Palin Email Hack: Man Indicted

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The son of a Democratic Tennessee state lawmaker pleaded not guilty Wednesday to hacking the e-mail account of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

David Kernell, 20, of Knoxville, Tenn. entered the plea in federal court in Knoxville, the same day prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging him with intentionally accessing Palin's e-mail account without authorization.

Kernell, an economics student at the University of Tennessee, was brought into court wearing handcuffs and shackles on his ankles.

He was released without posting bond, but the court limited his computer use to checking his own e-mail and doing class work.

Kernell's father is longtime state Rep. Mike Kernell of Memphis, chairman of Tennessee's House Government Operations Committee. The lawmaker has said he had nothing to do with the hacking incident.

David Kernell was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Knoxville and faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Trial is set for Dec. 16.

The investigation is continuing. The indictment said at least one other person successfully reset Palin's e-mail password and accessed her e-mail account after the hacker named "rubico," whom the government contends is Kernell, posted his exploits on the Web.

"I wouldn't say specifically whether that other individual may be charged or not," Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said from Washington.

U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley restricted Kernell from discussing the case with any potential witnesses, which include his roommates.

Kernell was also restricted from having any contact directly or indirectly with the Alaska governor or her family.

Shirley warned that if Kernell violated any part of his release conditions, he would be held until the trial.

Kernell's attorney, Wade Davies, accompanied his client in court.

"As soon as we found out about the charges this morning, David voluntarily turned himself in," said Davies, who refused to answer any other questions.

The indictment alleges that on Sept. 16 Kernell reset the password to Palin's personal e-mail account to gain access to it. Authorities say Kernell then read the contents of the account and made screenshots of the e-mail directory, e-mail content and other personal information, later posting some of the information to a public Web site.

Comments

[westbrooks01]

David:

I'll help pay your bail and legal fees.

Thank you for using your smarts and ingenuity to protect the American people from those we entrust to run our government.

Tony
St. Louis, MO

[Tiredoldliberal]

Alaska's Attorney General, appointed by Palin, refuses to investigate charges that Palin has been violating the Alaska law regarding official communications. A kid has the talent and gumption to obtain and expose evidence of Palin's guilt, so he gets indicted by the U.S. Department of "Justice."

American government is broken at all levels. Perhaps it is time to convene a Constitutional Convention and consider dissolving what is fast becoming a criminal enterprise.

[topkatnc]

They let cindy mccain go. Why not let this young man go also.!!

[mikeVA]

Oh, so, we pardon Yale lawyers at the White House, that break the law, to mislead the country, and we charge a young adult with a felony for _guessing_ the password to an email account, negligently operated by a governor!? Notice, the location, East Tennesee, home of crowds that chant hate and violence.

[BowlingForRevenge]

This young man hails from WEST Tennessee a DEMOCRATIC stronghold and a thorn in Middle & East Tennessee's paw and likely WHY he's being prosecuted in the first place.
It also doesn't help that his father is an elected Democratic State Representative

[Bcakes01]

there is just no more justice left in the world!

[looneybin]

We chant hate and violence in East TN? Hmmm, I just walked outside onto the street no hate nor any violence being chanted.....just rain.

Careful with your stereotypes there skippy

[Pfellah]

Maybe it's because my wife was once a victim of this sort of behavior, but even as an Obama supporter, I can't see how we can defend this. It's illegal, immoral, and if we actually intend to start advocating that we can do anything we want in the name of "seeking the truth" (but really, winning), it contradicts the entire message of seeking a higher level of politics.

All that said, I'd be in favor of leniency when this goes to court -- it's not a violent crime and everyone makes mistakes when they're young. He needs to get smacked down because identity theft IS serious business (even if you choose a stupid password), but not to the point of ruining his whole life.

[nellie]

I agree. And I don't understand why this is okay with people. It's tampering with someone else's mail. That's illegal, whether you're opening a letter or hacking into email.

I also agree that this doesn't seem to be a terribly serious offense. But I don't get the double standard. If someone had hacked into Obama's mail, we'd be reading a very different thread.

[palealien]

How do you suppose he was caught?

[Kyuzo]

The kid didn't "hack" her account, he guessed her password. Let's not give undue credit.

[kissmygrits]

Bummer.

[leftcoastliberal]

The Republicans have gone so wacko with warrantless wiretapping, secret prisons, torture, war for fun and profit, religious fanaticism, and the wholesale looting of the nation's treasury by robber-barons that they must be stopped By Any Means Necessary. I no more blame this kid for what he did than I blame the French Resistance for crimes against the Vichy Regime during WWII.

[DASM]

He should simply refuse to go to court or to answer questions, the way Palin & pals did.

[jp5472]

Ditto...and funny how they have so quickly found their perpetrator while the real questions about illegal actions that lead to the hacking have yet to be pursued with such attention nor speed.

[hotwire]

I wouldn't worry too much about the little twit, don't forget his Papa is a Politician and they live by a different set of rules than the rest of us. I doubt you'll hear anything more about this.

[uncsportsliberal]

A five year minimum sentence for hacking an email account of an immoral, corrupt politician. While pardons will go from Bushie to folks like Cheney and his hacks for starting an illegal war. Justice in America is in tatters.

[kissmygrits]

It does seem pretty unfair.

[PlanetKansas]

I hope the kid and family get pro bono legal help. Even if he gets his hands slapped, the Republicans can ensure financial ruin with years of interminable legal maneuvering.

[zanbama]

spelling problem oops!

[zanbama]

I guess he would be the next person a potential canidate can't hang with or be on the same board.

[IForgotMyName]

Wow, does this mean they will lock Bush & Cheney up as well for reading my mail?

[ReportThis]

Nice point.