Sarah Palin's Email Compromised by Hackers

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Gov. Sarah Palin has been criticized for using a private e-mail account instead of a state secured e-mail account. Those criticisms seem to be on target in light of news that her private yahoo account was compromised by an a hacker or griefer group called anonymous.

Around Tuesday at midnight an anonymous member discovered the password to Palin's account and then posted it up on the forum 4chan.org for all to see. While Palin's account was accessed screen shots of e-mails and her address book as well as pictures of her kids were posted for all to see.

One of the screen shots taken was of an anonymous member claiming the password was changed to prevent further access to the account and the password was forwarded to a contact on Palin's list. Not long after Yahoo locked the account altogether and now it is deleted.

The criticism lobbed at Palin is seemingly legit since important documents that may have been pertinent to "trooper-gate" could have been digitally destroyed. Palin's use of a private e-mail service to conduct government business was seen by some as a way to get around laws surrounding retention of government documents.

However all the documents released by anonymous show personal conversations, pictures of her family, and encouraging e-mails to her friends. Rumors that the yahoo e-mail was used for private state business have not been substantiated. This comes on a day when Palin releases e-mails from her budget director to Walter Monegan.

The screen shots have been posted on wikileaks.org, which seems to be down at the moment. (edited out)

Updates will be provided as more information comes to light.

Update: Response from the McCain Campaign:

“This is a shocking invasion of the Governor’s privacy and a violation of law. The matter has been turned over to the appropriate authorities and we hope that anyone in possession of these emails will destroy them. We will have no further comment.”

Update: Bristol Palin's Phone Number has been used to harass her. The website ( which I refuse to repeat) has placed at least 5 messages on her phone asking her to send naked pictures and asking her what it feels like to be a slut. Also one saying he knows a place where she can get a back alley abortion.(This is no rightwinger holier than thou pseudo-Christian website, this is a celebrity gossip and nudes website. )

Update: Anyone republishing the screenshots of the e-mails can be persecuted under the same federal law as Gawker who originally posted the screenshots.

Per a contact with the DOJ, an investigation will begin into the group who hacked into Sarah Palin’s email and posted messages on the internet. Intercept of private email communication - even of a public figure - is a federal offense. Not only can the original hackers be charged, but all those who posted the messages as well. The website Gawker may be in further trouble for going beyond the email to post pics from the Palin’s personal message box, as well as other personal information that may be afoul of laws dealing with identity theft.

Addttionally, because Palin is a Vice Presidential candidate, the breach could be considered a threat to safety that the Secret Service should deal with.

Update: The Secret Service contacted The Associated Press on Wednesday and asked for copies of the leaked e-mails, which circulated widely on the Internet. The AP did not comply.