The Grants Pass Tribune has reaffirmed its mission to uncover the truth, wherever it may lead, following new revelations suggesting that a Josephine County Commissioner may have used public office resources and personal social media accounts to conduct outside business and spread misinformation. The Tribune, committed to transparency and accountability, has filed a detailed public records request seeking digital communications that may reveal a troubling intersection between official county business and online propaganda.
The records request focuses on Commissioner Chris Barnett and his alleged correspondence with several individuals believed to be contributors to his network of Facebook pages. These accounts frequently publish content related to county government, local issues, and Barnett himself, raising questions about whether official county communications have been intertwined with partisan or personal narratives. The Tribune’s inquiry seeks to determine whether Barnett used private or county platforms to engage with these individuals about county matters between September 1 and November 1, 2025.
Concerns have mounted as evidence emerges that several of the Facebook pages linked to Barnett have published identical content to official Josephine County government pages, sometimes within minutes of each other. Screenshots and archived posts suggest that these pages, some possibly operated under pseudonyms, were not only used to discuss county business but also to criticize and defame community members. Allegations include instances where anonymous posts accused residents of serious crimes and made inflammatory personal attacks — behavior that, if verified, could expose the county to significant legal and ethical risk.
The Tribune’s investigation underscores a broader issue in local governance: the blurred lines between public service and personal media influence. Public officials, by law, must disclose communications related to their official duties, regardless of whether those communications occur through public systems or private accounts. Failure to do so undermines both public trust and the legal requirements for transparency that form the foundation of local democracy.
In this records request, the Tribune highlighted that the City of Grants Pass maintains strict policies governing employee conduct on and off the job, policies that appear to be lacking or unenforced at the county level. The letter also recommends that Josephine County adopt or strengthen its communications oversight, remove Commissioner Barnett from any media or public relations responsibilities pending investigation, and ensure that all future county statements are reviewed and approved by multiple officials before publication.
The situation brings into sharp focus the role of journalism in holding public officials accountable. The Grants Pass Tribune has made clear that its pursuit is not personal but principled. In a climate where social media manipulation and misinformation threaten public understanding, the paper maintains that truth and transparency are not negotiable. The public deserves to know when elected leaders use their positions for purposes beyond their mandate or hide behind false profiles to shape public opinion.
The Tribune’s inquiry continues as Josephine County reviews its internal procedures and determines whether disciplinary or corrective action will follow. What remains clear is that the community expects honesty, and the Grants Pass Tribune intends to deliver it — one record, one truth, and one story at a time.