Holden poison-pen mystery solved

(UPDATE: See below.)

Senate Leader Phil Berger announced today that House and Senate sergeants-at-arms have finally identified the person who put a letter denigrating former Gov. William Holden on Senate desks on the day last month that the Senate was to consider repealing Holden's impeachment.  

The story had turned out to be a real whodunit when it was discovered that Senate security cameras were not working that day.

Berger said today the culprit was a House legislative assistant who no longer works at the General Assembly.

Berger said he couldn't publicly identify the person for personnel reasons, but Senate members were told the staffer in question was Carlton Huffman, former assistant to freshman Rep. Jonathan Jordan, R-Ashe. 

Jordan wouldn't confirm Huffman was fired, saying only that they mutually agreed he should seek other opportunities after he learned what had happened. He said he didn't know about the letter or the investigation into it.