EXCLUSIVE: Handwriting analysis casts doubt on allegations of affair, misconduct that toppled Seattle police chief

A romantic note discovered in a city-issued SUV helped fuel a scandal that brought down Seattle’s former police chief, Adrian Diaz. But a recent handwriting analysis has raised serious questions about its authenticity and the credibility of the affair allegations that followed.

The anonymous handwritten birthday card appeared to be a love letter addressed to Diaz and was reportedly found by his security detail in one of the vehicles they use. That’s raising suspicions by Diaz’s legal team since it was nowhere near the chief’s car. The front of the card featured an Ewok, a fictional furry character from the Star Wars movie franchise. Even though there was no proof, gossip quickly spread within SPD that it was written by Jamie Tompkins, the former news anchor turned police chief of staff. It read, “You woke me up. Like a prince in one of your Disney movies. I hope I always know your kiss… I love you.”

To some, the note seemed like confirmation of rumors that Diaz and Tompkins had an inappropriate relationship — a theory reportedly accepted by Mayor Bruce Harrell, who viewed the card as evidence Diaz was attempting to conceal an affair with a subordinate he promoted.

However, according to a forensic handwriting analysis commissioned by Diaz’s legal team, she may not have written the note at all.

A certified document examiner reviewed a copy of the note and compared it to 26 samples of Tompkins’ known handwriting. The original was requested for the analysis but was not provided by the city. Diaz’s legal team also claims the city used a fake handwriting sample from Tompkins so it looked similar to the writing on the birthday card. The analysis, which was obtained by The Post Millennial, concluded that the card was “probably not written by Jamie Tompkins.” The analyst determined “The body of the card was not written by the writer of the other documents.” Diaz’s attorneys also say the handwriting on the envelope is not the same as the handwriting inside the card, implying several people may have been involved.

Casting even more doubt on the authenticity of the card, Seattle’s Office of Inspector General for Public Safety hired Barran Liebman, a Portland-based law firm, to look into this matter. An internal email exchange between Diaz and one of the firm’s attorneys, obtained by The Post Millennial, shows that the card was found inside the vehicle in May 2024, two months before the former SPD Chief’s actual birthday. Diaz went on to ask, “Will this birthday information be a part of the investigation process? What is the chain of custody of this card? How was it maintained during the time? Why was this card not fingerprinted?”

The email communications end there.

This revelation undermines a central piece of evidence backing up the scandal that ultimately led to Diaz’s firing and put Tompkins at the center of months of harassment and speculation, both inside the Seattle Police Department and among the general public. The authenticity of the note is more than a technical detail. It could shift the legal and political fallout of the case, which has ballooned into dueling tort claims and multimillion-dollar settlement negotiations.

Tompkins is seeking $3 million from the city for the alleged psychological and reputational harm she endured during her 18 months with SPD and from the fallout of the scandal. In a demand letter filed with Mayor Harrell’s office, her attorney describes a campaign of sexual harassment and rumor-mongering initiated by police personnel after she accepted the role of Chief of Staff in early 2023.

According to Tompkins, the rumor that she and Diaz were romantically involved began circulating as soon as her hiring was announced. Officers and high-ranking officials allegedly made lewd comments about her appearance, speculated about her relationship with Diaz, and even surveilled her home. One officer reportedly bragged about being able to track her “scent” and admitted to watching her on security cameras.

Tompkins maintains she reported the harassment immediately, informing SPD leadership and Human Resources during her first week on the job. In the following months, the accusations escalated. The Office of Police Accountability found Officer Valerie Carson had spread the affair rumor and unlawfully surveilled Tompkins’ apartment, leading Tompkins to file for a protection order. Multiple SPD personnel, including former FOX 13 colleague Durand Dace, admitted to discussing the rumors without a factual basis. Yet, Tompkins claims the department failed to act meaningfully. One top official allegedly told her to “grow a thicker skin.” Another reportedly joked that since Diaz had already “groomed” her, she’d be easy to manage.

Amid the mounting complaints, Mayor Harrell demoted Diaz in May 2024, and both Diaz and Tompkins were placed on administrative leave later that year. Diaz was officially terminated in December 2024, following an Inspector General’s report that concluded he had failed to report a romantic relationship with a subordinate. But Diaz and Tompkins both deny ever having a sexual relationship, and both are now seeking legal redress. Diaz filed a $10 million tort claim against Seattle, and Tompkins’ case is going to mediation in June.

Tompkins’ letter to the mayor alleges that Harrell himself made inappropriate remarks about her, allegedly telling Diaz during a private meeting that he would “do” Tompkins and that “it’s fine” if Diaz had slept with her — remarks Diaz reportedly rejected.

At a press conference this week, independent journalist Jonathan Choe asked Harrell about the work environment Thompkins claimed to be subjected to. Harrell replied  that he couldn’t “comment on litigation or threatened litigation” and deferred to the city attorney before adding, “We take all allegations seriously, very seriously. And what I've always said from day one, we are a learning organization as a city.”

Harrell continued, “All of the departments under my administration are learning organizations. So we will take that into consideration."

At the same press conference, Fox 13 reporter Hana Kim asked Harrell about the scandal and asked about an investigation into the matter done by the Washington Employment Department, which found that Tompkins’ allegations of sexual harassment had merit and the city did not protect her. The employment department also  gave Tompkins unemployment benefits, which were never contested by the city.

Harrell once again deferred to the city attorney before adding, “I have 14,000 employees, and so certainly not aware of every allegation made or every administrative hearing.”

Kim pressed, noting that Harrell was named in the documents, Harrell again deferred before oddly exclaiming, “We're moving forward!” to the new police recruits being sworn in at the event. He then turned to them and said, “You guys are with me, right? We are moving forward in this city, taking our city back into a situation where we are protecting people. That's why we're here today. So the lawsuits will take care of themselves. We have a city attorney that will adequately and effectively deal with those situations. And I'm not going to answer any questions on matters that, quite frankly, are caught up in the legal process.”