Serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis. © James Conner.
Updated with response by Ben Darrow, Missoula. Why did Missoula County’s Democratic Party endorse for sheriff a man, T.J. McDermott, whose lack of support for free speech would earn the admiration of Vladimir Putin’s KGB?
McDermott, a Missoula County sheriff’s deputy and detective holding the rank of sergeant, filed a complaint against the sheriff’s office, alleging he was the victim of on-the-job discrimination because of his political beliefs. A human rights hearing officer found his complaint had merit, so McDermott and the sheriff’s office negotiated a settlement of “$60,000 and a promise of affirmative relief from the county,” reported the Missoulian.
And that affirmative relief? According to the Missoulian:
During the negotiation process, McDermott and Johnson [McDermott’s political partner] attempted to restrict their colleagues’ ability to express their own opinions on the race.
“MCSO agrees not to take a position or campaign for or against any person in the 2014 campaign for the Missoula County sheriff,” said one of the requests submitted by McDermott’s attorneys. “This includes, but is not limited to, prohibiting MCSO employees and agents, including officers of every rank from publishing statements in any media form, whether by actual name or fictional names in comments to articles in the Missoulian and other print media, in blogs, social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and the like, electronic media such as radio and television, and any other media concerning these or any other lawful complaints of discrimination.”
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The proposals weren’t intended as a restriction on his colleagues’ constitutional right to free speech, but as a way to “stop this anonymous malicious action of commenting false and defamatory statements about me onto media,” McDermott argued.
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“I fully support the right to free speech, and I believe that people should be able to support whoever they want and say whatever they want to say, as long as it is the truth,” McDermott said.
My question for McDermott: who would have the power to determine the truth and to enforce that determination? And should that power be extended over all citizens, or just the people in the law enforcement community that you don’t like or trust, but want to lead?
My question for Missoula’s Democrats: McDermott clearly lacks the understanding of, and respect for, the First Amendment that citizens have a right to expect in their elected officials — so why did you endorse him for sheriff? Are you going to stand by your endorsement? And if so, why?
This is not an isolated attack on free speech by Montana Democrats at the county level. Last month, a rogue element in the Flathead’s Democratic Party briefly urged retaining unconstitutional durational limits on political signs.
Memo to Montana’s Democrats: handcuffing the Bill of Rights is neither a patriotic act nor a winning political strategy. Stop behaving like jackasses on First Amendment issues.
I don’t feel your article about Missoula Dems demonstrates a clear understanding of (a) TJ’s actions or (b) the Missoula Democrats motivations.
Specifically, TJ and another officer brought a complaint about political discrimination against the current sheriff. That complaint was found to be valid. That is, TJ an another party were being discriminated against and an award was made to help remedy this discrimination. During the negotiations of the remedy, TJ suggested the gag order on public comment by sheriff’s employees.
The real, and only, first amendment discrimination occured against TJ. That issue resulted in a settlement of $60k to TJ.
The reason the Missoula Democrats are endorsing TJ is two-fold: first, his opponents are very clearly Republicans in both ideology and past activity and second, TJ, who has consistently represented union law enforcement officers will help eliminate the actual discrimination that has been ongoing in the Sheriff’s office. This discrimination affected many officers beyond TJ.
When you have one candidate who is clearly a Democrat and who has tried to stop the shenanigans of the Sheriff and his underlings, and two others who are clearly Republicans (and one who has been directly involved in the shenanigans), running in a Democratic primary, the choice is crystal clear.
In short, your article takes the a Missoulian article based upon a smear campaign and an out of context allegation. Stick to the flathead.
[Emphasis in original.]