From the way back machine:Infiltration of files seen as extensive

[myrna minx]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/01/22/infiltration_of_files_seen_as_extensive/
Infiltration of files seen as extensive
Senate panel's GOP staff pried on Democrats
By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff, 1/22/2004

WASHINGTON -- Republican staff members of the US Senate Judiciary Committee infiltrated opposition computer files for a year, monitoring secret strategy memos and periodically passing on copies to the media, Senate officials told The Globe.

From the spring of 2002 until at least April 2003, members of the GOP committee staff exploited a computer glitch that allowed them to access restricted Democratic communications without a password. Trolling through hundreds of memos, they were able to read talking points and accounts of private meetings discussing which judicial nominees Democrats would fight -- and with what tactics.

snip
Democrats now claim their private memos formed the basis for a February 2003 column by conservative pundit Robert Novak that revealed plans pushed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, to filibuster certain judicial nominees. Novak is also at the center of an investigation into who leaked the identity of a CIA agent whose husband contradicted a Bush administration claim about Iraqi nuclear programs.

Citing "internal Senate sources," Novak's column described closed-door Democratic meetings about how to handle nominees.

Its details and direct quotes from Democrats -- characterizing former nominee Miguel Estrada as a "stealth right-wing zealot" and describing the GOP agenda as an "assembly line" for right-wing nominees -- are contained in talking points and meeting accounts from the Democratic files now known to have been compromised.

[bluethruandthru]

1. Did anything ever happen with this?

Were there consequences for anyone involved? This is just sickening.

[myrna minx]

3. I'm not sure if there were any consequences.

Probably not. It is just sickening.

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. IIRC, a staffer was found "responsible"

A GOP leadership staffer, that is. He resigned and started a PAC. No fanfare and just a bunch of yawns if you mention it to Cons.

Here's a link from a quick google search.

Interestingly enough, there's this: <b>Eric Lichtblau's</b> April 27, 2004, New York Times article "Justice Dept. Opens Inquiry on Memo Theft" (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/27/politics/27PROB.html) says that "The opening of the criminal inquiry increases the significance of the case, which has provoked open hostilities between Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in their continuing battle over President Bush's judicial nominations."

As you probably know, Lichtblau is the same guy who wrote the articles about Bush's Domestic Spying Program.

[myrna minx]

6. Isn't it interesting how everything is intertwined?

This shows such a pattern of conduct. And we are just suppose to just "trust them" ?!?

[underpants]

2. Wow I either forgot that one or missed it completely-here's another one

Former Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Wiretapping-Related Violation

Press Release
For Immediate Release
August 12, 2003


http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/thomsonSent.htm

Paul J. McNulty, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced that Gary Russell Thomson, of Richmond, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting the unauthorized publication of a wire communication, and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation and a $2000 fine.
According to a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Thomson was the Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) in March of 2002. One of his subordinates was Edmund A. Matricardi, III, the Executive Director of the RPV. On March 20 and 21, 2002, a Democratic official sent out an announcement by e-mail and fax to "Democratic General Assembly Members." It listed a dial-in telephone number and a participation code, which allowed access to a conference call involving members of the Joint Democratic Caucus.

On March 22, 2002, Jane Doe passed on the telephone number and participation code to Matricardi. That afternoon, Matricardi secretly listened to the Democratic conference call for approximately two and one-half hours, recorded it and later reported the contents of the call to others, including Thomson.

On March 23, 2002, Matricardi, aided and abetted by Thomson, disclosed the contents of the March 22 intercepted call to a representative of the Attorney General's Office.

[myrna minx]

4. I hadn't heard of this story. Wow. Just wow. n/t