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Edgewood council discusses officials' social media use after Linke v. Fried decision
Summary
Council members and the city's attorney discussed when officials' social media use counts as an official act, legal risks under Washington law, and best practices such as separate accounts and clear disclaimers. No policy was adopted.
Edgewood Mayor Olsen and council members discussed legal and practical limits on elected officials' social media use at the City Council meeting on Jan. 28, 2025, focusing on the U.S. Supreme Court decision cited in the transcript as Linke v. Fried and on Washington state public-records and open-meeting laws.
The conversation matters because council members' personal posts can create legal exposure for the city under Washington's Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act and can blur whether a post is a private comment or an official action. Attorney Randy Schafer told the council that avoiding that blur is the primary way to reduce risk.
Schafer, a lawyer with the firm covering city legal matters that night, said the risks fall into two categories: the city's responsibilities in setting a social-media policy and the individual conduct of council members.…
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