A Turkish flag. That?s what potential voters saw Monday when they clicked on several pages of Clarence Bell?s Web site. But he?s not Turkish and the artwork wasn?t his idea, said the Republican candidate for Baltimore County executive. It?s the trademark of an Internet hacker.
“I regret this type of mean-spirited attack that has been made upon my Web site,” Bell said in a statement that appeared later on the site. “I have asked the Baltimore County police to conduct an investigation and prosecute those responsible.”
Several of Bell?s pages were replaced with a waving Turkish flag and the words “Hacked by Realwolker.” By Monday night, the flags and the references to the hacker had disappeared, and Bell?s statement had been added. A student first notified Bell of the defacement in an e-mail Monday, said Bell, commander of the Maryland State Police?s Waterloo Barracks. Bell said he confirmed the hack with his Webmaster, then notified police.
Police could not confirm an investigation by press time. Bell is challenging the Democratic incumbent, Jim Smith, in the election.
