The term "sockpuppet" was used as early as July 9, 1993. By 1996 it was in general use. The "Oxford English Dictionary" at first defined it as "a person whose actions are controlled by another". In 2000 the U.S. News and World Report associated the word minion with a sock puppet. In 2006, an aide to a Republican congressman was caught posting messages on Democratic Party sites. Using a false identity the aide was trying to convince Democrats not to support a certain candidate.