Nassau Police Launch Probe Into Mangano Sexting Claims
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – Nassau County police are investigating claims by County Executive Ed Mangano that hackers sent lurid text messages to women from his cellphone number.
Police have reportedly examined Mangano's cellphone and electronics belonging to a Long Island public relations consultant, CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported.
Mangano adamantly defended himself Monday, saying someone hacked his phone using a technique called "spoofing" to send the messages to several women, making it look like they came from his cellphone.
"I am a victim here," Mangano told Kramer. "I am being hacked. This is a lie, and I will bring every legal action to catch this person and bring this to justice."
One message, purporting to be from an "Ed M," began with "I'd lay you down." The rest is too X-rated to print.
Another, from an "Ed Mangano," to a different phone number, perhaps a different woman, said: "I really just want you next to me, nothing else. Just that. I miss being alone with you."
"I wanted to see you," the woman appears to reply.
"Sorry I'm tired," the texter claiming to be Mangano says.
"Tomorrow?" she asks.
"I will let you know," the mystery texter answers.
"I want you to (expletive) my brains out even if it's in my car again," she says.
Said Mangano on Monday: "These words did not come from me. It was not done on my phone. It could only be done by a hacker. Period."
Mangano is asking Nassau cops, whose commissioner he appoints, to investigate the texts and a tweet of one of the texts that reportedly turned up briefly on the Twitter page of a woman identified by cops as public relations consultant Karin Caro. She says she was also hacked, victimized by the spoof.
Caro once told Mangano during an interview for her blog The Daily Blu he was "amazing guy" and that she has been "inspired" by him. But she says she never communicated with Mangano via text nor does she have his cellphone number. On Facebook, she said she had spent much of Sunday with police, who still have some of her electronics.
Caro has done work for the county – two contracts totaling nearly $50,000.
A spokesman for Mangano said his boss had nothing to do with approving the contracts, which he says received nine separate approvals, including from the county attorney and comptroller.
Nassau police said the investigation into the texts is being done independently, with no input from neither the commissioner nor Mangano.