Saxby Chambliss: Anti-Gay Slur Likely Originated From My Office

Saxby Chambliss: Anti-Gay Slur Likely Originated From My Office

U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said Wednesday that a derogatory slur left on an Internet discussion over the rights of gays to serve in the U.S. military appears to have originated from his office.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported on the message in question on Tuesday evening:

The comment was posted on Joe.My.God., a blog dedicated to gay and lesbian issues, shortly after a Democratic bid to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" faltered in the U.S. Senate.

"All [gays] must die," wrote the commenter, identifying himself as "Jimmy."

The blog's readers traced the Internet Protocol address to the suburban Atlanta complex where Chambliss has an office.

At the time, Chambliss spokeswoman Bronwyn Lance Chester said that the office was investigating whether the message originated with them. She said that they were "moving quickly to understand the facts" and added that the Senator's office "has not and will not tolerate any activity of the sort alleged. Once we have ascertained whether these claims are true, we will take the appropriate steps."

On Wednesday evening, Chambliss' press team issued a statement signaling the slur likely came from the Republican lawmaker's home state office; however, investigators had yet to identify who was responsible for the making the derogatory remark. The statement said the case has been handed over to the Senate sergeant-at-arms and is still under review.

A spokesman for Georgia's other Republican Senator, Johnny Isakson, told the Journal-Constitution on Tuesday that the lawmaker's home-state office, which is located in close proximity to that of Chambliss, determined that the slur did not come from them.

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