A Boston.com associate editor was fired for a story disparaging threats against U.S. House Speaker John Boehner.
Victor Paul Alvarez told The Associated Press in an email he was fired Thursday. He said he apologized to his bosses for the "terrible mistake."
A former bartender is charged with threatening to kill Boehner with a gun or by poisoning his drink. Alvarez's story suggested Boehner had a drinking problem and questioned whether Boehner's "pickled liver could have filtered out the toxins."
Boston.com general manager Corey Gottlieb said it was posted without a top editor's review. Gottlieb said the site doesn't comment on personnel matters.
Mike Sheehan, chief executive of Boston.com's owner, Boston Globe Media Partners, sent an apology to Boehner's office.
A Boehner spokesman called Alvarez's story "insensitive and inappropriate."