The hacking group Anonymous has disclosed the private information of alleged Ku Klux Klan members, and the list includes the names of five city mayors and four senators. Along with their email addresses and phone numbers, the hacktivist group also includes the politicians' affiliations with the extremist organization.
Denials quickly ensued after the allegations became widespread. Jim Gray, the mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, denies the accusation, saying that he is not a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
I am opposed to everything the KKK stands for. I have no idea where this information came from, but wherever it came from, it is wrong.
— Mayor Jim Gray (@JimGrayLexKY) November 2, 2015
Anonymous posted the list on Pastebin. The accused senators are Thomas Tillis from North Carolina, John Cornyn from Texas, John Hardy Isakson from Georgia and Dan Coats from Indiana. On the other hand, the accused mayors are Knoxville Mayor Madeline Anne Rogero of Tennessee, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim of Virginia, Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn of Florida, Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry of Indiana, and the aforementioned Lexington Mayor Jim Gray of Kentucky.
Following up on the denials are Mayor Fraim, Mayor Henry and Sen. Coats.
People have been spreading a report from the Internet that I am involved with the KKK. This report is a hoax and is absolutely false. — Mayor Paul D. Fraim (@NorfolkMayor) November 2, 2015
Claims that I have ties to the KKK are totally false and irresponsible. I’m proud to be the Mayor of the @CityofFortWayne (1/2) — Mayor Tom Henry (@MayorTomHenry) November 2, 2015
For those who are asking - I have never had any affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan and deplore all forms of racial discrimination — Senator Dan Coats (@SenDanCoats) November 2, 2015
Mayor Rogero also denies the accusation, and she took things to Facebook, telling the publisher of the list to "retract it immediately."
Sen. Isakson's office also addressed the matter.
"This information is absolutely false and comes from an unverified source. Senator Isakson has never been affiliated with the KKK," CBS46 reports as the senator's statement.
The official Twitter account of Operation KKK — a group that claims to be affiliated with Anonymous — says that it has not released any information yet, as it won't release names without "due diligence."
This account has NOT YET released any information. We believe in due diligence and will NOT recklessly involve innocent individuals #OpKKK — Operation KKK (@Operation_KKK) November 2, 2015
The group has also announced that it will publish a full list of 1,000 names on Nov. 5, which is from various Twitter accounts that it says to have hacked.
We've gained access to yet another KKK Twitter account. Using the info obtained, we will be revealing about 1000 klan member identities. — Operation KKK (@Operation_KKK) October 22, 2015
Anonymous and the Ku Klux Klan have been in a heated online battle ever since the Ferguson protest incident, where the hacktivist group gained access to the chapter's Twitter account there. The members' information was then published online.
Photo: Franck Mahon | Flickr
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