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Commission: keep official and campaign social media separate to avoid fines
Summary
Commission staff warned that agency accounts promoting campaign accounts or using government equipment for campaign social posts can be ethics violations; they reviewed hybrid-account cases and a recent $3,000 fine involving retweets from an official account to a campaign account.
Commission staff told attendees that social media presents particular hazards for public servants who are candidates: reposting or promoting campaign accounts from official accounts, tagging campaign handles instead of official accounts, or using government computers to retweet campaign posts can trigger ethics investigations and sanctions.
Ross Armstrong said the commission has repeatedly urged officials to maintain separate official and campaign social media presences. "The best ethical practice for public officers employees who are candidates for offices is to maintain separate official and campaign social media presence," he said.
He reviewed concrete cases: blended or "hybrid" accounts that mix campaign and official content created confusion for the public (Washoe County School District trustees), and an official retweeting a campaign account from a state account resulted in a recent $3,000 fine in a lieutenant governor case where the official account promoted the campaign account. Armstrong said the outcome often depends on whether government staff created content or whether campaign actors used publicly available news content.
The commission also cautioned agencies that tagging a candidate's campaign account from an agency post (rather than tagging the official account) can be problematic because it gives the impression the office endorses the campaign. Armstrong recommended that agency social media teams tag the official office account and not campaign accounts, and cautioned staff against using state computers or accounts to create campaign content.
Speakers pointed to advisory opinions and prior staff education as tools to avoid violations and recommended documenting clear agency social media policies to separate official and campaign communications.
The presenters made training resources and past advisory opinions available on the commission website.
