Official Statement Regarding Lodge #111 Political Endorsement from Scott Hamilton

The following is a statement released by Scott Hamilton, President of the FOP Lodge #111 and current candidate for Wicomico County Sheriff.

Following the recent endorsement vote at the regular monthly meeting of Lodge #111 in support of my candidacy for Sheriff, I want to address the process used and how we are moving forward. I have spent today gathering as many facts as possible to issue this statement, based on actual events that took place during the meeting on March 9, 2026.

Prior to the meeting, members were notified by email that I would briefly address my candidacy and that discussions had begun about possibly hosting a candidate forum. When those conversations began among members of the Board of Directors, I made it clear that I would remain out of those discussions and asked that the Board follow the Lodge bylaws as they proceeded.

When the meeting began on, it was like any regular meeting. I provided a brief statement to the membership regarding my candidacy and addressed the possibility of a candidate forum. I explained that if the Lodge wished to host a forum, it would require a motion and vote of the membership, which had not yet occurred. I also told the members that I would gladly participate in a forum if that was the will of the membership.

After making those remarks, the membership did not have any follow-up questions for me, so I then recused myself and left the meeting to attend another event where I had been scheduled to speak. Because I am both a candidate and an officer of the Lodge, I believed it was important to remove myself from the room so the members could deliberate freely.

Several hours later, I was surprised to learn that the members who remained at the meeting voted to proceed with an endorsement process immediately, prior to the forum, and subsequently made a motion and voted to endorse my candidacy. Afterall, I left the meeting with the knowledge that the forum was already planned, and I had conveyed to the membership that I like the idea of attending it.

Late yesterday evening, I received a formal letter signed by two active members of the Lodge requesting that I withhold publicly announcing the endorsement and convene a committee to review the validity of the vote. I was only able to review that letter a few minutes before the Vice President's press release announcing the endorsement was distributed. Out of respect for that request, my campaign has not publicly referenced the endorsement on any of our platforms, and we will withhold the announcement until the committee has made a determination.

Out of respect for the membership and the integrity of Lodge #111's processes, I have called for an immediate review to determine whether any bylaws were violated when the motion to endorse was made by the members who were present at the meeting. This review will likely include a small committee of members who were not in attendance reviewing the Lodge bylaws and the meeting minutes before making a determination. Once the review is complete, the committee will present its findings to the Board of Directors, who will then report the results to the membership and the media.

To be clear, the Lodge bylaws do not require that a candidate forum be held prior to an endorsement vote, and in this case the endorsement vote itself was made by the members who attended the meeting. I also understand that the previously scheduled forum will still take place. I respect that members who were not present at the meeting should have the opportunity to hear from all candidates and learn what each has planned if elected. It is important that the Lodge's established procedures are respected so the entire membership can have confidence in the outcome.

On behalf of the members of Lodge #111, I respectfully ask that everyone allow this process to move forward. If it is determined that the membership acted in error when the motion was made, there will be further discussion regarding any future endorsements or how the Lodge may address the previous motion.

Released by: Scott M. Hamilton, President, Lodge #111