What We Know About the Reported Grant County Sheriff’s No-Confidence Vote

Separating confirmed statements from reported claims following a developing story.

Recently the Grant County News Posted a controversial “story” at least on Facebook that leveled some accusations at the Grant County Sheriff’s office.

The post was labeled “Breaking News: Allegedly…”. In journalism, the word allegedly is commonly used to indicate that a claim has not yet been independently verified or proven. While it can be an appropriate term in certain circumstances—such as reporting on criminal allegations or information that has not yet been confirmed—it should not be viewed as a substitute for thorough reporting and verification.

I reached out to the Sheriff’s Office as soon as I read it for a response. Yesterday July 13th around 5PM the Sheriff’s Office officially responded via Facebook.

Below is the official response as published from the Grant County Sheriff’s Facebook Account. Unaltered

“I want to take a moment to address the questions raised by a recent social media post about a vote of no confidence by members of the Grant County Deputy Sheriffs Association, the labor union that represents our patrol deputies, corporals, sergeants, lieutenant, and detectives. I am publicly sharing this information and what is being done to address the underlying issues.

The vote of no confidence is a significant expression of concern, and I recognize the importance of taking those concerns seriously. I value honest feedback from our employees, and every member of this organization deserves to feel heard, respected, and valued. We have been engaged in discussions with the association, and I remain committed to continuing those conversations constructively and respectfully.

Some of the issues raised are within my authority as Sheriff to address. I have already met with the association’s leadership to discuss those concerns, and those conversations have been constructive. We will continue working together to address issues that can be resolved within my authority.

Other concerns involve pay, benefits, working conditions, and other topics that are covered by our collective bargaining agreement. Those issues must be addressed through the formal negotiation process between the County and the union. While I cannot make those changes on my own, I am committed to participating in that process respectfully and in good faith.

In the coming weeks, I will continue meeting with association leadership and employees to discuss concerns, identify issues we can address immediately, and ensure that matters requiring collective bargaining are handled through the appropriate process.

No matter where a concern needs to be addressed, every issue deserves thoughtful consideration. I will continue working to identify practical solutions where I can and communicate openly about the progress we are making.

Our mission has not changed. Every day, the dedicated staff of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office serves our community with professionalism, integrity, and accountability. I am proud of the work they do, and I remain committed to building a workplace where employees feel respected, supported, and proud to serve.

Moving forward, we will continue creating opportunities for honest conversations, gathering meaningful feedback, and working together to strengthen this organization. Building trust requires ongoing effort from everyone. I believe that by treating one another with respect, communicating openly, and staying focused on our shared mission, we can move forward together.

I appreciate the professionalism and dedication our employees demonstrate every day, and I remain committed to leading this organization with respect, transparency, and accountability.

Joe Kriete

Grant County Sheriff”

The Original Post from Grant County News

According to a report published by Grant County News, deputies with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office reportedly conducted an anonymous vote of no confidence in Sheriff Joey Kriete on or about June 17, 2026. The report states that a majority of participating deputies supported the measure, though the reasons for the vote have not been made public.

According to the report:

• Deputies reportedly voted 31 in favor, 6 opposed, with 10 abstaining.

• The vote was described as an anonymous, secure process.

• The specific concerns or issues leading to the reported vote have not been disclosed.

• A vote of no confidence is symbolic and does not remove an elected sheriff from office.

• The report noted that no formal consequences have been announced and that the situation remains a developing story.

Comments on Facebook

In reading comments on both Facebook post there is a mixed response from readers. Accusations of electioneering because of the timing are being leveled by readers. There are also readers alleging that the Grant County News has been openly supporting one of the other candidates and crying foul. While some comments support the feelings in the original post.

There are both for and against comments in the response from the sheriff’s office. Some people don’t think it is genuine and others support it.

In preparing for my interviews with the candidates I found negative post about all of them.

There is even an argument because AI apparently thinks the response statement is mostly AI. Which is a hilarious argument, because I even run my stories through AI to check grammar, continuity, flow and wording because I type the way I talk. So AI would flag my work too.

What it means for you

Here is the simple truth. There are very strong feelings about the race. This is part of the reason we could not take open mic questions for the Grant County Sheriff’s forum event.

As a news outlet, I can’t and will not tell you what or who is right and what the truth is in this situation. There are too many variables I don’t have the knowledge on right now. Sheriff Kriete’s response does openly acknowledge some difficulties which validates some of the initial publication but not all of it.

What I can tell you is:

• The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is responsible and legally liable for any statement made through official channels

• The “Allegedly” tag on the post removes some liability for the outlet in regards to truth and accuracy of the post unless malice or negligence can be proved.

• The only really appropriate time to use “Allegedly” in a story is when you are reporting on an active investigation or legal trial. There is an exception in the case that you have officially reached out to fact check a story and received no response after a reasonable time.

• People are ALWAYS going to have strong feelings when it comes to law enforcement elected offices.

• Journalistic ethics encourage reporters to verify information with multiple sources whenever possible before publication

• FACEBOOK POST are not journalism and are not held to the same standards as a registered journalistic platform.

What I can and will point you to is the candidates own words and statements via our our candidate hub interviews and the forum that you can find here.