Former Junior Democrat Assistant to Publish Personal Data on GOP Senators Online



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Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Listening at an audience at Capitol Hill. A former low-level assistant in her office was arrested for publishing private information on Republican senators on the Wikipedia website. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)

US Capitol police announced last Wednesday that a former Democratic Senate member had been arrested for publishing private information on Republican senators on the Wikipedia website.

Jackson A. Cosko, 27, of the district, faces five counts, including the disclosure of restricted personal information, threats of interstate communication, identity theft, manipulation. of witnesses and unauthorized access to a government computer, police said.

Cosko also faces charges of second-degree burglary and illegal entry into the district, police said. He is scheduled to appear Thursday afternoon before US District Attorney Deborah A. Robinson, the US District Attorney's Office announced.

"The investigation will continue and further charges may be laid," said Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki.

Cosko could not be contacted immediately for comment.

A brief statement from the police does not give details, but a US official said the arrest was related to the investigation into the publication of personal information on Republican senators on the Wikipedia site at the September 27 hearing on charges of sexual assault against a Supreme Court candidate. Brett M. Kavanaugh.

At the time, the representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) Had rejected accusations that one of her staff was responsible, calling them "lies, lies and lies even more despicable".

The information posted allegedly includes the telephone numbers and home addresses of three Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the hearing: Senators Lindsey O. Graham (SC), Mike Lee (Utah) and Orrin G. Hatch ( Utah). .

They were scribbled – or had personal or identifying information made public on the Internet – when an anonymous user of Wikipedia published their pages. The information was quickly removed after the discovery of the doxing and the authorities' contact with the authorities.

The changes made to the online encyclopedia have been assigned to the IP addresses of the computer peripherals. assigned to the United States Capitol. In her statement last week, Ms. Waters said the Capitol Police and internal computer scientists had determined that an IP address quoted online did not belong to her office or to the people on her staff.

According to the Legistorm website on Congressional disclosures, Cosko was employed as a junior assistant from January 2017 to May 2018 at the office of US Senator Maggie Hassan (DN.H.) and formerly with the former Senator Barbara Boxer (D-1). Calif.).

Hassan spokesman Aaron Jacobs said he could not comment on an ongoing investigation.

According to Legistorm, Cosko received $ 23,000 over six months, ending March 31st.

A LinkedIn website on a list of Jackson Cosko lists work from January 2016 to May 2018 as a trainee, press assistant and correspondent / system administrator, assisting senior officials of the Senate in matters submitted to the committees of trade and commerce. internal security, including cybersecurity issues.

It was not possible to determine immediately whether Cosko had already been involved with the Waters office. The office did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday.

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