AUBURN — Newly released emails show that Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus wrote a letter supporting Joshua Obadiah Headley — who pleaded guilty to a felony involving a minor — while invoking her official responsibility for the safety of Auburn residents. The documents also reveal that preceding conviction, Headley asked the mayor to continue communication through personal emails, raising concerns about transparency and whether official business was moved off city channels.

Background: Headley’s Role in the Community and Criminal Case

Headley, a former pastor active in Auburn civic life, continued participating in public events and producing media for local organizations even after being charged in 2020 with third-degree rape of a child. His visibility in community and political spaces persisted through his plea in 2022, drawing periodic scrutiny from residents and local press.

Headley ultimately pleaded guilty, Mayor Backus submitted a letter urging the court to consider treatment rather than incarceration. In that letter, she highlighted her years-long relationship with him and alluded to her role as mayor, stating she is responsible for the safety of the city.

For many observers, the way Backus framed the nature of their relationship and her responsibility for public safety- her advocacy seemed squarely within her official role as mayor and not merely as an acquaintance,  neighbor,  friend, etc.

Shift to Personal Email Raises Transparency Issues

In the released correspondence, Headley asks Mayor Backus connect over personal email rather than her official address. The fact that he had to request this shift indicates that the communication began as city business and only then was redirected off the official record.

That detail matters: when a conversation starts in an official channel — and when the mayor later invokes her public authority in a support letter — the substance of the communication is governmental, regardless of which email account it continues on.

Washington’s Public Records Act does not permit public officials to remove official business from disclosure simply by switching to a personal account. The state Supreme Court made this explicit in Nissen v. Pierce County: if the content relates to official duties, it is a public record, no matter the device or account used.

Public Records Requests Filed

Community members filed the first records request, prompting release of the emails exchanged through Backus’s official account.

After reviewing those documents and seeing the shift to personal email, the South King County Record filed a second public-records request seeking any related messages stored on Mayor Backus personal accounts.


The request seeks records involving Headley or any of his known aliases.

Because Backus invoked her official responsibilities in her letter — and because the communication originated on city systems — any related off-channel messages fall squarely under the PRA’s definition of a public record.

What Comes Next

The City of Auburn has acknowledged the request and will be required to determine whether responsive communications exist on the mayor’s personal accounts, if lawful exemption applies or if they reject the request all together.

The South King County Record will continue reporting as the city reviews the request and releases additional information.