CHARLES TOWN, WV— Courtney Knill, a candidate for City Council in Charles Town, WV, revealed to reporters Tuesday that her campaign Facebook page was locked due to alleged violations of community guidelines and the curious accusation that she was impersonating herself.
Following the story’s publication, Meta has reportedly restored Knill’s page to operation.
As reported by The Post Millennial, Knill awoke one morning last week and found that her Facebook page, which she had been using to advance her campaign, had been disabled. The Ward 3 candidate attempted to utilize the Facebook appeal process but was denied.
"All they had me do was record a video of myself where they had me point my face in a different direction, basically just showing that you are who you say they are," she told the outlet.
"They reviewed it, and then just today I got the notice: We disabled your account... reviewed your account. It still doesn't follow our community standards on account integrity. You cannot request another review of this decision, and you can download your information if you want. And that's it," she said, "done. Campaign Facebook page shut down."
Knill’s Instagram page and X account remained online while her Facebook was disabled.
Her opponent, Nate Hartman, was described by the report as a transplant to the Charles Town area who recently raised over $500,000 for a City Council Ward campaign in which he would represent 5,600 voters.
"I'm the smaller person here in this race," Knill told Post Millennial. "I had to fundraise to even have enough money to even purchase signs or door hangers or anything." Pivoting to her opponent, she told the outlet, "he just moved to West Virginia a few years ago. He's a liberal from out of state, bought one of the most expensive properties in downtown Charles Town, and now is running for office vs. me, who was born and raised in Charles Town. I've been here almost 30 years."
Following the Post Millennial report, Knill appeared on Timcast IRL Tuesday and discussed her campaign and the difficulties she’s faced with Facebook.
In subsequent updates posted to X Tuesday, Knill said that her Facebook access was restored, but initially her campaign page was missing. She observed this to be “very strange behavior,” and asked “What is meta doing to conservatives?”
She later updated her followers, “After going to the media and raising the red flag on meta election bias and censorship, somehow magically my campaign account and page have been reinstated I’m glad I have my page back, but why did this happen? They denied the appeal until the media called them out.”
In a follow-up the City Council candidate wrote, “Meta doesn’t elect the leaders of the United States, the people do. election interference and censorship have no place in our process of democracy. I’d love to see @POTUS address this to ensure meta doesn’t interfere and hurt conservatives in future elections.”
The conservative candidate asked, “Why is it that I had to go on one of the biggest conservative podcasts that we have for US politics to bring up an issue about a municipal city election and about meta censorship?”
Noting her large X following and access to conservative media as instrumental in the matter, she added that if she didn’t have these, “What would have been the recourse? Just to let the, you know, other you know more liberal candidate keep their page and yet the conservative doesn't get to?”
Following the story’s publication, Meta has reportedly restored Knill’s page to operation.
As reported by The Post Millennial, Knill awoke one morning last week and found that her Facebook page, which she had been using to advance her campaign, had been disabled. The Ward 3 candidate attempted to utilize the Facebook appeal process but was denied.
well, the secret is out! I’m running for Charles Town City Council and my election is coming up on May 22nd 2025
— 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝙺𝚗𝚒𝚕𝚕 (@courtneyknill) March 20, 2025
I appreciate all of your support, and more campaign news will be coming soon! https://t.co/YekTAkgD0q
"All they had me do was record a video of myself where they had me point my face in a different direction, basically just showing that you are who you say they are," she told the outlet.
"They reviewed it, and then just today I got the notice: We disabled your account... reviewed your account. It still doesn't follow our community standards on account integrity. You cannot request another review of this decision, and you can download your information if you want. And that's it," she said, "done. Campaign Facebook page shut down."
Knill’s Instagram page and X account remained online while her Facebook was disabled.
Her opponent, Nate Hartman, was described by the report as a transplant to the Charles Town area who recently raised over $500,000 for a City Council Ward campaign in which he would represent 5,600 voters.
"I'm the smaller person here in this race," Knill told Post Millennial. "I had to fundraise to even have enough money to even purchase signs or door hangers or anything." Pivoting to her opponent, she told the outlet, "he just moved to West Virginia a few years ago. He's a liberal from out of state, bought one of the most expensive properties in downtown Charles Town, and now is running for office vs. me, who was born and raised in Charles Town. I've been here almost 30 years."
Following the Post Millennial report, Knill appeared on Timcast IRL Tuesday and discussed her campaign and the difficulties she’s faced with Facebook.
In subsequent updates posted to X Tuesday, Knill said that her Facebook access was restored, but initially her campaign page was missing. She observed this to be “very strange behavior,” and asked “What is meta doing to conservatives?”
update on this story:
— 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝙺𝚗𝚒𝚕𝚕 (@courtneyknill) April 30, 2025
facebook seems to have given me back my personal account, but my campaign page is still nowhere to be found. very strange behavior. what is meta doing to conservatives? https://t.co/OclBbcWO9N pic.twitter.com/ZvnWfKIzCK
She later updated her followers, “After going to the media and raising the red flag on meta election bias and censorship, somehow magically my campaign account and page have been reinstated I’m glad I have my page back, but why did this happen? They denied the appeal until the media called them out.”
In a follow-up the City Council candidate wrote, “Meta doesn’t elect the leaders of the United States, the people do. election interference and censorship have no place in our process of democracy. I’d love to see @POTUS address this to ensure meta doesn’t interfere and hurt conservatives in future elections.”
The conservative candidate asked, “Why is it that I had to go on one of the biggest conservative podcasts that we have for US politics to bring up an issue about a municipal city election and about meta censorship?”
meta doesn’t elect the leaders of the United States, the people do. election interference and censorship have no place in our process of democracy.
— 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝙺𝚗𝚒𝚕𝚕 (@courtneyknill) April 30, 2025
I’d love to see @POTUS address this to ensure meta doesn’t interfere and hurt conservatives in future elections pic.twitter.com/CC2Y2CIlvo
Noting her large X following and access to conservative media as instrumental in the matter, she added that if she didn’t have these, “What would have been the recourse? Just to let the, you know, other you know more liberal candidate keep their page and yet the conservative doesn't get to?”
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