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Sheriff Ray Washington (Twitter photo)
Wayne County Sheriff Raphael “Ray” Washington says his personal Facebook page was hacked, resulting in the posting of a lewd photo of a penis just after midnight last Thursday, WXYZ reports.
Washington told WXYZ he was the victim of cyberhacking on two separate occasions — one last week and another in June 2024. Both postings were taken down within minutes, but not before they were seen and shared by others, Ross Jones of WXYZ reports.
“We are aware of an inappropriate photo allegedly posted to his Facebook account," spokeswoman Mara MacDonald told Jones about the latest image. “The Sheriff did not post this and has contacted the appropriate authorities for a security review.”
On Wednesday night, after the WXYZ report aired, Washington issued a statement on his Facebook page:
"I want you to hear this directly from me. Last week, I became aware of an inappropriate image that appeared on my personal Facebook account. I did not post it. Once again, my account was hacked."
"I have taken steps to secure the account, including changing the appropriate settings. I also understand that, given the attention surrounding me as an elected leader and this office, stories like this will generate media coverage and public scrutiny. That comes with the job. But I will continue to address these allegations and innuendos directly and transparently with you."
Jones said he checked with Michigan State Police and Detroit Police, who said they were not asked to investigate. He said the sheriff's department has yet to tell him which agency has been contacted.
Washington is currently battling a federal sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former female appointee and has been accused in the past by six different women of harassment, WXYZ reports. Washington says the allegations by all the women are false.
WXYZ noted that the second questionable posting, in 2024, was reported last year by Detroit One Million. It was an 8-second video of a naked woman dancing in what appeared to be a hotel room.
On Tuesday, MacDonald told Jones of the video: “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.”
