Another Employee Files Complaint Against Chelan County Sheriff Brian Burnett
Alleges Burnett shared "personal information" and engaged in "character assassination"
On July 19, 2022, a Chelan County Sheriff’s Office employee filed an official complaint with human resources, alleging that Chelan County Sheriff Brian Burnett was “sharing personal information” and making “disparaging comments” about her to members of the public.
“My job, my mental health and even the way I grieved during a tragic loss last month have all been discussed without my consent,” she wrote. “As uncomfortable as this is to submit, I need to report the inappropriate behavior and character assassination by Sheriff Burnett.”
The employee, whose name has been redacted and is referred to as “whistleblower” in the documents, went on to provide a timeline of the incidents. On June 7, she heard from a deputy there were rumors about her being promoted and then demoted. She wrote that while this was true, she was confused as to how someone in the public was privy to that information.
So she called her mom, who wasn’t surprised to hear her daughter’s career was the subject of discussion in some civilian circles. Her mother told her she had received a call from a woman who said she was “disgusted” about the sheriff badmouthing one of his employees at the Republican Action Convention in Wenatchee the previous weekend.
“She had called my mom to tell her what the sheriff has said about me and was disgusted that we come up to her at the convention and blurt out this information,” she wrote. “I firmly believe that the sheriff only said this to cause me embarrassment, humiliation and discredit my character.”
On July 11, the whistleblower and her mother took a call together from an individual who told them Burnett was continuing to make negative comments about her to people in the community. This time it was after the Republican Women’s Luncheon at the Red Lion earlier that day. The caller told them after the event, Sheriff Burnett had some things he wanted to get off his chest.
“After the luncheon, the sheriff approached another person in the parking lot and wasn’t happy that they were not going to endorse him. The sheriff proceeded to comment on some of the topics Mike Morrison had shared during the luncheon,” she wrote. “Sheriff Burnett was in full uniform in a public parking lot when he said something along the lines of REDACTED recently had a friend of a friend pass away and she didn’t handle it well, she has some mental health issues.”
The sheriff was referring to the whistleblower. The friend she was grieving was a close family friend of many years who passed unexpectedly.
Two weeks after her friend’s death, the woman met with her supervisor, who wanted to talk to her about “inappropriate grieving.” During this meeting, she learned that her boss, Chief Civil Deputy Kim Oglesbee, was concerned that her coworkers and two deputies saw that she was upset while walking out the back door.
The whistleblower then goes on to admit she is “uneasy submitting this complaint” because she fears there will be backlash.
“There has been a history of bullying, intimidation and retaliation which is why I don’t feel comfortable going to anyone in the administration,” she wrote. “I have witnessed it and felt it firsthand, and I am afraid that by bringing this complaint forward I will be retaliated against personally and/or professionally.”
She concludes by saying that she needs the personal and professional attacks on her to cease immediately and that she doesn’t want to be forced to pursue legal action. She writes that she hopes HR will “be able to protect me from further inappropriate behavior by the sheriff and the administration.”
A Link To The Whistleblower’s Letter to HR
I received this letter in response to a public records request I submitted to CCSO’s Human Resources Department on Oct. 6. I got the redacted letter on Nov. 4. I’m providing a link to it above so anyone who wants to can read the entire thing.
A Few Additional Details
Regarding Sheriff Burnett wearing a uniform on the campaign trail
It’s been something I have been aware of for a while, and it seems it’s been pretty consistent throughout the campaign season. Burnett was spotted this week in uniform at a campaign event for Republican Candidate for US Senate Tiffany Smiley in Chelan County.
According to retired Douglas County Prosecutor Steve Clem, that is most likely a violation of the Hatch Act.
“It is also a probable violation of state election laws and CCSO policies,” he said.
In state election law (RCW 42.17A.555), under the section regarding uniforms and equipment, if the uniform is the private property of the individual, it’s not a violation of the law. However, if the uniform and any equipment worn while campaigning is paid for by taxpayer dollars, that is a violation of state law.
So I reached out to Sheriff Burnett and Chelan County’s public information officer Jill FitzSimmons to ask if it’s a violation of CCSO policy. I also asked about a new CCSO hire named Cyrus Bowthorpe.
“Hello, Sheriff Burnett and Ms. FitzSimmons,
I have questions about two separate things. First, in this photo of you at Tiffany Smiley's campaign event last night, is the uniform you're wearing provided by the county, or is it one that you own personally? Same question for the gun, the badge, comms, utility belt, etc.
I spoke with a local prosecutor who said it's likely a violation of the Hatch Act, as well as state election laws and county policies. Can you explain how it is not?
Second, did the county commissioners or the guild know about Cyrus Bowthorpe's history of vigilantism during his employment with the King County Sheriff's Office?
KUOW released this video yesterday of his March 13, 2020 arrest in Seattle:
Bowthorpe told NPR that he would have quit KCSO due to the vaccine mandate even if he hadn't been reprimanded for the extracurricular patrolling. Is CCSO actively recruiting officers who were either terminated or resigned due to Covid-19 vaccine mandates? Or is the county simply attracting anti-vax officers because of your vocal anti-vax stance since they were made available to first responders?
Thank you for your time,”
If I hear from Sheriff Burnett or Ms. FitzSimmons with responses to these questions I will update this post their response.
Sheriff Burnett is dangerous to his employees, the community, and to those who live with mental health issues! He isn't just a bully; he is an abuser...an abuser with power and influence!
Crooked bully. Burnett obviously believes the Hatch Act is just one more law that he personally does not care for and which does not personally benefit him, therefore it is his right to break the law. Please, please, Chelan County citizens, get this mess out of office.