An attempt at creating a moment of solemn bipartisanship at an Island County commissioners’ meeting was upended by a pornographic “Zoom bomb” on Tuesday.
Commissioner Melanie Bacon, a Democrat, and Commissioner Jill Johnson, a Republican, both won reelection and were scheduled to be sworn in this week. While judges commonly do the honor, the two commissioners decided that swearing in each other would send a positive message about bipartisanship in local government.
“We decided to do this since it’s been a difficult year politically for a lot of us,” Bacon said. “It’s important that people see that we do not reflect the division of national politics.”
But after Johnson finished swearing in Bacon, a pornographic video appeared on the two new, large-screen monitors in the hearing room while very loud sounds of moaning filled the chamber. The staff members present weren’t able to turn off the video or audio, so an IT person was called to help.
“It probably went on for only a few minutes,” Bacon said, “but it seemed like a very long time.”
Johnson said she quickly grabbed her niece, who was there to support her, and fled to the hallway. She said the timing of the incident, which was right before her turn to take the oath, seemed “a little targeted,” but she realizes it was just a random act.
Bacon said the IT professional was able to collect some information from the video before it was taken down that identified it as a prolific “Zoom bomber” who has hacked into public meetings across the country and played the same video. In fact, it wasn’t the first time the video appeared at a public meeting on Whidbey Island.
Earlier this year, a county planning commission meeting was interrupted by the same video. In addition, both Langley City Council and Port of South Whidbey meetings were similarly interrupted in the past.
The incident was reported to the sheriff’s office.
As a result of the porn bomb, the commissioners’ office is likely going to change the way it allows people to access meetings remotely. Bacon said Zoom has a system where people who want to attend over their computers have to sign into a “waiting room” before being allowed access.
After the porn was gone, the swearing-in ceremony continued as planned and Island County Superior Court Judge Christon Skinner spoke briefly.
Bacon said the incident was “awful and surreal” but also made a historic event more memorable.
“It would be a nice precedent if newly elected or reelected commissioners in the future would swear in each other without paying attention to political parties,” she said.
Only without the pornography, she added.
