Rantz: Deputies livid as anti-Trump, transgender captain given a pass for policy violation

If you ever needed proof that King County’s leadership plays favorites, look no further than the latest controversy rocking the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). The local union is calling out a “hostile environment” for its deputies.

Captain Jamie Deer, who is transgender, posted an anti-Trump screed targeting his supporters, many of whom serve as KCSO deputies. But apparently Deer won’t suffer any consequences, unlike deputies who have been punished or even terminated for taking political positions that contradicted the Black Lives Matter movement embraced by the KCSO under far-left King County Executive Dow Constantine.

Deputies are now livid. Why? Because the rules apparently don’t apply when you’re the right kind of activist. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the KCSO won’t punish Deer. Deputies believe the department is considering that the captain is transgender in their decision.

More from Jason Rantz: Seattle homeless population is imported, almost half are outsiders

King County Police Officers Guild comes out swinging

The King County Police Officers Guild (KCPOG) isn’t mincing words.

In an email to members, the guild highlighted what every rational person can see: there’s a glaring double standard when it comes to discipline in the department. Deputies who’ve posted content that leadership deemed controversial—often conservative opinions—have been swiftly punished. But when Captain Deer openly called Trump supporters “racist, homophobic, transphobic POS,” he wasn’t even placed on administrative leave.

“This statement has created a hostile work environment, leaving some members questioning whether they will receive equal treatment under his command simply because of their political views. Leadership must be impartial, and this post undermines that principle,” the KCPOG Executive Board wrote in a letter to members obtained by “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

The Executive Board noted that “when a Captain—someone in a leadership position with the authority to impact discipline and career progression—makes broad, inflammatory statements labeling those who voted for President Trump as racist, homophobic, or transphobic, it erodes confidence in his ability to lead and treat all members fairly.”

For the rank-and-file deputies, the message is clear: if you lean right, you’ll be held to a different standard than leadership.

The Facebook post that started the controversy

Deer’s now-infamous Facebook post was anything but subtle. He raged against those who voted for Trump, calling them bigots and declaring he was “done with the cult of Trump.”

“To all of you who think this is OK and that Trump was worth the vote, just remove yourself from my Facebook friends list. If you support this transphobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic POS, then our differences are too much for me to tolerate,” he wrote on Facebook.

This Captain has direct influence over promotions, assignments, and disciplinary actions. Imagine being a Trump-supporting deputy—does anyone honestly believe Deer can be impartial when it comes to those under his command? Deputies have also shared with “The Jason Rantz Show” that this is hardly the only questionable social media post from Deer and that they’ve had issues with him for years.

“When KCPOG learned that the Captain had not been placed on administrative leave, we immediately expressed our concerns to the Sheriff and Undersheriff,” the KCPOG Executive Board wrote. “We were told to ‘trust the process.’ However, past incidents involving our own members have resulted in immediate administrative leave when their social media activity was deemed inappropriate or ‘damaging to the brand’ of KCSO. This inconsistency in discipline reflects a double standard—one that unfairly holds rank-and-file members to a different level of accountability than command staff.”

More from Jason Rantz: How can Margaret Brennan blame free speech for the Holocaust?

A clear and obvious double standard

KCPOG rightfully pointed out past cases where deputies faced severe punishment for what were arguably much tamer social media posts. A detective was fired for posting memes critical of BLM riots. Another deputy was given a one-day suspension for an “insensitive” post. The rules were crystal clear—until, of course, they weren’t.

This isn’t about politics; it’s about fairness. If a conservative deputy had posted something even remotely as inflammatory—let’s say, calling Biden voters “brainwashed sheep” or comparing progressives to totalitarians—does anyone think they’d still have a job? No chance. The hypocrisy is so blatant it’s almost insulting that leadership expects anyone to buy their weak excuses.

“We strongly encourage our members to contact the Internal Investigations Unit (IIU) and file a formal complaint if they feel this situation has impacted them. Ensuring that all voices are heard is the only way to hold leadership accountable and maintain a workplace where all members are treated with fairness and respect,” the KCPOG Executive Board wrote.

Identity politics at the King County Sheriff’s Office

Captain Deer checks the right identity boxes and pushes the right ideological agenda. That gives him a free pass in a department run by leftist politicians who have no interest in fair application of the rules.

King County Executive Dow Constantine has made it abundantly clear that left-wing activism is tolerated—even celebrated—within the department, while conservative voices are muzzled. The leadership at KCSO is following the same playbook: let progressives run wild, but punish conservatives into silence. Patti Cole-Tindall is a sheriff-in-name-only. Constantine, her boss, calls the shots.

The result is a department where trust is eroded, morale is in freefall, and conservative deputies are left wondering if their careers are doomed simply because of their political beliefs.

Pressure campaign

This situation is exactly why law enforcement agencies are struggling to retain officers. Who wants to work in a department where leadership plays favorites? Where fairness and impartiality take a backseat to identity politics?

The KCPOG has taken the right step by urging deputies to file formal complaints with the Internal Investigations Unit. Leadership must be forced to address the growing divide they’ve created within the department. If there’s any hope of restoring trust, the same rules must apply to everyone—regardless of political affiliation.

Unless there’s immense pressure, KCSO leadership will try to sweep this under the rug. They’re banking on the fact that deputies will let it go. That can’t happen. If discipline is supposed to be “fair and impartial,” then Captain Deer should be held accountable—just like any other deputy would be.

King County’s deputies deserve leadership that actually respects them. Right now, they have the opposite.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz