Hackers used a Fox News Twitter account, @foxnewspolitics, to post a series of messages Monday, claiming the president was shot and killed at Ross’ Restaurant in Bettendorf, the New York Times reported.
President Barack Obama visited the restaurant during his June 28 visit to the Quad-Cities for a tour and speech at Alcoa Davenport Works.
FoxNews.com later posted a brief statement saying that the reports were incorrect, and that it regretted “any distress the false Tweets may have created,” the Times reported.
Melissa Freidhof-Rodgers, manager of Ross’ Restaurant and daughter of owners Cynthia and Ron Freidhof, said Monday that she had no comment about the Twitter posts and added that she wants to maintain the positive experience of having the president visit the restaurant.
After the president’s visit, Freidhof-Rodgers appeared on MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show,” to show viewers the two meals the president ordered during his stop — the Magic Mountain and Volcano.
The six messages posted on the Fox New Twitter account were removed about noon Monday, about 10 hours after they were first posted, the Times reported.
The paper also reported that senior Secret Service officials gathered Monday morning to discuss the Twitter posts. A spokesman for the Secret Service, George Ogilvie, told the paper, “We are investigating the matter and will be conducting appropriate follow-up.”
Jeff Misenti, the vice president and general manager of Fox News Digital, said in a later statement Monday that the news organization would be requesting “a detailed investigation from Twitter about how this occurred, and measures to prevent future unauthorized access into FoxNews.com accounts,” the Times reported.
Obama stopped at the restaurant to follow up on a pledge he made to Cynthia Freidhof at a 2007 campaign event in the Quad-Cities. Friedhof asked Obama from the audience how he could help small businesses. Her husband, Ron, is “on the fence,” she said.
Obama said to get him on the phone, and she dialed her cell phone. As she was calling, Obama told the crowd that he advocates tax cuts that would help small businesses. She handed him the phone and he spoke briefly to her husband. Obama acknowledged that his call was coming during the busy lunch rush. “How’s lunch hour?” Obama asked. “I’ve got to try one of the Magic Mountains. I’ll talk to you soon.”
