Four Senate Judiciary Computer Servers Seized In Memos Probe

Drudge Report ^ | Mon Nov 24 2003 09:49:17 ET

[Brian Mosely]

Four Senate Judiciary Computer Servers Seized In Memos Probe

Mon Nov 24 2003 09:49:17 ET

The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms took possession of the Judiciary Committee's four computer servers Friday and formally opened an investigation into how more than a dozen memos written by two Democratic Senators ended up in the hands of a pair of newspapers, ROLL CALL is reporting.

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Democrats suspect the memos, which detailed political strategy on how to block or delay confirmation of several of President Bush's judicial nominees, were stolen from the servers and subsequently given to The Wall Street Journal editorial page and The Washington Times.

Both newspapers published excerpts of the memos.

Sergeant-at-Arms Bill Pickle said the four servers and computer backup tapes would be examined by an 'outside forensic team' to see if the memos were in fact stolen from the server. The Capitol Police secured the backup tapes last Monday at the request of the Judiciary Committee leadership after Democrats called for an investigation into their alleged theft."

Pickle, "the chief law enforcement official in the Senate, said he received a bipartisan directive from Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D- S.D.), Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and the panel's ranking member, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), to launch the investigation. ...

Pickle said he is not sure how long the investigation would take, but noted it would include using both the private forensic experts as well as internal resources to determine if the memos written to Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) by their respective staffs were stolen."

Developing...

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[Semper Paratus]

I don't recall the NYT and Washington Compost handling the stolen 'Pentagon Papers' as a serious security breach.

[dead]

This is soooooo OJ.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Kill the messenger.

Quick.

[jmstein7]

"I don't recall the NYT and Washington Compost handling the stolen 'Pentagon Papers' as a serious security breach."

Yup.

However, I like the fact that attention is being drawn to the memos; for, eventually, the substance of the memo can "leak" out in commentary on the issue

Plus, there is every indication that a DEM staffer "leaked".

[Tacis]

Well, if Leahy joined in the directive to launch this probe, we KNOW that the thieving, sleazy dems have covered their tracks already. What is puzzling, however, is what should be the automatic, from end, weasel lie that the "Republicans released the memos to make us look bad" is missing from the dems. It should be automatic; the dems do something sleazy/illegal/immoral, they immediately try to create a diversion by blaming normal people. Where is that here?

[ladtx]

Seems to me we are investigating the wrong thing here. Why aren't we investigating who wrote these memos and what was their ultimate purpose. A classic case of "not seeing the forest for the trees."

[Mo1]

How will securing the servers prove anything, except who wrote them and who they were sent to?

Guess these people never heard of copiers??

[VRWC_minion]

It would also lead to more information regarding the rat's plans. Something more than meets the eye's is taking place here for the rats to be cooperating.

[Roughneck]

THE UN-PATRIOTIC, PRO-TERRORIST, SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS ARE ONCE AGAIN DEFELCTING.

THESE TRAITORS NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED FOR WRITING THEM , NO MATTER HOW THEY WERE REVEALED.

WE THE PEOPLE SHOULD DEMAND NO LESS THAN AN INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF THOSE DEMOCRATS WHO WOULD PROVIDE AID AND COMFORT TO THE ENEMY!

[anniegetyourgun]

BIG news....

[jmstein7]

Typical case of investigating the cop for catching the robber!

[July 4th]

Well, could we expect anything less from the Democrats? Keep in mind, whenever there's a murder, they want to let the murderer go free, and blame the gun manufacturers.

[VRWC_minion]

into how more than a dozen memos written by two Democratic Senators

I know I'm not on FR 24/7 (maybe only 23/7) but I onle recall 1 or 2 memo's. What's with "dozens" ?

[KarlInOhio]

How will securing the servers prove anything, except who wrote them and who they were sent to?

A secure operating system can track who accessed which files and printed out copies.

Hopefully, the backup tapes were grabbed too so that we can discover who wrote the memo and when.

[Tallguy]

Democrats suspect the memos, which detailed political strategy on how to block or delay confirmation of several of President Bush's judicial nominees, were stolen from the servers and subsequently given to The Wall Street Journal editorial page and The Washington Times.

The Dem's recognize that computer security is a problem when their ox gets gored, on the other hand computerized balloting is just 'hunky-dory' with them. Wonder why?!

[Ben Hecks]

Perhaps the Dems are trying to divert attention away from the possibility that the memos are evidence that Dems violated the civil rights of one or more judicial appointees including Miguel Estrada.

[OXENinFLA]

So this is, let's not talk about what is IN the Memos, but rather how the memos were obtained?

[Mo1]

A secure operating system can track who accessed which files and printed out copies.

I understand that part .. I meant, someone could have made a copy of the hard copy memo that was rec'd/sent

How can they track that?