Email Tax Hoax Fouls N.Y. Senate Debate
Further Adventures of 'Bill 602P'
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October 10, 2000
A well-traveled Internet hoax claiming that a bill introduced in the U.S. Congress would impose a 5-cent postal tax on every email found its way into a televised debate October 8th between New York Senatorial candidates Hillary Clinton and Rick Lazio. Moderator Marcia Kramer of WCBS-TV introduced the topic by saying, "I'd like to ask you how you stand on federal bill 602P," then launched into a description of the nonexistent legislation drawn from the text of the now infamous email hoax.
Both candidates, completely unaware they were discussing a fictional proposal, heartily condemned it.
In a subsequent explanation, WCBS said that Kramer took some of her questions from messages submitted by viewers and had no idea she'd been slipped a hoax.
The email in question, authored in April 1999 by an unknown Canadian prankster and anonymously retooled weeks later for a U.S. audience, has enjoyed an enormous circulation and provoked a steady stream of protests to Congressional offices since its inception. So clamorous has been the outcry against it, in fact, that last March Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan introduced legislation specifically to block any proposal resembling "Bill 602P" from ever becoming law.
Congressman Lazio, who evinced complete ignorance of the hoax during the debate, was a co-sponsor of that legislation.
Background:
Bill 602P Email Tax Hoax (Canadian Version)
Netlore Archive, April 1999Bill 602P Email Tax Hoax (U.S. Version)
Netlore Archive, May 1999
News coverage:
Email Hoax Clutters Lawmakers' Inboxes
CNET News: June 15, 1999No, Newbies, There's No Email Tax
Wired News: August 25, 2000Congress to Block Imaginary Tax Bill
Washington Post: May 10, 2000Email Hoax an Issue in N.Y. Senate Debate
Washington Post: October 8, 2000Email Hoax Dupes N.Y. Debaters
ABC News: October 9, 2000
