COPY BY MAIL TO: The Honorable Jan Schakowsky
5533 Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640, USA

FROM: Elena Petrova
Suite 407/51, Robina Town Centre 4230, Australia

14 April 2004

ATTN: The Honorable Jan Schakowsky, 

I am writing to you to urge you to correct the appalling mistakes in the article located on your website http://www.house.gov/schakowsky. 

The article is authored by Nancy Traver from Chicago Tribune and is named "Marriage Trap". It is located at: http://www.house.gov/schakowsky/article_1_07_04_marriage_trap.html  

The article mentions my name and attributes to me the things that I have never done. It damages my reputation and I request an immediate correction or removal of the article from your website.  

I also request written apologies for the mistake. 

Exactly, the article on your website is saying the following: 

"Elena Petrova operates Russian Brides Cyber Guide, an international Web site for men seeking Russian wives. Petrova, who is based in Australia, says the process of obtaining a man's criminal and marital history and then translating it into Russian would be too time consuming and expensive. 

She has launched a petition in St. Petersburg, Russia, to oppose the proposed U.S. law that would regulate online services." 

The mistakes are as following: 

1)      I did not launch the petition opposing the legislation.

The petition was launched by a St. Petersburg marriage agency. I have only wrote an article about this petition and never had started any petitions or participated in any petition opposing the legislation in question.

2)      I do not oppose the U.S. law that would protect foreign women-immigrants against of spousal abuse, nor do I oppose a law that would regulate online services.

It is a much needed measure and I repeatedly expressed my concurrence with the idea. Please see http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/8/prweb77265.htm and http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/8/prweb76422.htm, the two publications from August 2003 where I say that the idea of protecting foreign women-immigrants is excellent and much needed. Being in Australia, I am not the subject of the new American legislation on marriage brokers. Some people asked me to comment on it and I merely expressed my professional opinion about the possible consequences this law would cause for the American-based websites. In fact, I shall benefit from this law financially once it is official: this law will raze the most successful online marriage brokers, my competitors, most of whom are located in the USA.

I request an immediate correction of the oblivious factual mistakes in the article on your website.

I also expect written apologies for the harm this publication caused to my reputation and my emotional well-being.

I have written previously with information on this matter via email form on your website http://www.house.gov/schakowsky but did not receive any response. The email was sent 31 March 2004 and I have a copy of the automated response from the website.

I urge you to give the proper attention to this letter and I insist on a written response.

If I do not receive any response within a reasonable time limit such as one week from the date of sending this letter, I will contact my attorneys in regard to this matter, and also send corresponding information to press about your conduct in regard to the truthfulness of the information contained on your website.

The defaming information was in writing and broadcast to the whole Internet, therefore I request written apologies.

Sincerely,

Elena Petrova