Jay Jones terminates Deputy Cam Hunt for running for Lee County Sheriff

Former Lee County Deputy Sheriff Cam Hunt has made public his letter of termination from Jay Jones. Jones had the option of asking Deputy Hunt for his resignation or offering him a leave of absence after Hunt had personally shown him the professional courtesy of informing Jones of his intention to run for sheriff. In a shockingly impulsive act of heavy handed self interest, Jones broke with long standing precedents and committed the nearly unheard of act of firing a deputy without deliberation. Multiple sources from within the Lee County Sheriff's Office have confirmed that Jones has put out the message office wide that in no uncertain terms any deputy or personnel within the office will be terminated immediately for any show of support for Hunt's candidacy for sheriff. In a mystifying misuse of taxpayer dollars and abuse of the public trust, sources have also confirmed that personnel in the sheriff's office have been assigned to monitoring the social media and online activities of deputies and office personnel for anything so much as liking a facebook post by Hunt's candidate page at which point they can fully expect to be terminated immediately.

Jay Jones is 72 years old. His declining cognitive functions and prospects for longevity as an effective elected official have been a grave concern in the community for the last several years. To put it mildly, Jones is way past his expiration date and this latest public relations disaster entirely of his own making is proof positive that he is long overdue for retirement. Concerns over Jones cynically winning reelection without any intention of completing his term so that he can usher in his own handpicked replacement without giving the citizens of Lee County their full say in the matter have only exacerbated this tense dynamic.

When it comes to political matters, Jones has hardly shown consistently good judgement over the years. In an ill advised appearance in a 2014 PR video Jones defended then indicted and subsequently convicted Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard by stating "Mike Hubbard is one of the most honest men there is." Jones went on to shamelessly declare with a straight face in that same video "I believe in Mike Hubbard." Bumbling around with egg on his face is a consistent pattern for Jones who seldom fails to place himself on the wrong side of major issues such as his vehement opposition in 2022 to constitutional carry being passed by the legislature which enjoyed widespread support among Alabama's conservative majority at that time.

Lee County deserves better. Until Jones made the impetuous decision to fire Deputy Hunt on the spot, Hunt had been one of the most distinguished members of the office. Jay could do the right thing and step aside for a new generation of leadership to take charge. If only Jones had that kind of good political judgement. Bless his heart.