Posted on 05/31/2013 10:47:56 AM PDT by CedarDave
Gov. Susana Martinez has been crying foul ever since political opponents started trotting out emails sent to an old campaign account.
The governor has long contended the emails — ranging from topics such as the controversial Downs at Albuquerque racino deal to an underwear purchase order — were illegally hijacked. Her political adversaries have said they were sure they had been legally obtained.
Federal prosecutors weighed in Thursday, releasing an indictment accusing a former Martinez campaign manager with illegally intercepting the emails that ended up in the hands of a union-backed political activist, a lawyer who would become the state Democratic Party chairman and Attorney General Gary King, who hopes to win the party’s nomination to run against Martinez in 2014.
The indictment charges Republican insider Jamie Estrada, 40, with 12 counts of illegally intercepting communications sent to Susana2010.com, a Martinez campaign website domain, and two counts of lying to FBI agents. Each count carries a potential penalty of five years in prison.
Martinez asked U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales last year to investigate what she said were the theft of the emails after political opponents began using them.
“The federal felony indictment today vindicates what I have been saying for almost a full year — that the personal and political emails of dozens of people, including my own, were hijacked, stolen, and never received by the intended recipients,” Martinez said in a statement Thursday.
Estrada, in a statement released by his attorney, Zack Ives, said, “While the U.S. attorney’s allegation of wrongdoing on my part is regrettable, I want to make it clear that I have not broken any laws or done anything improper.”
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
BTW, an earlier story penned by a Santa Fe alternative newspaper was circulated on some national liberal and left-wing websites that the Governor herself was being investigated by the feds. They had it wrong.
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So does Gary King have plausible deniability by claiming not to know the emails were illegally obtained?
i liked this article. I especially like articles that have politicians and people in that line of business facing or getting jail sentences.
Only 60-70% of them deserve time behind bars. I don’t want anyone to think i’ve totally given up on our government.
He can try, but it will make for a great ad for Martinez during her reelection campaign. From the article:
King said he was unaware of the FBI investigation when he released the emails.
King spokesman Phil Sisneros said Thursday in an email response to a Journal question about releasing emails that a grand jury considered stolen, “First, a grand jury indictment is not a statement of fact, it is simply an allegation. As a matter of policy, the AGO (Attorney General’s Office) does not discuss grand jury matters.”
Sisneros added, “The AGO did not intercept any electronic communications.
I think this will play well with the voters next year, especially that Gary King, her likely opponent, was involved. They (the Dems) are doing damage control.
However, it was a costly oversight by her campaign not to have changed the username and password on her campaign website after Estrada was fired. That is the first thing you should do, in business or in government.
Thanks for the link - as I said above, AG King’s involvement will make great campaign fodder.
Well yes theres no doubt they make a large unforced error.
yw
Great summary Dave. Funny how they all use this type of line when they get caught: Estrada, in a statement released by his attorney, Zack Ives, said, “While the U.S. attorney’s allegation of wrongdoing on my part is regrettable, I want to make it clear that I have not broken any laws or done anything improper.”
Sure....
However, it was a costly oversight by her campaign not to have changed the username and password on her campaign website after Estrada was fired. That is the first thing you should do, in business or in government
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I’m shocked she didn’t have that done first thing. Wonder who fell down on the job there?
Yeah, and Sarah Palin had “forgot my password” clues that were easily hackable, too. Certainly doesn’t commend your savy any to have that sort of leaky security when you are as high a profile as any governor is . . .
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