Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins declared himself the victim of a legal and political “assassination attempt” at a news conference Tuesday after federal prosecutors dismissed charges accusing him of a conspiracy to help a local gun shop illegally obtain machine guns.

“It was a near miss,” Jenkins said, comparing himself to President-elect Donald Trump. “I was injured and I was bloodied, but I never gave up the fight. I never will.”

The move came three weeks after a federal jury acquitted his co-defendant, Robert Krop, of all charges and the judge overseeing the case asked prosecutors to determine whether they would move forward against Jenkins.

The Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Defense attorney Andrea Smith, who was a federal prosecutor in the Maryland office for 26 years, said she found the case against Jenkins so outrageous that she said they are investigating whether he can recoup attorney’s fees under the Hyde Amendment, which requires a showing that someone was the subject of a prosecution that was “vexatious, frivolous, or in bad faith.”

“They had no evidence in this case,” Smith said. “It’s been wrong from the start, and I am just so happy it’s finally over.”

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Jenkins, 68, a Republican, is serving his fifth term, and has been an outspoken proponent on the issue of illegal immigration. He has attended several White House events hosted by Trump. Jenkins was charged under President Joe Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney Erek Barron. The deputy who brought the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Wise, later left the Jenkins case to join the team prosecuting Hunter Biden.

Federal prosecutors obtained a grand jury indictment in April 2023, alleging Jenkins used his position to improperly help gun store owner Krop acquire machine guns to rent to the public, by signing letters saying that the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office wanted to see a demonstration of the guns, which was false.

The Machine Gun Nest made over $100,000 in profits from machine gun rentals in 2018 and 2019, the indictment said.

Jenkins said he believes that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives suspected he was receiving kickbacks or “some kind of quid pro quo,” which it could not establish after sifting through his bank accounts, emails and campaign contributions. He said he did not know Krop and had interacted with him “maybe twice.”

At Tuesday afternoon’s news conference, Jenkins swept back his suit jacket and proudly displayed his service weapon on his hip. It had been taken away from him as a condition of his pretrial release.

Jenkins initially took a leave of absence after the indictment, but then returned to the job. He said he never had any intention of resigning and was encouraged daily by supporters — and even detractors, he claimed — to fight the case and remain sheriff.

“I will do everything I can to protect this county,” he said.

Krop was acquitted on Oct. 22. His attorney, Dan Cox, told the Frederick News-Post that “from the very beginning, the evidence showed that there were no definitions for which [the government] was prosecuting my client.”

Prosecutors and Jenkins’ attorneys wanted Krop to be tried first, saying the case against him was stronger. Prosecutors had noted early on there was a “distinct possibility” they might drop charges against Jenkins if Krop were to be acquitted.

Jenkins’ attorneys said he received nothing of value by signing the letters and had no intent to commit a violation of the law. They said he sought to meet with federal prosecutors and was rebuffed.

“In this case, the defendant admits and owns that he was negligent. Negligence is not criminal culpability,” they wrote in one filing.

Jenkins acknowledged other cases across the country where sheriffs had been accused of taking kickbacks for such gun demonstrations. “I’m not that sheriff,” he said. “I’m not that person.”

When Jenkins reversed his decision to take a leave of absence, county leaders criticized him. County Executive Jessica Fitzwater, a Democrat, said in a statement that she was “disappointed that he has gone back on his word,” while County Council Vice President Kavonté Duckett, also a Democrat, said Jenkins “made a mockery of the process.”

In an interview with a local radio station, Jenkins called the case “my cancer. This is my disease. I’m fighting for my life.”

Jenkins said Tuesday that the case brought against him made him question the power of the legal system.

“If you’re truly not guilty, never give up,” he said.