Editing Letter to the editor (section)

==Misrepresentation==
Submitting a letter under a false name to [[shill]] in support or to criticize an opponent can have significant consequences. For example, Canadian politician [[Paul Reitsma]]'s career ended in scandal in 1999, after he signed letters addressed to newspapers as "Warren Betanko" praising himself and attacking his political opponents. His local paper wrote a [[wikt:front page|front-page]] story under the headline of "[[Member of the Legislative Assembly|MLA]] Reitsma is a liar and we can prove it".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/disgraced-b-c-mla-reitsma-seeks-political-redemption-1.1028847|title=Disgraced B.C. MLA Reitsma seeks political redemption|date=September 24, 2011|newspaper=CBC News}}</ref> The revelation led to a recall campaign that built up steam, but Reitsma resigned the day before the formal recall election could take place. He is the only modern Canadian politician to be forced from office due to a recall campaign.

In 1966 [[Israel]], the [[Herut]] Party of then opposition leader [[Menachem Begin]] was shaken by scandal when letters sharply attacking Begin, which had been published in major dailies, were proven to have been authored by Begin's rivals for the party leadership and sent to the papers under various aliases and false names. As a result, the rivals were discredited and eventually expelled from the party, which helped buttress Begin's leadership position up to win the 1977 general elections and become [[Prime Minister of Israel]].