PURCELLVILLE, VA — A letter addressed to special prosecutor Mr. Olsen has raised serious allegations regarding Mayor Chris Bertaut’s management of his official social media accounts, amid ongoing recall petitions against him, Vice Mayor Ben Nett, and Councilmembers Susan Khalil and Carol Luke. Local residents Erica Stought and Josh Shields have called for an investigation into what they describe as the mayor’s misuse of social media to suppress constituent speech, potentially violating First Amendment rights.

In the correspondence, Stought details that Mayor Bertaut has blocked at least seven citizens from his official Facebook page, which is used to communicate town policies and updates. Stought asserts that these blocks appear to target individuals who have openly criticized the mayor’s actions, including concerns regarding the proposed dissolution of the police department and allegations of budget mismanagement.

The blocked individuals include residents and business owners, such as Cristina Buffington, owner of Purcellville News, John Mark Gardner, who ran against the current council in the 2024 elections, as well as Erin Rayner, a fellow town council member. Justin Morrow and Beth Goldsmith, who have spoken up at town meetings, are also among those who have been blocked. Stought argues that blocking these constituents effectively stifles open dialogue and limits public engagement on important local issues.

The letter references legal precedents such as Davison v. Randall (2019) and Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump (2019), which have established that blocking constituents on official social media accounts constitutes viewpoint discrimination and is unconstitutional. Stought emphasizes that these rulings directly apply to Mayor Bertaut’s actions and could expose him and the town to legal liability.

At a recent town council meeting, Shields expressed his frustration over the council’s governance, stating that the public no longer trusts the majority to make ethical decisions. He condemned the mayor’s actions as an infringement on citizens’ rights to free speech and warned that legal action could follow should access to these social media accounts not be restored.

Shields also highlighted the increasing engagement from town residents in local government affairs, noting that meetings have been more attended recently as constituents seek transparency and accountability from their elected officials.