Tate, Altes in tiff over Facebook posts

Doris Tate is mad and Denny Altes is confused.

On April 13 at 6:20 p.m., four posts from Tate appeared on the Denny Altes for State Representative 2012 Facebook page. The posts, which include Tate presumably adding her Facebook friends to the Altes page, appear to indicate that Tate supports the Altes campaign.

“That’s not happening,” Tate told The City Wire.

She said someone must have hacked her Facebook settings. She has changed passwords and other settings.

It does seem wholly out of character for Tate — a life-long Democrat who was the Sebastian County Clerk for more than 20 years and is now the Democratic candidate for Arkansas House District 77 — to offer support for Altes, a Republican who faces a primary opponent in the Arkansas House District 76 race.

“I don’t want to be tied to anything of his,” Tate explained, adding that she has talked to Altes via a phone call and e-mail to request he remove her posts.

Altes said his daughter, Anna, manages his Facebook pages. He instructed her to remove Tate from the group and remove the posts.

“I’m technologically challenged. You’ll have to ask my daughter about that,” Altes said when asked about the issue.

Anna said Thursday she is “at the end of my rope” trying to figure out how to remove the Tate posts.

“It’s nothing my dad has done, and it shows that it came from her account,” Anna explained. “I’m doing everything I can, but I can’t figure it out yet.”

Altes was asked if his Facebook page was his responsibility to manage, including removing posts.

“No, I didn’t post that stuff on it. I can’t get it off, and my daughter can’t figure out how to take those off,” Altes responded. “That’s not my responsibility. I don’t see how it is my responsibility. … I don’t see how it is a big thing.”

But would he pull down the page until the posts can be removed?

“I guess we can do that … but I wouldn’t know how to do that,” Altes answered, and added that he didn’t think the issue warranted a news story.

“I don’t see a story here. Sorry.”

Tate believes it’s a story and is Altes’ responsibility. She is especially upset because the posts have her pulling in her Facebook friends to Altes’ group.

“I will be in contact with them in the next few days if the posts don’t come off,” Tate said. “Certainly someone out there in the world of technology can help them figure out how to get my post off of their Facebook.”

Jake McTyre, technology manager with The City Wire, set up a Facebook group page, had an outside person post to the group, and then was able to remove the person and the post.

“I don’t see any reason why she (Anna Altes) cannot delete the post. I suspect she does not have the proper admin rights to the page,” McTyre explained.