LtE: Anonymous Site, Public Power: SB Chair Haley in the Spotlight
This week I learned that Chris Haley, chair of the Reading Select Board and owner of the Reading Recap, a site that frequently refuses to post letters to the editor that are critical of him, his supporters, and his allies, is also a primary contributor to the new anonymous site Voter Spotlight.
Metadata* (aka, website code) shows that Chris Haley has both a “creator name” and the “created by” ID of #1. This means that Chris has access to edit the website directly and was likely one of the first people to do so. A normal person contributing to the site cannot change this information in the code.
Chris has also submitted 5 posts for publication from inside the website using his personal email (chrishaley***@gmail.com (intentionally censored for privacy)), unlike other posts that were submitted via the online form. No other person’s personal email address is visible in the metadata. On his official Select Board Facebook page he enthusiastically admits contributing to the site.
The primary objective of this site and Chris’s involvement, seems to be to continue his years-long campaign of harassing, intentionally distorting events, and disparaging his fellow Select Board member Karen Herrick, as well as volunteers who are critical of him.
Chris is currently the chair of the Select Board. He is also the owner of the Recap and is now at the center of the Spotlight. In these roles, Chris has anointed himself as the gatekeeper of truth for all Reading residents.
Without transparency and accountability, Chris deprives residents of factual information. Instead, he forces his self-serving perspective onto the community and further drives the divide in this town. Any resident who disagrees with Chris faces a serious reputational risk by him misrepresenting them on the Recap and Spotlight sites.
These sites damage the town when they are used to pit us against our neighbors. Personally, I’m tired of the relentless drama and mudslinging where Chris is consistently at the center. I do not want local elected officials that prioritize self-promotion and ruthlessly attack their neighbors. I want a functioning town government.
*If you would like to check the Spotlight’s metadata, right click anywhere on the page and click “View page source.” Then search (CTRL+F) for “Haley” and you will find all entries tied to his name.
Erick Carpenter
Main St
Screenshot of the Voter Spotlight source code indicating the creator name as Chris Haley and data update count of 1.
Screenshot of the Voter Spotlight source code indicating a recent submission on the website attributed to Chris Haley, with his personal email.