Sarah Palin e-mail controversy

The Sarah Palin e-mail controversy refers to the illegal accessing of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's private Yahoo! Mail account on September 17, 2008. [cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/webscout/2008/0/4chans-half-hac.html |title=4Chan's half-hack of Palin's email goes awry|publisher="The Los Angeles Times"|author=David Sarno|date=2008-09-17|accessdate=2008-09-17]

Incident

On September 17, 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's personal Yahoo! Mail email account, which critics allege that she used for official business in order to get around public record laws,cite web| url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/09/group-posts-e-m.html| title=Group Posts E-Mail Hacked From Palin Account -- Update|last=Zetter|first=Kim | date=2008-0917 |publisher=WIRED.COM|accessdate=2008-09-18] was compromised, and screenshots of photos and messages were posted over the internet. News of a Yahoo! mail account owned by Palin appeared on 4chan's board, and several readers of the board tried unsuccessfully to access into the account.cite web | title = The story behind the Palin e-mail hacking | author = Michelle Malkin | url = http://michellemalkin.com/2008/09/17/the-story-behind-the-palin-e-mail-hacking/ |work = MichelleMalkin.com |date=2008-09-17] The account was finally compromised by an individual who successfully answered the the security questions that allow one to reset the password. He then realized that he had only one proxy for protection and thought of what would happen if the FBI became involved. He panicked, published the password on 4chan's "/b/" board, thus allowing all posters to login into the account, and he wiped all the information and logs from his own system and terminated his connection to the internet.

Development

At the time the hacker logged off, one of the readers of the board decided to change the password to stop people from logging into the account, and then warn Palin of the hacking through a mail to one of her friends. However, this person then accidentally posted the new password on the board, and several readers of the board tried at the same time to use it to set a new password. The Yahoo! software had security measures in place that triggered an automatic "freeze" which prevented anyone from logging in even with the correct password, and the account was later deleted by Yahoo!. The freeze happened before all emails accessible on the account could be downloaded. Members of Anonymous later passed all the information that could be retrieved before the freeze to Wikileaks, which published it. cite web|url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/17/anonymous_hacks_sarah_palin/|title=Anonymous hacks Sarah Palin's Yahoo! account|last=Metz|first=Cade |date=2008-09-17|publisher=The Register|accessdate=2008-09-18] The individual who originally hacked the account later complained that he had "passed the torch" to Anonymous members after doing all he could do well, and that "the white knight fucker came along, and did it in for everyone".

Federal investigation

The FBI and Secret Service began investigating the incident and on September 20, it was revealed that they were questioning David Kernell, a twenty year-old economics student at the University of Tennessee and the son of Democratic Tennessee State Representative Mike Kernell.cite web|url=http://www.newsfactor.com/news/Suspect-Nabbed-in-Palin-E-mail-Hack/story.xhtml?story_id=110003SJWA8K |title=Suspect Nabbed in Palin E-mail Hack|publisher=NewsFactor|author=Steve Bosak |date=2008-09-20|accessdate=2008-09-21] [cite web |url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/08/palin_email_hijack_indictment/ |title=Son of state lawmaker charged with Palin email hack |accessdate=2008-10-10 |last=Goodin |first=Dan |date=2008-10-08 |work=The Register] [cite web |url=http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/oct/09/jury-indicts-ut-student-accused-hacking-palins-e-m/ |title=Jury indicts UT student accused of hacking Palin's e-mail |accessdate=2008-10-10 |last=Lakin |first=Matt |date=2008-10-09 |work=Knoxville News Sentinel] [ [http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/09/24/no_bill/ Grand Jury Fails To Indict Palin’s Hacker] ] http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/1008081palin1.html Palin Hacker Indicted] ] The handle used by the hacker when making his post at 4chan pointed to him, this evidence was inconclusive because of the frequent pranks pulled at that board, but later, the proxy service provided its logs, which pointed to the residence where he was living.cite web | title = Grand jury investigates Palin e-mail hack; no charges yet | publisher = Ars Technica | date = 2008-09-24 | url = http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080924-grand-jury-investigates-palin-e-mail-hacker-no-charges-yet.html ] David Kernell is a self described "Obamacrat"; a supporter of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. [cite web |url=http://terryfrank.net/?p=3591 |title=Investigating David Kernell |accessdate=2008-10-10 |last=Frank |first=Terry |date=2008-09-18 |work=Frankly Speaking]

FBI agents served a federal search warrant at the Knoxville Tennessee residence of David Kernell in the early morning hours of September 14, 2008. Kernell, according to witnesses, fled the scene when the FBI agents arrived. [cite web |url=http://www.wbir.com/news/breaking/story.aspx?storyid=64033&catid=29 |title=Update: FBI serves search warrant against UT student in Palin case |accessdate=2008-10-10 |last=Simmons |first=Becky |date=2008-09-22 |work=WBIR.com] Agents spent 1.5 to 2 hours taking pictures of everything inside his apartment. Kernell's three roommates were also subpoenaed and expected to testify the next week in Chattanooga. [cite web |url=http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_FBI_Search_The_Apartment_Of_Palin_Hack_Primary_Suspect_24837.html |title=FBI Search The Apartment Of Palin Hack Primary Suspect |accessdate=2008-10-10 |last=Chisamera |first=Dee |date=2008-09-22 |work=eFluxMedia] Kernell Sr. told "Wired" that he was aware that his son was a suspect, but he did not ask him anything about it over concerns that he may have to testify in court. [cite web |url=http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/007785.html |title=Palin Update: Tenn. Student Implicated in Hack |accessdate=2008-10-11 |last=Paul |first=Ian |date=2008-09-22 |work=Today @ PC World]

Prosecution of Kernell

Kernell hired Tennessee attorney Wade V. Davies who defended him during a September session of the grand jury which did not indict Kernell. Davies stated, "We are confident that the truth will emerge as we go through the process. David is a decent and intelligent young man, and I look forward to assisting him during this difficult period." [cite web |url=http://www.crn.com/security/210603458 |title=Kernell Retains Lawyer, Is Not Indicted |accessdate=2008-10-11 |last=Moriarity |first=Caitlin |date=2008-09-23 |work=The Channel Wire] Kernell was indicted by a Tennessee grand jury on October 8, 2008, for his connection to the intrusion. [cite news | title = Son of Tenn. Democrat indicted in Palin hacking | author = Duncan Mansfield | work = Wired | url = http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/P/PALIN_HACKED?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-10-08-09-28-37 ] [cite web| publisher = United States Department of Justice press release | last = Dedrick | first = James | title = David C. Kernell Indicted for Alleged Hack of Governor Sarah Palin's E-mail Account | url = http://knoxville.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2008/kxhacking100808.htm |date = 2008-10-08 |accessdate = 2008-10-08] According to Davies, "As soon as we found out about the charges this morning, David voluntarily turned himself in." [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iem-vu_mlRjRYfqkscEkw2ciRm7wD93MJ6N80 Son of Tenn. Democrat indicted in Palin hacking] ] Kernell denied the charges and pled not-guilty. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7660811.stm Man denies hacking Palin e-mail] ] The court released Kernell without bail. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4909813.ece Times Online] ]

References