Washington state councilman faces recall effort amid uproar over shirtless photo promoting school tour

A Washington state lawmaker is facing recall after months of reported controversies, including outcry over his use of a shirtless photograph to promote speaking engagements at local schools.

A campaign to recall Lynnwood councilman Josh Binda, whose election in 2022 made him the state’s youngest Black man to win public office, can move forward, a judge ruled on Tuesday.

According to local newspaper The Daily Herald, Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Marybeth Dingledy decided that recent ethics violations by Mr Binda meet the “misfeasance or malfeasance” threshold for recall.

The judge accepted four of five points presented by the leader of the “Recall Binda” campaign Diodato Boucsieguez, relating to various infractions allegedly committed by the 23-year-old councilman.

“Unless you’re not reading the news, and you have an ideological obsession with Binda, you will vote to recall him because of the laundry list of the various illegal, unethical activities of Council Member Binda,” Mr Boucsieguez said, after the ruling.

It is reported that Mr Binda allegedly used the city’s email system to negotiate contracts for speaking engagements, violating the Lynnwood Municipal Code. He also used a council building to film a promotional video for his speaking tour, that earned him at least $14,500.

Mr Binda apologised for “unknowingly” breaking these rules last month.

There has also been scrutiny over Mr Binda’s reimbursements during his election campaign in 2021 – including charging the state for concert tickets, a $163-haicut, Versace clothing, and jewelery. The state’s Public Disclosure Commission fined Mr Binda $1,000 for improperly using campaign funds in January 2023.

Judge Dingledy also accepted the charges that Mr Binda had failed to file his personal financial statements, and a post-general election C4 report, with the Public Disclosure Commission on time.

The fourth charge accepted by the judge was that Mr Binda knowingly lied to the City Council about when he signed contracts for private speaking tours and other appearances.

It was also reported that Mr Binda attended the congressional city conference hosted by the National League of Cities in Washington DC in May 2023, claiming he was representing the council – despite being denied permission by council president Shannon Sessions.

Mr Binda has two weeks to appeal the superior court judge’s ruling, after which the grassroots-led recall campaign can begin collecting signatures.

If it collects 35 per cent of the total votes cast in the race where Mr Binda was elected – at least 2,416 signatures – the campaign group can force an official recall vote.

Responding to the recall on his Instagram account, Mr Binda posted a screenshot of a news article about it that read: “Free my man, Josh”.

He called the bid to have him recalled “racially motivated”, adding that the campaign was a “waste of time and resources”.

The Independent has contacted Mr Binda’s representatives for comment.

The bid to recall Mr Binda ramped up in April after he posted a topless photograph on Instagram, showing off a “Love Conquers All” tattoo, to promote his school speaking tour by the same name.

The post is addressed to “all the students I’ve inspired, talked too, helped, coached, or impacted” as Mr Binda dedicated the tattoo to them.

One critical comment read: “Certainly unbecoming for a council member, but an even worse sexualised advertisement for his Jr high and H School tours.”

He defended his social media post at a subsequent council meeting, claiming there was nothing sexual about it and the criticism against him was heightened by “racism, discrimination, intimidation and misinformation”.