Matt Jerzyk of
rifuture.org did some detective work to track down the originator of a nasty, vile anti-Whitehouse attack email that was sent to Rhode Island newsmakers.
The result:
Search results for: 156.33.77.83
OrgName: U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms
OrgID: USSAA
Address: 2 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, N.E. 6TH FLOOR
City: WASHINGTON DC
StateProv: DC
PostalCode: 20510
Country: US
NetRange: 156.33.0.0 - 156.33.255.255
CIDR: 156.33.0.0/16
NetName: SCC
NetHandle: NET-156-33-0-0-1
Parent: NET-156-0-0-0-0
NetType: Direct Assignment
NameServer: SEN-DMZP.SENATE.GOV
Clearly this email constitutes a misuse of government resources. Might it have originated with a Chafee staffer? Can any of you help with Matt's investigation?
UPDATE: rifuture.org has posted the full text of one of the emails, which is excerpted below the fold.
UPDATE #2: uh-oh: the email originated from Chafee's office. Details below the fold.
UPDATE #3: AP reports that Chafee staffer Lammis Vargas admits to having sent the anonymous slime mails from her U.S. Senate computer. See Providence Journal, Washington Post stories.
Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2006 07:36:53 -0800 (PST)
From: Noname Nolast
Subject: Does someone know how much Iris Rivera was paid by WHITEHOUSE?
Does someone know how much Iris Rivera was paid by WHITEHOUSE?
I guess money talks after all... and did I mentioned a free $1,000.00 dinner or was it so happen that she decided to attend the dinner or more like dragged and brain washed.....
Totally fishy..... how could one mother forget the pain of the loss of her daughter? How could a mother side with someone who never publicly apologize for the murder of her daughter and who did not even give one penny for the cost of the funeral....
If the witness protection would of been on former AG Sheldon WHITEHOUSE agenda, perhaps Jennifer Rivera would've been alive.
But i guess Iris Rivera does not think that way... money means more than what her daughter probably meant to her.....
What will WH do in Washington? NOTHING
This is truly despicable. For background on the Jennifer Rivera story, please see
the full story on rifuture.org. Let's catch the jerk that used our tax dollars to peddle this smut.
UPDATE #2: as uncovered by rickroscoe on rifuture.org, the 156.33.77.* IP address bloc belongs to one of the two Rhode Island Senators. And it sure ain't coming from Jack Reed, the honorary co-chair of Whitehouse's campaign.
Now the question becomes: will Lincoln Chafee attempt to cover this story up, or will he promptly take responsibility for the emails, apologize to his opponent, fire the responsible staffer(s), and allow any illegal activities to be fully investigated?