General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsREPUKE Campaign Aide Spread False Storm Rumors-Load Of Frightening/False Info
Shashank Tripathi, Last Nights Twitter Villain @ComfortablySmug
By Jack Stuef
This post is now available on BuzzFeed FWD, which was down for a time due to Sandy.
During the storm last night, user @comfortablysmug was the source of a load of frightening but false information about conditions in New York City that spread wildly on Twitter and onto news broadcasts before ConEd, the MTA, and Wall Street sources had to take time out of the crisis situation to refute them.
What leads a person to do such a thing, which his critics have likened to shouting fire in a crowded movie theater? Its unclear. But perhaps it has something to do with the nature of anonymity. If there are no consequences for posting false BREAKING news, theres an incentive to do it to an accumulate a large audience.
What @comfortablysmug didnt count on, apparently, was losing that anonymity. Based on photos he censored and posted to the account but I found unedited elsewhere, @comfortablysmug is Shashank Tripathi, a hedge-fund analyst and the campaign manager of Christopher R. Wight, this years Republican candidate for the U.S. House from New Yorks 12th congressional district.
FEC documents show Wight has paid Tripathi thousands of dollars this election cycle as a consultant. @comfortablysmug has been a vocal supporter of Mitt Romney and posted tweets suggesting he attended this years Republican convention. Hes listed here by a local Republican group coordinating volunteers for a Romney phone bank. Hes 29 years old.
http://gofwd.tumblr.com/post/34640321762/shashank-tripathi-last-nights-twitter-villain