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Councilwoman urges colleagues to sever ties with groups she says "doxx" opponents
Summary
Councilwoman Barbara Warwick admonished an advocacy group for posting opponents’ personal information online and urged colleagues to cut ties; other council members said they would consider investigations into campaign and zoning funding.
Councilwoman Barbara Warwick used her remarks during motions and resolutions on Feb. 4 to call attention to what she described as doxxing by the leadership of a pro-development advocacy group and urged elected officials to cut ties with organizations that engage in harassment.
Warwick said the leader of Pro Housing Pittsburgh had been posting personal information about people who disagree with the group on Twitter, including addresses and tax information from public records. She called the behavior "totally unacceptable" and asked colleagues to consider severing formal ties with any organization that participated in doxxing or harassment.
Councilwoman Theresa Kale Smith acknowledged Warwick’s concerns and said the question of who funds advocacy and zoning-related activity deserved further scrutiny. Kale Smith said she would consider calling for investigations into zoning-related funding and would work with Warwick to schedule further review.
Why it matters: Allegations of online harassment against civic groups intersect with local policy debates on planning, zoning and development. Councilmembers said they expect professional conduct from groups engaging with government and said funding streams and advocacy tactics merit scrutiny.
Ending: Council members agreed to continue conversations, and Kale Smith said she would follow up on scheduling investigative work if the issue persisted.
