The story
Originated in the election canvass of 1844, when such a forgery was published, to the detriment of James K. Polk, purporting to be an extract from the Travels of Baron Roorbach.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
roorbach
Today it means: A defamatory forgery or falsehood published for purposes of political intrigue. Full definition →