE. A proud graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 260th Session, Chad is Co-Chairman of the Regional Domestic Security Task Force for Region IV Tampa Bay, Council Member of the Florida Attorney General’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, Chairman of the Criminal Justice Sub-Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council, and Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Schools Citizen Oversight Committee. 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. Congratulations to Chad, his wife Nikki, and two wonderful sons!”
Chronister has resources. He is married to Nikki DeBartolo, daughter of business tycoon Edward Debartolo Jr., who owns DeBartolo Holdings and has a net worth of $3.7 billion, according to his profile on Forbes. He is the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers. Under his ownership in the 1980s and 90s, the 49ers won five Super Bowls. However, in 1998, he pled guilty to not reporting a felony by a Louisiana government official and in 2001 his sister Denise DeBartolo York took controlling ownership of the team. President Trump pardoned DeBartolo in 2020.
Sheriff Chronister has been criticized for his record of supporting progressive initiatives in Hillsborough County, such as DEI and LGBTQ. During BLM riots at University Mall in Tampa and at Hillsborough County Jail on Orient Rd, he did not show significant force to prevent looting and riots. Businesses, including Champs Sports at the University Mall, were damaged by arson, rioting, and looting. He also stated his support for the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana.
During the Covid 19 pandemic, he facilitated the arrest of Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, a Hernando County resident and megachurch pastor of The River at Tampa Bay Church, for unlawful assembly and violation of a public health emergency order after the pastor held two Sunday services. Hernando County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Howard-Browne at his home in Hernando County.
A press release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office states, “His actions were a direct violation of Executive Order 20-05, which went into effect on March 20, limiting gatherings, including faith-based gatherings, to less than 10 people. He was also violating the Safer-At-Home Order, which went into effect on March 27, advising Hillsborough County residents to remain in their homes as much as possible to create greater social distancing and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“On Friday, and again on Sunday, Sheriff’s Office personnel and legal staff spoke with attorneys representing the church in an attempt to educate them on the orders in place and the dangerous environment they were creating for their members and the community. Neither the pastor nor his church leaders heeded the warnings.
“ ‘His reckless disregard for human life put hundreds of people in his congregation at risk and thousands of residents who may interact with them this week in danger,’ said Sheriff Chronister.”
The press release continues, “Due to his disregard for public safety after repeated requests and warnings, HCSO [Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office] worked with State Attorney Andrew Warren to obtain a warrant for Pastor Howard-Browne’s arrest on Monday morning, March 30. Pastor Howard-Browne was arrested at his home in Hernando County around 1:30 p.m. the same day.”
Liberty Counsel agreed to represent Howard-Browne and released the following statement on March 30, 2020, “Even before the arrest at the pastor’s home was complete, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister held a press conference lecturing about what the Bible says. He called the pastor “reckless,” and said he wants to make him an example.
“The Tampa order has 42 paragraphs of exceptions, and another paragraph that further exempts any business that can comply with a six-foot separation. Yet, this church did comply. In fact, this church has done more to balance worship with protecting people, including:
Enforced the six-foot distance between family groups in the auditorium as well as the overflow rooms
All the staff wore gloves
Every person who entered the church received hand sanitizer
In the farmer’s market and coffee shop in the lobby, the six-foot distance was enforced with the floor specifically marked (farmer’s markets and produce stands are expressly exempted)
The church spent $100,000 on a hospital-grade purification system set up throughout the church that provide continuous infectious microbial reduction that is rated to kill microbes, including those in the coronavirus family.”
The criminal misdemeanor charges against Pastor Howard-Browne were dropped on May 15, 2020.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “The arrest of Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne was politically motivated. Neither the pastor nor The River at Tampa Bay Church did anything wrong. The arrest and the press conference were outrageous and caught the attention of the nation and the world. As a result of this arrest, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared attendance at churches, synagogues, and houses of worship to be an essential activity. This arrest freed up every church in Florida to meet. We are pleased that all the charges have been dropped. It is now time to move forward with healing and restoration.”
Howard-Browne and Sheriff Chronister have since made amends and the megachurch pastor fully supported Chronister for DEA Administrator.
On Dec. 2, Howard-Browne wrote on X, “One thing people forget about my arrest was major preachers in Tampa put pressure on @ChadChronister to shut me down! Some of them are on the video when he announced my arrest! #wokepreachers Those preachers have never apologized. As for many politicians pontificating about my arrest, none of them have ever called me. #posturing.”
He wrote a formal letter of support to President Trump that states in part, “Chad Chronister has been my friend for many years, through good times and challenges. I truly believe he acted with the intention of doing the right thing, and I’ve witnessed firsthand how he has learned and grown from those experiences… Chad’s journey is a testament to resilience and growth… His vision, resolve and leadership make him an ideal candidate to lead the DEA…”
Replying to concerns about whether he would follow an unconstitutional law as DEA chief, Howard-Browne says, “You can trust him – he gave me his word!”
Posting to X on Dec. 3, Chronister said, “To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime. Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration. There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling. I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County.”
Responding to an article published by The Wallstreet Journal on Dec. 4, “Trump’s DEA Pick Pulls Out In Latest Setback,” Trump posted the following to Truth Social, “With all that’s happening in the World, this is their Number One story of the day. Besides, he didn’t pull out, I pulled him out, because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters…”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Dec. 9 to include President Trump’s Dec. 7 Truth Social post.
