DOX SUSPECT ID’D AS EX-DEM AIDE
Former staffer for N.H. senator accused of stealing private info
A former staffer for New Hampshire U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan is accused of posting home addresses, cellphone numbers and threatening to do worse in “doxing” attacks against five senators all carried out in the wake of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, according to a federal affidavit.
Jackson A. Cosko, 27, of Washington, D.C., was arraigned yesterday on multiple charges, including identity theft and misuse of a government computer. He is being held until his next hearing Tuesday.
A Hassan spokesman told the Herald last night Cosko worked in the Democratic senator’s office “from January 2017 until May 2018 as a legislative correspondent/ systems administrator.”
He’s accused of posting to Wikipedia the personal information of Republican U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham, Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch, according to multiple reports. The affidavit states two more unnamed senators were also targeted.
The alleged posting of “sensitive information” — called doxing — targeted members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who had just questioned both Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh over sexual abuse allegations from a high school party in 1982.
Prosecutors allege Cosko was caught in a Senate office “at a computer” and was tracked using Wi-Fi from the House of Representatives as well.
A Twitter bot that tracks Wikipedia updates caught the alleged doxing. All the sensitive information was quickly taken down.
The Wikipedia page for one of the senators, the feds allege, contained threats of more doxing to come. Including statements that read:
• “Also it’s my legal right as an American to post his info.”
• “We are malicious and hostile.”
• “Send us bitcoins.”
• “I am the Golden God!”
Prosecutors say Cosko used a mobile device to update the Wikipedia pages. He’s also accused of sending a threatening email that said, in part: “If you tell anyone I will leak it all . ... senators children’s health information and socials.”
The leaks were condemned by the White House and the Senate.
Cosko, Fox News reported, had also worked for California Democratic U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and Texas Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. He was fired from Jackson Lee’s office, Politico reported.