Government Overreach? 4 Seattle Police Officers Beg Supreme Court over January 6th

WHERE WERE YOU ON JANUARY 6TH?

This is the question a Seattle public records seeker asked the Seattle Police Department.  Inquiring minds found out that 6 SPD officers went to the Washington D.C. Trump Rally protest in 2021, and they want somebody to cough up the names.

The six officers who were there say it's none of our public business to know their names and sued to make that happen. Meanwhile, the WA State Supreme Court affirmed each officer's right to free speech, but it's the privacy issue that was the zinger. Now the officers are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in their favor!

6 SEATTLE POLICE OFFERS WENT TO THE JANUARY 6TH RALLY AND THEY SAY THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

The Seattle Police officers who attended the January 6th rally want to be protected on any public records released with their names listed as "John Doe." I would imagine this is so they can avoid a potential public backlash if their attendance at the January 6th Trump Rally gets out in the open.

Despite the fact that 2 of the officers were fired by SPD for their federal trespassing conduct at the rally, the other four police maintain they have done nothing of a criminal or unethical nature and therefore get to assert their constitutional right to privacy and free speech.

Roger Stone was one of the speakers in Washington D.C. at the presidential "Stop the Steal" rally for supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump on January 6, 2021.

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GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ARE REQUIRED BY WA STATE LAW TO SELF-REPORT THEIR POLITICAL ACTIVITES AND CONDUCT

Sure, we "U.S. Americans" have the constitutional right of political expression, yet in the aim of government transparency under the Public Records Act, all Washington State government employees are legally required to disclose their political activities and conduct, both on and off-duty. This is nothing new; the law has been in place since 1972.

"At least 29 current and former [American] police officers attended the [January 6th] rally, with some proceeding to the Capitol, and at least 15 of those arrested were either former or active law enforcement officers." - WA State Supreme Court Case No. 102182-8

WHY THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN WHICH POLICE OFFICERS ATTENDED THE JANUARY 6TH TRUMP RALLY?

Some Washingtonians were astonished that former and current law enforcement officers attended the rally. It was announced to be a protest to support the cause that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen" from then-candidate Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON STATE SUPREME COURT SAYS TO PONY UP THE NAMES

"On this limited record, it appears that the officers have not demonstrated a likely privacy interest...the officers have not shown a need to proceed anonymously under pseudonym. We reverse the Court of Appeals." - Judge McCloud

The officers have sued unsuccessfully to have their names redacted from all public records (they appealed the WA State Supreme Court decision), so now the case is being petitioned before the United States Supreme Court.

Whether or not the Supreme Court will take on this case is the question, and I will be one of many living here in Washington State who will be keeping tabs on this story!