Ex-Democratic Staffer Allegedly Doxxed GOP Senators

Jackson Cosko charged with posting addresses online
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 4, 2018 11:05 AM CDT
Ex-Democratic Staffer Allegedly Doxxed GOP Senators
The Hart Senate Office Building, seen on Aug. 19, 2015, in Washington.   (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

A former member of Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan's staff was caught inside Hassan's Capitol Hill office Tuesday night and ultimately arrested Wednesday on charges that he "doxxed" GOP senators. Jackson A. Cosko, 27, is accused of posting "private, identifying information," including addresses, online, Politico reports. A current Hassan staffer allegedly caught him in the office and called police; he had allegedly made an unauthorized entry. Cosko, a George Washington University graduate who also worked for Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, had most recently been working as an intern for Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee; he has since been fired.

A US official tells the Washington Post the arrest relates to information posted on Wikipedia during Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing; during that hearing, the Wikipedia pages of Republican Sens. Mike Lee, Orrin Hatch, and Lindsey Graham were edited to include addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, and the changes were found to be made from a Capitol Hill computer. All three are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Fox News reports. Cosko is charged with making public restricted personal information, witness tampering, making threats in interstate communications, unauthorized access of a government computer, identity theft, second-degree burglary, and unlawful entry. (More doxxing stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X