FBI serves search warrant against UT student in Palin case

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Tennessean

The FBI is stepping up its investigation into the hacking of personal e-mail of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin by a University of Tennessee student.

A person who identified himself as a witness tells WBIR-Knoxville that agents with the FBI served a federal search warrant at the Fort Sanders residence of David Kernell early Sunday morning.

David Kernell is the son of Mike Kernell, a Democratic state representative from Memphis.

Laura Sweeney, a Department of Justice spokesperson, confirmed there has been "investigatory activity" in Knoxville regarding the Palin case, but she said there are no publicly available search warrants, and no charges have been filed.

A separate law enforcement source confirmed to WBIR that a search warrant was served on Kernell's apartment.


Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080921/NEWS0206/80921009

[kirby]

1. Just tell the FBI you dont respond to subpoenas or search warrants...

Thanks but No Thanks!

[orleans]

28. omg! i'd recommend that remark if i could! n/t

[timtom]

33. Mot juste!!!

I wish I'd thought of that!!

Boo-yah! In their face!

[grasswire]

2. a fishing expedition

Lord help us if this kid told his dad about her e-mails via e-mail.

[sudopod]

14. I'd bet 100 bux that this kid is being framed

as some sort of prank.

No one who knows how to use proxies would type in their well-known yahoo address on a forum to brag about their dirty deeds.

[AZ Criminal JD]

15. I'd be happy to take that bet

Kids proclaim their misdeeds on internet forums constantly. Do some searches and you will see what I'm taking about.

[marshall]

34. Kids beat up old ladies and post it on youtube for fun

Their faces and voices are fully recognizable.

[LiberalHeart]

3. And bin Laden says, "Whew! Another day they aren't looking for me."

[Shardik]

4. Since when is an email account on a public server considered sacrosanct?

OMG! It exposed silly pictures and email messages. What a crime. NOT.

Hey, if you want to store your emails on the Internet and expect privacy you are a fool.

No one should be prosecuted, much less charged for something like this.

Really, her password was "popcorn." She is the one who should be investigated for overt stupidity.

[Pavulon]

5. Really?

when is wep supposed to be secure. I mean everyone knows about wepcracker. You are running WPA2 wireless, right. You dont even have to touch the computer. Just gather and get the key. Then you have lots of exploits available..

If you store your bank information on line, why should it be safe.

Hopefully this person has a very good attorney.

[Shardik]

8. IMHO, I don't expect anything on line to be safe.

I've been on computers since the Commodore vic20 and there is no code that can't be cracked and cracked anonymously despite assertions that it can't. We have to depend that there are no bad guys out there to do this sort of thing.

Actually, I'm hard lined, but because of the volume of hackers in the world today I have decided to make it a bit more difficult to see me.

[Pavulon]

11. My first was the C64

Still have the non working machine. As stupid as the password is we all deserve the courtesy of not being compromised.

[Pavulon]

12. RE c64,,

found an emulator. Running on an xp virtual machine (which can vm workstation )running on mac hardware..

Got to love this stuff.

[amdezurik]

21. and that is the exact reason

there are normally regulations about not using those servers for official reasons. All just a distraction from Palin's stupidity. Another one...

[Llewlladdwr]

31. Actually, her password was changed to popcorn by the hacker. n/t

[marshall]

35. It's the same security as a mailbox in front of your house

dupe

[marshall]

36. It's the same security as a mailbox in front of your house

And it is illegal for somebody to go poking into that mailbox and pull letters out and open them.
Just because it's easy doesn't mean it isn't illegal.

[judasdisney]

6. When Orrin Hatch's office hacked Ted Kennedy's account in 2004 ... where was the FBI?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/IanDB1/5846

[judasdisney]

Link

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20040209/ai_n11435475

[judasdisney]

7. Link

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20040209/ai_n11435475

[AlabamaBrightBlueDot]

9. OK.... my email was hacked...

Do I have the same rights and protections as mrs flailin'?

[orleans]

29. sure--just subpoena yourself and not show up. n/t

[Politicalboi]

10. But the government

Can look at mine anytime. How come their not investigating why a Governor uses personal e-mail for official business. That is where the investigation should go.

[CitizenPatriot]

13. but the FBI

didn't pursue the charges against the armed racists with plans to kill Obama.

OK then.

Make sure you protect stupid Palin from her yahoo account fuck up which she was using to evade transparency. Our govt at work. woo hoo.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

16. are they pursuing charges against this guy?

[CitizenPatriot]

17. they're investigating

and those investigations are getting leaked...which as we all know, is what the DoJ was being investigated for itself during election years ("investigating" dems and leaking it to the press prior to elections-- when will Fine ever finish his investigation of the DoJ and when if ever will those parties answer to congressional requests?). It reeks to me, but then....

Maybe I'm just really POed right now.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

18. Didn't they investigate the plot to kill Obama?

[CitizenPatriot]

19. yes.

then they decided not to send it to the FBI or some such baloney.

[CitizenPatriot]

20. here's the gist of it

One of the suspects reportedly told authorities they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle sighted at 750 yards", according to Denver TV station CBS4.

The four - believed to be three men and one woman - were now being held on drugs or weapons charges, CBS4 said.

According to the TV station, one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama ... he responded in the affirmative."

The plot began to unravel on Sunday morning after police arrested a 28-year-old man for driving his truck erratically.

Police found two high-powered, scoped rifles in the car along with camouflage clothing, walkie-talkies, a bulletproof vest, a spotting scope, licences in the names of other people and methamphetamine, CBS4 said.

One of the rifles was stolen from Kansas.

Police then traced a friend of the arrested man to the Cherry Creek Hotel, Denver, CBS4 said.

The man, wanted on numerous warrants, jumped out of a hotel window when police arrived.

He broke his ankle in the fall and was caught by police. The man was found wearing a ring with a swastika, and was thought to have ties to white supremacist organisations, CBS4 said.

Police later arrested a third man, and a woman.
The US Secret Service, FBI, and joint terrorism task force were investigating the alleged plot, CBS4 said. The US Attorney has also scheduled a press conference for Tuesday afternoon, US time.

Mr Obama will accept the Democratic presidential nomination in Denver on Thursday.



and the result:

---------------

"The law recognizes a difference between a true threat - one that can be carried out - and the reported racist rantings of a drug addict," US Attorney Troy Eid said.

He said the men's plans were "more aspirational, perhaps, than operational."

The three have been charged with drug and weapons offenses but not with threatening to assassinate Obama or with other national-security-related crimes.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1219572127672&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
---------------------------------

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

22. So the FBI investigated and found the evidence insufficient to prosecute?

They may decide not to charge the kid in this case.

David

[CitizenPatriot]

23. it says at the end

that they charged them with drug related charges-- so, yeah, they felt that they weren't a serious threat. We;ll see what they do to the guy in jail who sent the baby powder to mcCain.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

25. The guy that they arrested at the hotel in Denver still hasn't gotten his stuff back.

He didn't do anything wrong. They seemed to take that one a little to serious.

David

[UTUSN]

24. Does the legal defense fund take Debit?!1 n/t

[struggle4progress]

26. Quick, kid! Incorporate as a telecom!

[Hannah Bell]

27. Over at Free Republic, they were discussing this kid on the same day the account went to the web.

I thought then it was odd they'd have specifics so quick, & now even more so.

[Supersedeas]

30. Mukasey takes selective prosecution seriously, no?

[Matariki]

32. So, if someone hacks my personal email, will the FBI investigate the 'case'?

:rofl:

[marshall]

37. Probably would if you were a VP candidate

They have to take every threat seriously, no matter how silly.