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orfolk County Sheriff Patrick McDermott, who markets himself as a public speaker and “mentor” to real‑estate investors, has been found to have diverted tens of thousands of dollars from his campaign coffers to fund his own business ventures, according to state regulators. The Office of Campaign and Political Finance released an agreement stating that McDermott will reimburse the state more than $36,300 from both his personal and campaign accounts.

    Regulators identified $31,705 spent between August 2022 and the end of last year that was meant to advance McDermott’s “personal business future,” a use prohibited under Massachusetts campaign‑finance law. An additional $5,400 was paid for a 2024 fundraiser for a nonprofit he created, Norfolk Sheriff’s Office Cares, which is also unlawful. McDermott, a Quincy Democrat, did not reply to a request for comment. In the settlement statement he acknowledged the expenditures were “legitimate political purposes” but chose to resolve the matter “in the spirit of compliance and transparency.”

    This is the third Massachusetts county sheriff to face legal scrutiny over the past year. Unlike the others, McDermott has not been criminally charged, and the Office of Campaign and Political Finance said it would not forward the case to Attorney General Andrea Campbell. Nevertheless, the three recent presidents of the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association now have allegations of misusing campaign funds, drunken driving, or extorting a cannabis company, thrusting the office into the spotlight.

    Campaign money may be used to further a candidate’s political future, but not primarily for personal gain. Regulators determined that McDermott hired consultants and companies to benefit his real‑estate firm, McDermott Strategic Enterprises LLC, or himself, rather than his campaign. Although the LLC was dissolved in 2021, invoices submitted to the state were still addressed to the LLC or to McDermott personally. The largest single expense was a $12,961 payment to 10X Stages for “software to organize speaking engagements,” a cost McDermott listed in campaign filings as a political tool.

    The Office of Campaign and Political Finance highlighted that $37,000 of the $103,000 spent by McDermott’s campaign since August 2022—just a few months before he secured his first full term—was primarily for personal expenses. McDermott raised only $15,200 in that period. In his statement he explained that he regularly speaks to local investment groups and uses his personal social‑media accounts to attract these audiences. His LinkedIn profile lists him as a “personal development coach,” entrepreneur, and real‑estate investor. He claims he never accepted stipends for appearances and viewed the engagements as opportunities to build political support for future ambitions. He emphasized that his intent was to “apply these resources toward my political future” and that modern campaigning often borrows tools from the business and entrepreneurial world. He acknowledged the dual‑use nature of some expenditures and accepted that they could be seen as overlapping with personal pursuits.

    A spokesperson for McDermott’s office declined to comment, and the sheriff himself did not answer a voicemail left at a number listed in his campaign records.

    Under the settlement, McDermott must make a personal payment of $7,500 by October 1, while his campaign will pay $28,881 in installments. Campaign reports show the sheriff’s account held just over $1,500 at the end of August.

    McDermott, a former Norfolk County register of probate and three‑term Quincy City Council member, first won the sheriff’s seat in 2020 by defeating Jerry McDermott, a Democrat‑turned‑Republican who had been appointed by former Governor Charlie Baker to finish Michael Bellotti’s term. He is currently president of the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, which represents the state’s 14 elected sheriffs.

    The allegations against McDermott add to a growing list of county law‑enforcement leaders facing legal trouble. Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, the association’s vice president and former president, was charged with drunken driving last fall and later entered a plea that avoided a conviction. Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins, another former president, was arrested and accused by federal prosecutors of extorting a cannabis company; he subsequently stepped down at the request of Governor Maura Healey and Attorney General Campbell.