Former Clark County Sheriff candidate refers to a report by Oregon Public Broadcasting as ‘poorly written and misleading’

Vancouver Police Department Cpl. Rey Reynolds provided a statement to Clark County Today Wednesday addressing a report of him being placed on administrative leave and four separate internal investigations that have been launched on him since September. Reynolds, who was a candidate for Clark County Sheriff in the November general election, referred to a Tuesday report by Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) “poorly written and misleading.’’

The OPB report referenced an email that had been obtained that was circulated among employees of the Vancouver Police Department. A source told Clark County Today that the email was “leaked’’ to the OPB reporter by a member of law enforcement.

The OPB report indicated that the email disclosed that Reynolds was currently on administrative leave with pay while the investigations are ongoing. The OPB report included that the emails did not disclose why Reynolds was placed on administrative leave or what led to the investigations.

Reynolds is a veteran of nearly four decades in law enforcement. He was defeated in the November general election by John Horch, who served more than 30 years in the Clark County Sheriff’s Office before being elected as sheriff.

Here is the full statement from Rey Reynolds regarding the OPB report: 

“First of all, I want to say the biggest thank you of my life: I have received so much love and support in the last few months, and especially in the last couple of days. Unfortunately, I can’t discuss many parts of the recent poorly written and misleading ‘article’ that OBP released on me, which is something they well know. They also know that this means I will be unable to defend myself against the way they attempted to smear me by blending truth in with conjecture. Nevertheless, I want my supporters (and everyone else) to know that someday soon, I will be able to discuss the nitty gritty details. And at that point, I most certainly will. 

“My team and I fought hard in the race for Clark County Sheriff for nearly two years before November’s election, and I am so proud of what we accomplished. Though I was not the person sworn into the role, we reached and had a positive impact on thousands of community members during the campaign, and ultimately that is my goal. I live to serve, and I’m blessed to have been able to meet and pray for so many that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to.  

“The hit pieces came one after another at the end of the campaign, thanks to a legacy media and a fringe group of extremists who are both fearful of anyone who runs the risk of opposing their preferred narrative or making any kind of positive change in our faltering society. There have been countless attacks against me because of my religious beliefs, and possibly even more attacks because of the color of my skin. While these have been disheartening and disturbing, they are not going to stop me. I’m not going to disappear and crawl into a hole just because I’m unhappy with the outcome of an election. I’m not going anywhere. I will continue to stand up, I will still allow my Lord to use me how He sees fit.  

“I have known John Horch and his lovely wife Michelle for many years, and I again offer my congratulations to him on his new position. John, you’ve got a lot of eyes on you, and a lot of good people to support you, and I’m praying for your success and the success of our County.  

Thank you again to everyone who is reaching out to show me support, and to everyone who is standing up to speak truth when they hear outrageous accusations against me. God bless you all, and you will be hearing from me again soon.’’ 

The OPB report indicated that the four investigations into Reynolds began on Sept. 8, Oct. 24 and two on Dec. 20 and that Reynolds was placed on leave Dec. 21. None of the investigations are closed. The report also stated that at least one investigation is tied to a podcast appearance Reynolds made during his campaign for sheriff. During that Sept. 24 podcast, the OPB report stated that Reynolds compared drag queen events to criminal sexual offenses and that his comments led to a petition calling for his dismissal that has gathered more than 1,400 signatures.

On Nov. 1, Reynolds issued a statement to Clark County Today about statements circulating online accusing Reynolds of saying he was “legally allowed to arrest transgender citizens simply for being trans.” 

“That is patently false,” Reynolds said. “Not only did I not say I’m legally allowed to do that, but I would never advocate for a police officer to be allowed to do anything of the sort! I believe in upholding the Constitution and I stand firmly against violating any citizens’ rights. An arrest of that magnitude would be a clear and disgusting violation of a person’s rights – no matter where they fit into the LBGTQ community.” 

Reynolds added the following in the Nov. 1 statement, “I could not care less how someone chooses to live their lives in terms of gay straight, transgender, whatever. I love them just as much as I love the next guy – I just love people! Where I have an issue is when children or other innocents who can’t advocate for themselves start to get mentally harmed. Of course I don’t want to arrest anyone ‘simply for being trans’ like this ridiculous petition circulating suggests. That’s slanderous and a flat out lie. 

“But, should someone act in a lewd or lascivious manner, whether they’re trans or not, that’s against the law. If anyone, at any event, should go so far as to expose themselves or bring children into sexual acts, real or simulating, that’s where the law is broken, and when everyone should be concerned! 

“I think it’s important to clarify that I don’t believe the law should be enforced in a one-sided manner because people are members of the LGBTQ community. I believe the law should be enforced despite that. I have no desire to shame or needlessly incriminate the people who identify in any way – I only want to protect children. That’s something that should be important to everyone.”