WikiLeaks Voicemails Reveal ... Kid Talking About Elephants

And they didn't drop on Wednesday night
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 28, 2016 7:10 AM CDT
WikiLeaks Voicemails Reveal ... Kid Talking About Elephants
Demonstrators make their way around downtown, Monday, July 25, 2016, in Philadelphia, during the first day of the Democratic National Convention.   (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

"WikiLeaks Releases Hacked DNC Voicemails," read the original headline on the Hill's piece, and many others like it on Wednesday. That's not exactly how it went down, as the edited Hill headline makes clear. What to know about the 29 voicemails included in the DNC dump:

  • The last line in Politico's piece notes that "it does not appear, however, that the audio files" are new. On the contrary, WikiLeaks tweeted about them on Friday.
  • The link in that tweet is identical to the link in one posted Wednesday night declaring "RELEASE: The DNC recordings." It seems many media outlets took this to mean "new." The only difference with the new tweet: It added a link to an ABC News video on YouTube.

  • So they're probably not new, but what do they say? Gawker calls them "boring as hell," pointing out that they aren't voicemails left between DNC staffers, but are calls placed by Americans to DNC headquarters.
  • The first one, at 16 seconds, might be a butt dial. It features a conversation between an adult and child who can be heard saying "Bring in the elephant, zookeeper" and "I want to see the elephants." Quips the Register: "After extensive analysis, The Register's forensics squad believes that the two people in the conversation are talking about actual elephants and not talking in code about the Republican Party's elephant logo."
  • Also, 14 of the 29 are less than 20 seconds long. Motherboard points out there are really only 25 (four are duplicates).
  • Motherboard cites two notable callers: Gloria Allred and former ambassador to Austria William Eacho, who was asking about a dinner with Obama.
  • The Hill says the lot includes "innocuous greetings," but points out a few are aimed at Bernie Sanders and the preferential treatment the callers felt he was being given. Says one: "I'm furious for what you are doing for Bernie Sanders. He's getting way too much influence."
  • Fortune notes the mp3 files were posted with the caller's phone number shown.
(More WikiLeaks stories.)

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