corrente

The one that was later debunked, of course. But at the time it seemed really really serious!

Let's ask the old question: Cui bono?

In this case, Republican Governor and possible presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who got priceless media coverage for [cough] keeping the citizens of Massachusetts safe:

But two government actions that evening reinforced the impression that something was up: Gov. Mitt Romney (R) cut his Washington trip short and flew back to Massachusetts. And the U.S. attorney in Boston released the names and photographs of the four Chinese suspects found in the border drop. Those photos were broadcast on local television stations that night and stripped across the front pages of the Boston newspapers the next morning.
(via WaPo)

So that would make the origin and motivation of the information that [cough] "somehow" leaked reasonably clear....

But the really interesting part of this story is (bien sur) buried:

The tipster failed to show up for a meeting with federal agents but delivered a package by tossing it over a border fence to a prearranged drop site. Inside were several documents, including three Chinese visas and a Chinese identification card. In all, the documents provided the names of 14 people, as well as photographs of four of them -- a level of detail uncommon to such blind tips.

So, um, the "tip" turned out to be a "hoax," a "prank"—but where did the package of documents come from?

What kind of government agency could forge visas, photos, and ID cards?

Oh, wait... I think it's coming to me...

Naah. Way way too far out in tinfoil hat territory. I mean, even if the CIA has been newly politicized by firing all the top staffers and replacing them with House Republican operatives ....

I mean, they would never do that, right?