AP Refuses To Comply With Secret Service Request On Sarah Palin's Hacked E-Mails

WASHINGTON -- Hackers broke into the Yahoo! e-mail account that Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin used for official business as Alaska's governor, revealing as evidence a few inconsequential personal messages she has received since John McCain selected her as his running mate.

"This is a shocking invasion of the governor's privacy and a violation of law. The matter has been turned over to the appropriate authorities and we hope that anyone in possession of these e-mails will destroy them," the McCain campaign said in a statement.

The Secret Service contacted The Associated Press on Wednesday and asked for copies of the leaked e-mails, which circulated widely on the Internet. The AP did not comply.

The disclosure Wednesday raises new questions about the propriety of the Palin administration's use of nongovernment e-mail accounts to conduct state business. The practice was revealed months ago _ prior to Palin's selection as a vice presidential candidate _ after political critics obtained internal e-mails documenting the practice by some aides.

One person whose e-mail to Palin apparently was among those disclosed, Amy B. McCorkell, declined to discuss her correspondence. "I do not know anything about it," McCorkell said. "I'm not giving you any comment." Wired.com said McCorkell later confirmed that she did send the e-mail to Palin.

Another of the e-mails apparently revealed Wednesday was an exchange in July with Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell discussing a talk show host who had been critical of Parnell. Parnell declined to discuss the matter.

Palin herself used "gov.sarah" in one of her e-mail addresses, but the hackers targeted her "gov.palin" account. Her husband used "fek9wnr" in his address. "Fe" is the representation for iron, and "k9" is an abbreviation for canine. Todd Palin was the winner of the grueling Iron Dog snowmobile race, and "fek9wnr" also is Todd Palin's vehicle license tag in Alaska.

It wasn't immediately clear how hackers broke into Palin's Yahoo! account, but it would have been possible to trick the service into revealing her password knowing personal details about Palin that include her birthdate and ZIP code. A hacker also might have sent a forged e-mail to her account tricking her into revealing her own password.

McCorkell was appointed by Palin to an advisory board on issues involving alcohol and drug abuse. One of the leaked e-mails suggested McCorkell wrote to Palin on Sunday to say she was praying for Palin. "Don't let the negative press get you down!" the message said.

Comments

[dmspeech]

I am the hacker and here's a copy of the latest email

Hi, Sapa

Let me know next time First Dude is off with his dogs.

Johnny Mac

[solutionrong]

I'm really curious who will benefit most from this leak. Why hack the account? Why leak to the public?

[dphilip]

It's like a 10 year old stealing something that he doesn't even know what is and he has no use for...But he does it just because he can...

[Meadowlark]

The alleged hacker kid's website shows him to belong to Edwards and Obama affinity groups. He's also the son of a Tenessee State rep. The quotes from his post at /b/ indicated he thought he'd find incriminating stuff on Palin, which he says the posted mails show was not the case. Kid posted Palin's password at /b/ so everyone could prank her by posting porn spam to her site. The mass hits supposedly crashed the account (or attempts to rehack the password after it was changed locked the account). --- Someone at 4chan.org /b/ board had objected to the invasion of privacy & changed the hacked password & then notified someone. --- At some point the Palin Yahoo account was pulled down after it crashed or locked up. Assuming he's in rather deep excrement at the moment. If he uses the UT computer system to hack and play he might get expelled, as well as prosecuted.

[thebluecrayon]

Right. So let's get this straight:

invading the privacy of ordinary citizens - fine, invading the privacy of politicians - a major crime worthy of investigation by the Secret Service.

Commiting a crime, covering it up by using personal email for business use and refusing to cooperate with investigations = jailtime for for ordinary citizens. Commiting a crime, covering it up by using personal email and refusing to cooperate with investigations = being nominated to be Vice President for Republicans.

Is that about right?

[Twango]

Yup, I think that just about covers it.

[wdw101]

yes

[Redrover666]

Really, your privacy was invaded? Or some friend of yours?

Who?

[Lerk4]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Republicans. I mean you don't really think these things apply to US, do you???

