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

[Portnoy]

Where is the ACLU in this matter?????

Oh that's right. It's a crime against a Conservative. Perfectly acceptable in an Obama Nation.

Hypocrisy you can beleive in.

[CtJean]

Hey Portnoy,

Wash your hands before you type a comment.

[Agent420]

Washing his hands will not help. He needs to wash his brain if he can find it.

[luvangelHussein330]

You have Rupurt Murdoch to blame for that, given that he sits on the board now and is running things.

[Cybersquirt]

the ACLU was thrown to the curb by the Patriot Act and the latest FISA decision....

I'm amused that you're not equally disturbed she's apparantly subverting the law herself but y'all have gotten really good at justifying things when it's one of your own, huh.

[SunshinePuppies]

The ACLU is concerned with government infringements of constitutional rights. Their mandate is not crimes committed by private citizens or random hackers. Don't criticize what you clearly know nothing about. From the ACLU site http://aclu.org/about/index.htmll):
>>
The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees:.
* Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.

[guntotinganglion]

Waaahhhh!!!

[optech007]

If she's using this account to conduct state business as you all are charging her with, why didn't the hackers post that stuff? That would seem to be the point of all this, I mean who cares about pictures of her kids?

[ssgman]

Probably because the hackers were just that, hackers. The account got shut down pretty fast. But you are correct in that it would have been more revealing to see the contents of, say, this email:

McAllister, William D (GOV)
Re: DPS Personnel and Budget Issues
Wed, 8/20/08 12KB
Read

[Heavy]

Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
RE: Please approve
Fri, 8/22/08 11KB
Read


Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
Court of Appeals / Executive Director Parole Board / Boards and Commissions
Thu, 8/21/08 10KB
Unread


Ivy Frye
Delivered: Re: Merge to left
Thu, 8/21/08 3KB
Read


Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
FW: DPS Employee Draft
Wed, 8/20/08 15KB
Read


McAllister, William D (GOV)
Re: DPS Personnel and Budget Issues
Wed, 8/20/08 12KB
Read


Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
FW: DPS Personnel and Budget Issues
Tue, 8/19/08 11KB
Read

[ssgman]

This is for the neocons who keep saying her account was only private stuff. Here is a partial list of emails sent and received:

Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
Draft letter to Governor Schwarzenegger / Container Tax
Thu, 8/28/08 12KB
Read

Nizich, Michael A (GOV)
FW: Thanks
Mon, 8/25/08 7KB
Read

Ivy Frye

Delivered: Re: change
Mon, 8/25/08 3KB
Unread


hslak.comcom

Delivered: Re: change
Mon, 8/25/08 2KB
Unread

Ivy Frye
Delivered: Re: change
Mon, 8/25/08 3KB
Read

McBride, Rhonda (GOV)
Rural Wireless Service
Sat, 8/23/08 32KB
Read

Nizich, Michael A (GOV)
RE: Using Royalty Oil to Lower the Cost of Fuel for Alaskans
Fri, 8/22/08 42KB
Read

Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
RE: Please approve
Fri, 8/22/08 11KB
Read

Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
Court of Appeals / Executive Director Parole Board / Boards and Commissions
Thu, 8/21/08 10KB
Unread

Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
FW: DPS Employee Draft
Wed, 8/20/08 15KB
Read

McAllister, William D (GOV)
Re: DPS Personnel and Budget Issues
Wed, 8/20/08 12KB
Read

Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
FW: DPS Personnel and Budget Issues
Tue, 8/19/08 11KB
Read

Ruaro, Randall P (GOV)
Court of Appeals Nominations
Sat, 8/16/08 11KB
Read

Nizich, Michael A (GOV)
another records request
Fri, 8/15/08 5KB
Read

Mason, Janice L (GOV)
RE: Scheduling - Week of 08.10.08
Tue, 8/12/08 25KB
Read

[LibRS]

tell the truth. are you proud of your fellow lib who stole this?

[Heavy]

Are you proud of hiding public records? Avoiding subpoenas? Pug

[Heavy]

Tell your mor onic party to honor subpeonas if you don't like it.

[ssgman]

I don't know who did it and I don't care. I AM ASTOUNDED that the woman who could be in charge of our nation's security thinks Yahoo mail is secure! And that she needs to hide public emails from the public record is also disturbing.

[LemonMeringue]

Nobody knows who did this - including you. Or why.

[Cybersquirt]

Thanks. wiki's getting slammed - I can't get it to load anymore.

