President Trump on Tuesday casually offered to "destroy" the career of a state senator who a Texas sheriff said he had problems with.
Sheriff tells Trump that state senator is doing something he doesn't like Trump: "Do you want to give his name? We… https://t.co/M4H7egoHKE
At a listening session with sheriffs on Tuesday, Rockwall County Sheriff Harold Eavenson complained to Trump about a state senator who introduced legislation that he disagreed with.
"The state senator in Texas was talking about introducing legislation to require conviction before we can receive that forfeiture money," Eavenson said, apparently referring to a bill filed in December that would repeal portions of the local civil asset forfeiture law, which allows law enforcement officers to seize a person's cash and property before charging them with a crime.
"I told him that the cartel would build a monument to him in Mexico if he could get that legislation passed," Eavenson told Trump.
"Who is the state senator?" Trump asked Eavenson. "Do you want to give his name? We'll destroy his career," Trump added, and the room burst into laughter. Eavenson laughed, but refused to identify the senator.
While it is unclear who the sheriff was referring to, the bill to abolish civil asset forfeiture was introduced in December by Texas state senator Konni Burton. The bill would require a felony conviction before law enforcement could seize the individual's property.
In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Burton said, "I have never met with Sheriff Eavenson, nor even heard of him before yesterday. However I take exception to his comments on asset forfeiture reform."
"While I certainly want law enforcement to have the tools necessary to combat large criminal enterprises, we must be vigilant to safeguard the rights of everyday citizens from potential abuse," she said. "I will not be discouraged nor deterred. The moment for reform of our system of asset forfeiture has arrived."
A similar bill was introduced by another Texas lawmaker, Rep. David Simpson, in 2015. That bill also related "to repealing civil asset forfeiture provisions and establishing criminal asset forfeiture in this state." However Simpson's bill died in in the June 2015 legislative session after it was met by objections from law enforcement.
Rockwall County is represented by Texas state senator Bob Hall.
Burton, Hall and Eavenson didn't immediately return requests for comment.