Mitch Perry
Chad Chronister was just sworn in as Hillsborough County Sheriff less than four months ago, and he’s already on a pace for more than $500,000 raised as he goes before voters for the first time in November.
But he wasn’t the star attraction at his own fundraiser at World of Beer in Tampa’s Westshore district Wednesday night.
That distinction went to Rob O’Neill, better known as the man who shot Osama bin Laden.
In fall 2014, the 41-year-old ex-Navy SEAL was outed as the shooter of the most wanted man in the world, more than three years after the SEAL Team 6 killed the former al-Qaida leader in a Pakistan compound in May 2011.
Though O’Neill’s decision to go public that he fired the kill shot irked some of his colleagues at the time, that was the last thought on the minds of those waiting in the cool night to shake his hand, take a selfie or have him sign a copy of “The Operator,” his 2017 best-selling memoir about his years as a SEAL team warrior.
“I just want to say I love you man,” said one man who hugged O’Neill, telling him that his brother was a fireman in New York City who died on 9/11.
O’Neill told Florida Politics that he met Chronister through some mutual friends in Tampa.
“I have a lot of friends in Washington D.C. who work out of here,” he said, referring to MacDill Air Force Base, home of U.S. Central Command.
O’Neill has visited Tampa “a couple of times,” but isn’t that familiar with the area. But he was happy to come to town to do what he can to boost Chronister’s re-election chances.
“I heard what Chad was doing. He and I got a chance to meet. I love his message. I love his belief in community outreach, educating the children more in law enforcement and keeping everybody safe. With my military background I realized how important it is that we have to be safe here because there is a threat, not just overseas but here at home and Chad is in the know.”
Living Virginia Beach, Virginia, O’Neill said he’s constantly traveling around the country giving speeches and (in certain cases) making appearances with Republican candidates. He also works with the Fox News Channel.
O’Neill was honorably discharged in 2012 after 16 years in the Navy.
“I didn’t get to retire, just because I was on a lot of high profile missions. My team rescued ‘the Lone Survivor’ (Marcus Lutrell). My team rescued (Captain) Richard Phillips. Went on the raid to kill bin Laden. So once we got to a certain point it was time to hang ’em up as they say.”
O’Neill also runs Your Grateful Nation, a foundation for special operation veterans transitioning to the private sector.
“This is the longest we’ve ever been at war in our history,” he said. “We help them transition to the private sector, get second careers for them and their families.”
“It’s nice that I have a couple of jobs after the Navy. I still would have a mortgage to pay even though I got no pension. So yeah, it’s nice to get paid to do things.”
The fundraiser will only help increase Chronister’s vast fundraising lead over other two candidates who filed for the November election: Democrat Gary Allen Pruitt and non-party-affiliated Juan R. Rivera.
This is a special election called after the unexpected resignation of Sheriff David Gee last year. Gee was re-elected in 2016.
If elected, Chronister will get some downtime to concentrate on his job, before becoming a candidate again in 2020.
One comment
Vinny Del Monaco
January 25, 2018 at 11:06 pm
Such a shit bag! O’neill wasn’t outed, he chose to run for a million dollar payday and betrayed the very oath that he swore to the teams. He should pay out his pathetic earnings to all his former teammates for being such an ignoramus. Only idiot forgoes a pension with 4 years to go. Must have skipped math class in Butte or they don’t teach math in MT… pathetic, excommunicated member of the elite teams….
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