[ssgman]

I got it from wikileaks yesterday. But as you found it's very busy today;)

[marymansour]

Hold steady, AP. If the MSM television talking heads won't expose this woman, maybe you will.

[thecanadian]

Exactly. If they persist then let her go to court and lets all hear whats in the emails she has already refused to release to the investigators. Bring in on - Investigators. We'd love to see it all!

[Wigelah]

This is the right way to handle things now right? Just refuse to cooperate and reject the premise that there is any authority over the issue. Why should this one be different?

[CtJean]

It's the way boooosh and chaineee do it all the time.

[quicklybored]

You wrote Gawked.comm" under the screenshot. It's Gawker.com.

[HatingTheGame]

Hmmm wonder where Palin stands on Government spying into private citizen communications. Obviously she's for it since its a Repuke talking point. Now, the tables are turned, the people are spying into the government.

The watcher is being watched.

Too bad neither McNutjob and Booosh don't use email, would love to see the prez.govprez.gov emails.

Now, how about hacking O's emails to Scarlett Johannson? Yummy.

[thecanadian]

Where are Palins Personal Tax submissions which every candidate must submit????

[fem56]

Hacking into someones email account is of course very wrong and illegal. Who knows whether they are Obama supporters but with millions of supporter their are bound to be some who are not on the up and up just as their are some (too many based on the smears, slander and lies) on the McCain side. Those of you blaming Obama: are you now going to blame McCain for the threats on Obama's life? I didn't think so and which crime is more serious and .heinous. I certainly don't blame McCain in any shape or form so stop blaming Obama and his supporters.

[Agent420]

I agree, hacking someones email is sooooo much worse then stealing billions from people and bragging about it.

[jamil2008]

I think this is just another attempt by the Republican party to divert our attention away from the real issues--failing economy, national(hell world!) security, poverty, the war, gas prices, education, energy, and on and on. Do you all honestly believe that the nominee for the Vice-President of the United States of America--the most Intelligence and Technologically driven nation in the world--would have people in her camp that would not have had this account deleted the moment she was added to the list of possibilties? I don't know what's worse about this stunt: the fact that they had to bring poor Yahoo! into this whole fiasco, or the fact that they actually believe people are that stupid! lol! From what I saw, all the e-mails remind you of cheesy drug store cards. The pics looks like the one's you see in store bought frames--wholesome as can be. How convenient. Now she's the victim once again. I guess the Lancome tube's gone empty? SMH

[JeffersonState]

I thought that too, that it was a Repub diversion. It may just well backfire on a National Security level however.

I sort of want my government to be able to keep their corrospondence secure.

You realize the Russians can see right in her window?

[CtJean]

That's why her lights are on when she changes/showers.

[jamil2008]

you're funny:) Obama '08!!!

[optech007]

I really don't see this overtaking the economy as the top story.

[Agent420]

Leave your concern behind, Yahoo! is not poor.

[PatriciaB]

So the YoYo uses Yahoo!!!!

[AnotherMike]

Wait, didn't the Dems cave on FISA??

And Yahoo... friggin Yahoo, can't be accessed by the Secret Service, but Warlock had no trouble and has known everything for months.

Comforting.

[Agent420]

Read the Constitution. Article 1, Section 9. Then look up "ex post facto." Then you will see that Obama knew what was going to happen to that law.

[pgurlatl]

If she was phished, then it isn't a true "hack". They simply accessed her account using her information. You would think people using PC's and accessing the internet would know that already.

[AnnieinOR]

This administration is all about allowing the government and telecommunications to go on fishing expeditions on the average American, look at Elliot Spitzer - so, why are they moaning about this unless Ms Palin is hiding something. We have all had our constitution rights rap ed and pillaged - isn't she one of us?

[JeffersonState]

I know lots about National Security, Charlie. I can email Russia from my house.

[AnnieinOR]

good one, and with a yahoo email account no less ;~))

[AnotherMike]

In Russian, "yahoo" means snowmobile racing hunter.

[Mysticalsister]

I'm sure that's she got the bright idea from watchin Bush play hide the e-mail with congress. there are probably workshops for repugnicans in government showing them how to circumvent the will of the people with all kinds of slimy tricks of the trade. we are so behind the times people. the only hope we have is to reveal this bullsh*t everytime we find it, until they have no place to hide anymore.

either that, or hire professor Rove to teach us some tricks, too.