CeaseFire PA’s board of directors expelled member Mary McFate after giving her a week to refute allegations that she was a paid spy for the National Rifle Association, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. McFate had been with the organization since its inception in 2002. McFate was identified last week by Mother Jones magazine as Mary Lou Sapone, named in a 2005 civil trial as a paid NRA operative. “The fact that the NRA feels compelled to plant spies in organizations like ours borders on paranoia,” said CeaseFire PA president Phil Goldsmith. “It reminds me of the days when General Motors spied on Ralph Nader when he was trying to make automobiles safer.”
The board also voted to “explore possible legal action” against McFate. U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.) demanded that the NRA address the Mother Jones article, but the NRA refused to comment.
Link: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_region/20080809_Gun-control_group_ousts_suspected_NRA_mole.html