[ev2256]

Her email wasn't "hacked," per se.

Someone just typed in "Wasilla High" as the password.

[AzRealProgressive]

Yes it was hacked, oh yeah. Read this, and then say that with a straight face. And the hacker who wrote this is in custody according to some news reports. He is 20 and his father is a Democratic state representative.

http://www.michellemalkin.com/2008/09/17/the-story-behind-the-palin-e-mail-hacking/

[bola47]

like anyone might believe anything michelle malkin has to say.

[amrapol]

well first of, you didn't get the point, so u r dumb. second, nobody cares about what michelle malkin has to say on her website.

[ShigityShank]

LOL at the crazy comments over there.

My personal fave from a guy trying to make fun of Chuck Hagel:
"Unfortunately, conservative and intelligent aren’t mutually exclusive terms."

Translation: "I'm sad that it's possible to be both smart and conservative"

It's a good thing all that guy is only 1 of the 2. Otherwise he might have to hate himself.

[NevadaDem]

Oh GAWD...who really thought this wouldn't happen??? When news of the existence of the e-mails made the mainstream press...that was like dangling-a-carrot in front of computer hackers. One just ended up being the BIG BUNNY.

[susie1776]

What are they so shocked about. The Federal Gov't under the Bush Administration has been hacking into the private emails of alot of Americans for several years now. Why should she be treated any differently. After all, doesn't her husband belong to some cuckoo secessionist orhanization in Alaska. sounds like that would fit perfectly under the terrorism criteria for wiretapping without warrant.

[AzRealProgressive]

Name one example, anywhere or a name of a person who was hacked into by GWB and his minions.

[c0mm0ntater]

There isn't just one. There are millions. Look up Mark Klein and data mining. AT&T mirrored traffic from several of its operation centers and delivered it up to the NSA with GWB's approval.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/homefront/interviews/klein.html

[MrClean]

You're a FOOL if you don't know that GWB has been reading MILLIONS of e-mails daily! That's how he's kept us safe!

[GreenHouseBrand]

HAAHAHAHHAHAHA!

'"fek9wnr" also is Todd Palin's vehicle license tag in Alaska.'

this made my day. dont mean to be jovial, but vanity plates always get me..

HAHAHAHA, iron dog winner...

Sounds like a real champ. (please dont respond with this iron dog race is a big deal, it very well might be, but is it such a big achievement that it needs to be on your cars license plate?

[hey0there]

i knew the first time yahoo was mentioned awhile ago her handlers were just dangling a carrot in the hopes some kid on obamas team would "hack" her account , leading to a huge investigation that reveals a link to the obama campaign, to be used in an 'october surprise'.

the yahoo account is mentioned in countless articles about palin before this "breach" -- yet nobody closed the account until the bait got taken.

hope this doesnt turn into an october surprise against the obama camp

[cherlybear]

Don't you love how the McCain campaign wants to take their time and "study" the wall street crisis, but Sarah's personal email hacked? OMG, drop everything and take action immediately! Nothing could be more important! They really are transparent, aren't they?

All of Bush cronies have been reassigned to the Palin campaign? Even the top terrorist prosector is now working to stop the troopergate investigation? Don't tell me McCain/Bush wouldn't be the third Bush term...!

[Yvan]

This Republican piece of crap government listens to people's cell phones without warrants --- EVEN WHEN THEY ARE TURNED OFF ! --- and then sends the secret service after someone for violating the privacy of Sarah Palin ? Are you f****ing kidding ?

Anyway, What is Palin, the original Moose Lame Fighter afraid of ? Someone is going to find out about her best spots for hunting Moose ?

[BridgeTooFar]

I don't want some guy who was the cause of 173 sailors dying on the USS Forrestal or who did THIS to innocent women and children as my President.

http://www.gallerym.com/images/work/big/pulitzer_nick_ut_vietnam_napalm_kim_phuc_6872_L.jpg

[Ramirez]

Give it a rest, Snuffy. You're spamming that on every thread.

