Chambliss removes staffer over gay threat

ATLANTA, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., said Thursday he has removed a member of his staff because of a threatening anti-gay message posted online last week.

Chambliss did not disclose the name of the staffer responsible for the homophobic comment, which was posted as part of an Internet discussion on the debate over the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy forbidding gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces. A commenter who identified himself only as "Jimmy" posted a message on the Joe.My.God blog saying "All faggots must die."

After Joseph Jervis, the author of the blog, said a search using the Internet Protocol address associated with the post traced its origin to the neighborhood of Chambliss' office in Atlanta, Chambliss referred the matter to Senate authorities.

"The office of the Senate Sergeant at Arms has concluded its investigation, and I responded to that report immediately with the removal of a member of my staff," Chambliss said in a statement Thursday.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said there were indications the staffer responsible for the offending post was a military liaison assigned to Chambliss' office by the Pentagon.

Chambliss said he has personally apologized to Jervis.

"Regardless of one's position on issues and policies, such comments are simply unacceptable, are not befitting those who work in the U.S. Senate, and I will not tolerate them from my staff," he said.