Update: This could be a hoax:

For the second time in two days, an email has been sent out saying a Democratic senator has died. And both times, the emails appeared to have come from the senator’s offices.

WTOP was one of the news organizations that received an email that said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) had died Tuesday of liver cancer. David Carle, a spokesperson for Leahy, tells WTOP the email was a “spoof.”

Consider this very uncertain until we get more word.  I had not heard about the previous instances, so this looks very, very fishy.  Hopefully, Lautenberg is in good health tonight.  Like the other instances, the e-mail came from a Senate e-mail address.

Update II: My apologies.  This looks like a confirmed hoax.  I don’t delete posts, but I have changed the headline and will offer this as an apology for not getting independent confirmation.  My wife asked why anyone would want to do that, but I imagine someone’s getting a sick chuckle over this.

Anyway, best of health to you, Senator Lautenberg (and Leahy and Feinstein and …)

Original post follows:

=====

According to a press release I just received from his Senate office, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) died about an hour ago at his home in New Jersey.  Senator Lautenberg was 86 years old. Here is the statement from his spokesman and chief of staff, Dan Katz:

United States Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who built a reputation as an independent voice in the Senate and for working with both Democrats and Republicans to find common-sense solutions to the problems facing New Jersey and Washington, passed away of cancer at age 86 on Tuesday, July 6 at 10:59PM EST at his home in Newark. The Democratic Senator from New Jersey, known best for his homeland security and environmental initiatives in the Senate, will be missed by all Americans regardless of their political colors or creed.

Our prayers are with the Lautenberg family, friends, and staff. I will have more tomorrow on the implications of this, but for now we should just offer our condolences.