A Bellingham City Council member wants to know who’s impersonating him on YouTube and making offensive comments.
Michael Lilliquist said he was contacted by Fox 13 last week about the comments left on seemingly random YouTube videos about highway congestion and K-pop groups. The Seattle-based news channel reported they learned about the fake account from a tip.
Lilliquist believes someone in Whatcom County made the comments and fake account, but he has no direct evidence besides knowing the picture used in the account is his official city council portrait.
“There was a snide comment in the news article having to do with highway congestion about maybe closing down the highway and turning it into bike lanes,” he said. “If there’s a community that isn’t as bike-friendly as ours, that comment wouldn’t make any sense.”
He’s up for re-election in November but doesn’t know if the action was related to dirty politics.
Lilliquist said Saturday he’s reported the fake account to YouTube. He’s unsure if the account was pulled since YouTube hasn’t contacted him. But, comments made by the fake account were removed from a Fox 13 video about a K-pop group.
“I think one thing that is unclear to me is whether or not any laws were broken,” he said. “It’s very clear you’re not allowed to use someone else’s name and likeness, but was there any law broken by impersonating someone else in a way that might hurt their reputation?
“You have to wonder why a public official was chosen, and I can only assume that means they’re hoping to harm the reputation of a public figure.”
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
