Commissioner Bob Harvie speaking. Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Bucks County Commissioner Chairperson Bob Harvie hit back at accusations Friday after Sheriff Fred Harran, the county’s Jewish sheriff, said Harvie’s comments about World War II were targeted at him.
The controversy stemmed from a Wednesday commissioners’ meeting where Harvie, a Democrat, spoke at the end during the commissioners’ comment portion about the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. His remarks came after public comments against and for Harran’s office’s efforts to join the controversial 287(g) federal immigration enforcement program.
Harvie, a former history teacher at Bucks County Technical High School and self-described “history nerd,” mentioned the anniversary of the end of the European front of the war. He praised those troops who fought against the Nazis and spoke of his recollections of talking with family members who served, noting many of World War II’s veterans have passed away.
“For someone who’s spent a lot of time studying World War II, there are definite parallels that I see happening,” Harvie said. “Not nearly as great as what happened in 1920s Germany, 1930s Germany, but certainly not too far away from being in the same ballpark. And it’s concerning. It’s something that all of us should be more focused on.”
“When this country wanted to, when it became necessary, this country saved the world. We did it working together and we did it fighting for freedom and democracy,” he added.
Harvie said that losing survivors and veterans means a direct connection that period of history is lost.
Harvie didn’t mention the sheriff or the office’s application to obtain new, limited immigration enforcement authority during his remarks.
At commissioners’ meetings, it isn’t uncommon for Harvie and Republican Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo to give comment at the end. During their comments, they often mention historic events in Bucks County and around the globe.
Harran, a Republican, released a statement Friday morning saying he found the comments offensive and felt targeted, citing the context of the meeting’s discussion about the 287(g) program.
“I think there’s a definite correlation between what happened at the meeting. The whole meeting and [public] comments were about this,” Harran said.
The sheriff said that he “bore the grief” of relatives murdered by the Nazis and heard firsthand accounts of concentration camps from his father, a World War II veteran.
Harvie, who is also running for Congress, responded sharply, calling Harran’s accusations “pathetic and disgusting.”
“It’s pathetic and disgusting of Sheriff Harran to turn a statement about V-E Day honoring the men and women who defeated fascism and saved the world into something about himself,” Harvie said.
James O’Malley, a county spokesperson, called Harran’s claims “entirely dishonest” and noted that Harvie’s comments focused on the anniversary.
“If the sheriff sees himself portrayed on the wrong side of those comments, then perhaps that says more about him and his intentions than it does about Commissioner Harvie,” O’Malley said.
Danny Ceisler, the Democratic candidate challenging Harran in the upcoming election, accused the sheriff of “shamelessly exploit[ing] our shared religion and the memory of the Holocaust in a political stunt.”
Ceisler, who is also Jewish, said Harran’s comments “not only trivializes genuine threats to the Jewish community but also undermines our ability to confront the actual resurgence of hate coming from both political fringes.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee called Harvie’s remarks a “deranged outburst” and offered to pay for him to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp. The Bucks County Republican Committee also criticized Harvie on social media.
The controversy comes amid a rise in antisemitic incidents in Bucks County and nationwide, particularly following the Hamas attack on Israel in October and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza.
Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran in a video posted by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office. (Credit: Bucks County DA)Below is Harran’s full written statement:
“Commissioner Harvie likes history. So, here’s mine: I grew up in a Jewish home, studied at a Hebrew school, and attended synagogue (and still do). I bore the grief of members of my mother’s family who were murdered by the Nazis. I heard the stories of my father – a doctor in Patton’s Third Army – who liberated concentration camps and cared for fellow Jews dehumanized and destroyed by the cruelty of an evil and authoritarian regime.
“That’s why it is unconscionable to me that in a time of deep political divisions, anti-law enforcement sentiment, and rampant antisemitism in our nation and our world, Commissioner Harvie would use his position to intentionally and directly compare our community to Nazi Germany. As the only Jewish sheriff in Pennsylvania, I find it notable that these sentiments – and many like them – are directed toward me and my role in public safety.
“I agree with the dozens of Jewish leaders and constituents who have reached out over the last few days, Commissioner Harvie’s remarks both personally offensive and derogatory to the Jewish community – both here in Bucks County and around the nation. Just as bad, his twisted version of history equates my deputies’ efforts to uphold the rule of law and keep our communities safe from known criminals to Nazi-era atrocities. His statements simultaneously demean law enforcement officers and minimize the very real, and very personal, horrors of the period he fancies himself an expert on.
“We should all acknowledge that these statements are repugnant and unbefitting an elected leader. He should apologize.
“Commissioner Harvie might like reading about World War II history. My family lived it.”
Below is Harvie’s full comment:
“It’s pathetic and disgusting of Sheriff Harran to turn a statement about V-E Day honoring the men and women who defeated fascism and saved the world into something about himself. He should focus on doing his job and executing the backlog of 4,000 criminal warrants he’s failed to serve.”
Bucks County spokesperson Jim O’Malley’s full statement:
“Sheriff Harran’s claims regarding Commissioner Harvie’s comments during this week’s meeting are entirely dishonest, wholly offensive and arguably libelous. The Commissioner’s comments, which notably went unquoted in the Sheriff’s statement, discussed the heroic spirit of the United States that drove our nation’s victory over the forces of evil and fascism in Europe during World War II.
“If the Sheriff sees himself portrayed on the wrong side of those comments, then perhaps that says more about him and his intentions than it does about Commissioner Harvie.
“The County of Bucks is proudly home to many thousands of Jewish residents, and we honor their experience, including their incredible endurance in the face of unspeakable horrors. We do not twist their pain to score political points in an election year. For doing just that, the Sheriff’s statement is as insulting as it is absurd.”
Below is Ceisler’s full written statement:
“As a practicing Jew who fasted on Yom Kippur while serving in Afghanistan and whose grandfather served in Patton’s Third Army liberating concentration camps, I am compelled to forcefully defend Commissioner Bob Harvie’s thoughtful and necessary remarks.
“Bob Harvie does not owe Fred Harran or the Jewish community an apology. Despite Mr. Harran’s insinuations, Commissioner Harvie did not call him a Nazi, nor did he invoke the Holocaust in any way. Instead, he called out tactics being employed around our nation that are unmistakably reminiscent of those used in Germany before the Holocaust: the denial of due process, disregard for the rule of law, and the calculated spread of misinformation. As Jews, we should be particularly acutely aware of how dangerous these behaviors are to a democracy and how quickly they can erode the very principles that protect us all.
“Fred Harran’s decision to shamelessly exploit our shared religion and the memory of the Holocaust in a political stunt is disgraceful. Using Judaism as a shield to deflect legitimate criticism is cowardly and beneath the office he holds.
“There is real antisemitism in our country today and it is worse than I have ever seen in my lifetime. By baselessly accusing Commissioner Harvie of bigotry, Mr. Harran not only trivializes genuine threats to the Jewish community but also undermines our ability to confront the actual resurgence of hate coming from both political fringes.
“Instead of hiding behind our faith, Fred Harran should take a hard look at how his actions echo the very abuses we are taught to reject. The Jewish community has endured enough manipulation and scapegoating throughout history — it’s time to learn from those mistakes, not repeat them.”
