Virginia Beach delegate claims sheriff fired her husband after she raised Capitol riot allegations against a deputy

A pair of elected officials in Virginia Beach sparred Tuesday on Twitter after Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler accused Sheriff Ken Stolle of firing her husband from his post at the sheriff’s office.

Convirs-Fowler, a Democrat representing Virginia’s 21st House District, claims the action took place after she raised concerns about an individual in the Sheriff’s Office allegedly being seen in a video from the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Convirs-Fowler wrote on Twitter that she let Stolle know about a video that a citizen shared with her showing a Virginia Beach sheriff’s deputy at the insurrection.

“Did Stolle do anything?” Convirs-Fowler’s tweet says. “Yes! He fired my husband this morning. #detoxVB”

Her husband has been with the sheriff’s office for nearly 15 years, according to Convirs-Fowler.

A few hours later, the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office shot back in a comment on the delegate’s tweet, denying that her husband had been fired or that the sheriff’s office’s actions had anything to do with the Capitol riot.

The sheriff’s office attached part of an official statement to its tweet, claiming Sgt. W.D. Fowler, Convirs-Fowler’s husband, was notified Tuesday that he would not be appointed to a new four-year term and is placed on administrative leave until the end of his current appointment, which is set to expire at the end of this year.

Stolle fired back in a comment, too, accusing Convirs-Fowler of lying.

“Del. Fowler - You know this is a lie. Your husband has not been fired & his employment has nothing to do w/Jan. 6,” Stolle wrote in a comment on Fowler’s tweet.

The officials went back and forth on Twitter into the evening, with Convirs-Fowler posting screenshots of texts between herself and Stolle, alleging that he hasn’t met with her to discuss the video despite her requests.

Stolle tweeted that he has spoken with the FBI and “ensured no one of my staff broke any law” in response to the Capitol riot allegation.

“Let me be clear: No one from the @VBSO participated in any insurrection, riot or other criminal conduct at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6,” Stolle tweeted. “Period.”

Convirs-Fowler was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2017, representing District 21, which includes portions of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. She narrowly defeated Republican challenger Tanya Gould earlier this month.

Stolle was just elected to a fourth term as sheriff of Virginia Beach. He has served as sheriff since 2009.

The office of Convirs-Fowler did not immediately respond to requests for comment as of Tuesday night. The Sheriff’s Office directed The Pilot toward the aforementioned statement.

Julianna Morano, 323-553-2644, julianna.morano@virginiamedia.com