House members receive threatening e-mail

05/18/2005

Gun bill supporter, Capitol Security say message was a hoax

BY RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER
Pioneer Press

Members of the Minnesota House on Tuesday received a threatening e-mail that purported to be from a supporter of an effort to allow Minnesotans easier access to gun permits. But the supporter and Capitol Security said it was a hoax.

“You better vote for us or else,” said the e-mail, which appeared to be from Joel Rosenberg, who has worked to change Minnesota’s law governing who can get a permit to carry a loaded weapon in public. Minnesota House members are expected to debate the gun bill possibly as early as today.

“If you don’t vote for what we want, we will use the Information we have from a former Police Database to blackmail any opponents in our way. This MEANS YOU in the HOUSE,” the e-mail said. “This means that people will be sent to your homes, like people were sent to Wes Skoglund’s home, to intimidate, and harass, and look in his window,” the e-mail said. Skoglund is a state senator from Minneapolis.

“It’s fraudulent,” said David Gross, an attorney representing Rosenberg. “We have contacted law enforcement and are hoping they can help us get to the bottom of this.”

Minnesota Capitol Security and the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension worked Tuesday to figure out who sent the e-mail. In addition, the FBI is investigating.

Gross said the threatening e-mail appeared to have been sent using a link from the Web site of Minnesota Conceal Carry Reform Now, the chief lobbying group for the gun permit bill. The link is provided so that supporters can easily contact lawmakers.

That Web page includes a stern warning for users not to use any obscene or threatening language: “You will only hurt our cause and possibly be arrested for terroristic threats!”

Joe Olson, president of Concealed Carry Reform Now, said the group plans to sue whoever was behind the e-mails because he said his group’s reputation was smeared.

“I’ll bet you $10 it’s an anti-gun person behind this,” he said. “None of our people are this stupid.”

Representatives Tuesday morning told colleagues they were disturbed by the e-mail.

“In no way should members ever be threatened,” said Rep. Michael Paymar, DFL-St. Paul. “This is the first time in my almost 10 years in this body that I have ever received an e-mail like this.”

After they received the original e-mail, members got a note from Gross, Rosenberg’s attorney, letting them know the original e-mail was fake.