White power sheriff candidate hosts cross burning | News

The white power activist that wants to be the next Bonner County sheriff held a cross burning with fellow Ku Klux Klan members at his Priest River home last Friday.

Thirty-three-year-old Shaun Winkler defended the burning and called it a historic ritual steeped in Christian roots, according to the Associated Press.

Winkler is a member of the Aryan Nations and is also a KKK imperial wizard.

If elected sheriff, Winkler says his ties to white power groups would not impact his decisions. He says the mission of his campaign is to crack down on drugs and sex offenders.

The 33-year-old runs a landscaping business, but does not have any law enforcement background.