Spencer Coggs: Hacked on Facebook or ???

On Sunday, November 27th I wrote an article about a troubling Facebook post concerning the Recall Scott Walker movement. I have reprinted that entire blog below with one minor update: I have added Senator Spencer Coggs as the Democratic office holder involved. Since that time I have twice emailed the Senator’s office for comment without reply. I did include the original post in the second email so the Senator’s staff could understand the topic and my concern.

I have not had any additional exchanges with Mike Tate other than those listed below. I didn’t think it was necessary, but I would have hoped to hear from him if something nefarious had been done to Sen. Coggs’ Facebook account.

However, another concerned contact commented: “I really don’t think Coggs posted this, but you’ll have to ask him. I know he’s not happy about the posts in any rate. May be an overzealous staffer, may be mischief. Dunno.”

As of today, Sen. Coggs’ personal Facebook page remains AWOL. His politician Facebook page does not contain any data or information or posts other than basic biographical information.

I am not sure what’s really behind the original post and the disappearance of the Senator’s FB page. My gut says the overzealous staffer makes the most sense while the deletion of the actual page/account on Facebook could indicate an attempt to imply a hack.

But it sure is unfortunate that a very well planned recall process is creating such confusion on both sides of the aisle!

ORIGINAL POST: Recall Dirty Tricks or Misinformation?

Late this morning the personal Facebook page of a State Senator Spencer Coggs included the following wall post:

“Want to recall Scott Walker? Make sure your signature counts.

The media has been reporting on multiple organized efforts to pilfer and destroy multiple petition forms. Please ensure your name is signed on a legitimate Scott Walker Recall petition.

I suggest you sign at least twice from different locations. If someone has approached your home, ensure you sign no less than 3 times from this method.
We know for a fact that petitions have been destroyed, purposefully lost, and stolen.”
I had the first comment that we shouldn’t be encouraging fear and hysteria surrounding the recall process.”

A few moments later, Mike Tate, the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, commented that the account may have been hacked.

An hour later the account had been taken down and Senator Coggs no longer shows up on my list of Facebook friends and the item no longer appears in my list of notifications…although it did earlier even after the FB page had been taken down.

At the time I messaged Graeme Zielinski but haven’t had a reply yet. I also asked Mike Tate if the account had actually been hacked and he replied that he was not sure if it had been hacked or not.

I will update this post when I have additional information…but either we have a dirty tricks hack job or a friend who doesn’t quite understand how the recall is working! Neither one is conducive to running a clean and transparent recall election.

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7 thoughts on “Spencer Coggs: Hacked on Facebook or ???

  1. Ed Garvey remarked in todays blog about a professor friend of his who was told he could sign multiple recall petitions. Garvey suggests that anyone who says such things should be avoided. He implies they might be up to no good.

    Charlie Sykes claims to have a screen shot from the One Wisconsin Now website telling people they can sign more than one petition. Then there’s the post on Coggs facebook page. I seem to remember the young woman who trained a bunch of us up north telling us that people could sign more than once.

    It seems to me that paranoia over possible repub dirty tricks might be getting the best of people. Some are seeing repub saboteurs everywhere. It’s not good.

    1. John, it’s easy to remove posts from Facebook. I saw the comments in question, and after they got some attention Coggs’ entire Facebook page was made unavailable.

      Curiously, I’ve also been removed as Coggs’ Facebook friend.

    2. Yes it was his page…I didn’t go searching for it…I was friends with him and his post appeared on my wall…I was the first person to comment on the post complaining that it was spreading fear and hysteria…a few minutes later Mike Tate posted that he thought the site may have been hacked.

  2. If you sign more than once, you are enabling the Rethuglicans to add another layer to their mantle of victimhood.

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