Daily Action for Tuesday, June 7th, 2022
Anyone who willfully destroys or conceals a public record is guilty of a felony in Washington state. Yet it has been more than a year since news first broke of former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and former police Chief Carmen Best having “lost” text messages which overlap an important period in June 2020 when Seattle Police employed abhorrently violent methods to quash demonstrations protesting against police brutality and for Black lives. A forensic analysis indicated that Durkan’s phone was set to automatically delete texts and Best gave testimony that she “periodically deleted” her texts. These text messages are considered public records and are required under state law to be kept.
The Seattle Times had previously sued the city over its violation of the state’s Public Records Act. The lawsuit has now been settled for nearly $200,000 of taxpayer money and no one is being held accountable. Mayor Bruce Harrell and interim police chief Adrian Diaz both claim they have no authority to order an investigation even though Harrell himself called for an investigation during his campaign for mayor.
Today’s daily action is to contact Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Attorney Ann Davison, Governor Jay Inslee and Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson and demand accountability for former Mayor Durkan and former Chief Carmen Best’s violation of the Public Records Act.
ACTION: Seattle Must Investigate Durkan’s Deleted Texts from 2020 Protests
Mayor Bruce Harell: [email protected], (206) 684-4000
City Attorney Ann Davison: [email protected]
Governor Jay Inslee: https://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/contact/send-gov-inslee-e-message
Washington AG Bob Ferguson: https://fortress.wa.gov/atg/formhandler/ago/ContactForm.aspx
Script
I am a constituent living in {CITY, ZIP}. It has been more than a year since the news first broke of former Mayor Jenny Durkan and former Chief of Police Carmen Best having illegally deleted text messages during the June 2020 protests for Black lives. These text messages are vital to understanding how Seattle Police responded violently against protestors. Yet this gross violation of the Public Records Act has NOT been investigated and no one is being held accountable. The city of Seattle settled the Seattle Times’ lawsuit with nearly $200,000 of taxpayer funds, a slap in the face of justice. I urge you to move forward with an investigation into the Durkan and Best’s missing texts.
Background
Axios Seattle: Seattle leaders won’t probe deleted texts from 2020 protests
https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2022/05/31/seattle-leaders-wont-probe-deleted-texts-from-2020-protests
Seattle Times: City settles Seattle Times lawsuit over Jenny Durkan’s missing text messages
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/city-settles-seattle-times-lawsuit-over-jenny-durkans-missing-text-messages/
Seattle Times: Demands for answers over Durkan’s, Best’s deleted texts
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-council-member-says-deleted-texts-should-be-investigated-as-mayor-and-police-chief-keep-mum/
