Cox to Burchett: ‘farragutpress spoofed’
Update: How caller ID 'Spoofing' works. Here is a short video explaining 'Spoofing'
Farragutpress and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett are victims of “spoofing.”
A recorded political phone message attacking Burchett, a candidate for the 2nd U.S. Congressional District seat being vacated by John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr., comes up as being sourced at farragutpress from the phone number of a general assignment reporter.
The message was received by thousands in the Knox County region beginning Tuesday evening, Jan. 23.
Scores of those have called the farragutpress reporter inquiring about the recorded anti-Burchett message.
Tony Cox, farragutpress publisher and president of Republic Newspapers, Inc., parent company of farragutpress, emphatically stated the newspaper had been spoofed and never reported any of the anti-Burchett news in the recorded phone calls.
Saying he wanted the perpetrators of the spoofing caught and prosecuted, Burchett confirmed he spoke with Cox by phone Wednesday.
“I thought it was positive. Tony was straight up with me. He told me straight up he had no knowledge” of farragutpress reporting the accusations, Burchett said in a phone conversation Wednesday afternoon.
(Read much more about this spoofing as news breaks online — and in the Feb. 1 issue of farragutpress).
