Sheriff responds to mention in ProPublica article linking him, representative to militia group

ProPublica, a nonprofit organization dedicated to investigative journalism, published an article on Aug. 17 that linked Beaufort County Sheriff Scott Hammonds and North Carolina House Representative Keith Kidwell (R- Beaufort, Hyde, Dare, Pamlico) to militia group American Patriots Three Percent or AP3.

ProPublica defines AP3 as one of the largest militias in the United States whose membership includes law enforcement officers, convicted criminals, active-duty U.S. soldiers, small business owners, truck drivers and health care professionals. ProPublica reported that AP3 has a “vague but militant right-wing ideology, a pronounced sense of grievance and a commitment to armed action.”

ProPublica interviewed Burley Ross, of Pinetown, who is the leader of the North Carolina AP3 chapter. In the interview, Ross implicated Hammonds and Kidwell by giving their titles as sheriff of Beaufort County and Representative, but not their names. ProPublica listed Hammonds and Kidwell’s names in their article.

In internal chats that ProPublica obtained, Ross alleged that Hammonds and Kidwell are “off the books” members of AP3. Neither Ross nor ProPublica defined what “off the books” meant.

Hammonds responded to the ProPublica article in an interview with the Daily News.

“I have no knowledge of what he is talking about,” Hammonds said, referring to Ross. “I am not familiar with him. I don’t have any affiliation or any association with him or any AP3 affiliation or any white supremacists or right-wing training groups – whether that’s radicals or extremists.”

ProPublica wrote that they “could not independently confirm Hammonds’ relationship with the group.”

Kidwell did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily News.

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