[slimcat]

Kudos to the AP for having the stones to do this. Now, if they'd just let us link to their story on it. ;)

Hmm, did the bushified SS ever consider looking on the Intertubes for the 'Palin Letters'?

[Redrover666]

And... if this was done to your family, would it be a laudable thing?

[slimcat]

As near as I can tell, the AP didn't do anything to anyone. They merely ignored a request for material that was freely available on the web.

Was it responsible of Gov. Palin to use unauthorized email for government purposes, and then mix that with personal email?

[BigLib]

Wheeee!

Meet the Hacker -- David Kernell, Son of Democoratic Tennessee State Legislator!

The son of state Rep. Mike Kernell has been contacted by authorities in connection with a probe into the hacking of personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Kernell told The Tennessean.

My money says this guy has volunteered for the Obama campaign at least once.

IF that is the case I want to see this headline everywhere: Obama Campaign Volunteer Illegally Accesses and Publishes Gov. Palin's Personal Email Account

BEST ELECTION EVAH!

[holyhandgrenaid]

strawman argument

go home

[AzRealProgressive]

No it isnt. If this had been done to Obama or Biden you can bet there would be outrage and more outrage and calls for arrests, indictments and anything else.

[Topsailsman]

BigLib,

Here is the exact text from the Tennessean website:

Kernell, a Memphis Democrat, confirmed that it is his 20-year-old son, David, who is being widely named on Internet blogs and chatrooms in connection with an unfolding story about Palin's hacked e-mail accounts.

The FBI and the Secret Service started a formal investigation on Wednesday into the hacking.

So, it says the son is widely named on Internet blogs. It says the FBI and SS started an investigation.

Your statement "The son of state Rep. Mike Kernell has been contacted by authorities in connection with a probe into the hacking of personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Kernell told The Tennessean." appears nowhere on the website.

Where does your "quote" appear?

[guajiro]

It's, like, REAL DUMB for a government official, Palin in this case, to do the government's work on a public site. There are hackers aplenty and I wouldn't appreciate ANY official, Democrat or Republican, being dumb enough to do that. Government tekkies are bright enough so that the average hacker won't get through. Seems to me it isn't just McCain who doesn't know the internets.

[AzRealProgressive]

You would offer that kind of an opinion up. Many Govermental systems are less secure than Yahoo, and it is common to use an e-mail service like Yahoo. You need to find a life and start using facts instad of hperbole in your posts.

[Cappy]

If she discussed gov't business in these e-mails then they are public property and she ought to be prosecuted for trying to circumvent public records laws...just like the Bush administration.

[pithy]

Wheee! Let's talk about the upstanding GOP character who recently got out of jail for push polling in New Hampshire, tying up the Dem phone lines in the last election.

He wrote a book about it - think it's called "How to Rig an Election" and contains all the actual schemes used by rethuglicans to STEAL the votes of fellow American citizens.

Y'all call yourselves "patriots." I have a different definition of how a patriotic American behaves - why, I think that person puts COUNTRY FIRST!!!!!!

Best election evah - you betcha!

[AzRealProgressive]

How does what that idjiot did, justify what this idjiot did? Why do you deflect to something years ago as a basis for an arguement about what happened just yesterday?

[vernbvb]

There is no way that anyone hacked into palin's computer. She has such a lively imagination and gets away with so much stuff. (i can't wait for the real truth about her to come out. What a devious woman. She probably gave her id info to a friend and had them send "inconsequential" emails out to the media or others. But guys, notice that none of the emails surrounding "troopergate" were released. Why is that? It is becausde again, she was in total control. This lady can never say anything that i will ever believe. It is almost laughable to think that someone would break into her emails and not access newsworthy emails. Ridiculous and pathetic and maybe criminal.

[AzRealProgressive]

It is criminal but not in how you describe it. Here is whatt happened. If this is true, these people are in big trouble,

http://www.michellemalkin.com/2008/09/17/the-story-behind-the-palin-e-mail-hacking/


You may wish to revise your post.

[starrianna]

I just hope Miss Thing is a LITTLE more careful with the NUCLEAR CODES.

Geesh! She's not the brightest thing, is she?