DETROIT (WXYZ) — Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington says he doesn’t know how a lewd photo of a penis was recently posted to his personal Facebook page just after midnight last Thursday.
See the full story in the video below
Washington, currently fending off an ongoing sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former female appointee, has previously been accused by six different women of harassment. He has denied all of the claims and was never disciplined.
Now, Washington suggests that he was the victim of cyberhacking following two separate and explicit posts made to his personal Facebook page. In both cases, the postings were taken down within minutes, but not before they were seen and shared by others.
“He can’t be this unlucky. He has to be the unluckiest person in the world for this to happen to him,” said Carron Pinkins, the former chair of the Wayne County Ethics Board. “It sounds as though what’s happening is a pattern of his conduct.”
7 News Detroit shared the Facebook posts with Pinkins.
“I can’t imagine that this is just happenstance, it’s just happening to him. It sounds to me like he’s lacking in judgment,” he said.
Washington, through his spokeswoman, pleaded ignorance as to how the photo of male genitals appeared on his page last week.
“We are aware of an inappropriate photo allegedly posted to his Facebook account," spokeswoman Mara MacDonald said. “The Sheriff did not post this and has contacted the appropriate authorities for a security review.”
MacDonald did not respond to a series of follow-up questions, including whether law enforcement was contacted. Both the Michigan State Police and Detroit police say they were never contacted by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
This is not the first time Washington has faced questions like this. Back in September, he denied any knowledge about how a video of a nude woman made its way to his personal Facebook page in June of 2024.
Watch below: Secret recordings undercut Wayne County sheriff’s sexual harassment denials
“Am I correct that you allegedly posted a video to your Facebook showing a naked woman dancing briefly?” asked attorney Deborah Gordon, who is representing a former appointee suing Washington for sexual harassment.
“Absolutely not,” Washington said.
The video shows a naked woman in what appears to be a hotel room, briefly dancing. The eight-second clip was first reported on by the website Detroit One Million last year.
On Tuesday, MacDonald told 7 News Detroit: “If you’re asking me if I have any idea who that is, I have no clue. The sheriff says he has no clue. The sheriff says he didn’t record it. The sheriff says he didn’t put it up. He says he didn’t know.”
Washington gave a similar answer when asked, under oath, about the video as part of a recent deposition.
“I asked where is my name? Who is this?” Washington recalled. “I don’t know who this is. I don’t know who did this. Obviously, I wouldn’t do it. Why would I put a picture of a naked woman with my name on it, however it came out.”
Watch below: Wayne County commissioner calls for ‘changes’ at the top of sheriff’s office
The lawsuit against Washington, filed by former appointee Regina Parks, is currently pending in federal court. Washington has denied the allegations, and the county is trying to have the case dismissed.
“I used to think this gentleman was a very smart individual,” Pinkins said. “I had a lot of great respect for his predecessor, Benny Napoleon. To see him in this position and what’s going on, it’s abominable.”
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
