New York Post – by S.A. Miller
WASHINGTON — The personal e-mail account of a State Department whistleblower was hacked, and four years worth of messages — some detailing alleged wrongdoing at the agency — were deleted, The Post has learned.
The computer attack targeted the Gmail account of Diplomatic Security Service criminal investigator Richard Higbie, his lawyer, Cary Schulman, confirmed.
“They took all of his e-mails and then they deleted them all,” said Schulman. He said that he could not prove who was responsible for the hack job, but said the attack was “sophisticated” and called the targeting of Higbie “alarming.”
“Obviously, somebody is not happy with something he’s doing and wanted to get that information and also cause him an inability in the future to have ready access to that,” Schulman said.
The e-mails included evidence about misconduct by top officials at the department, communications with other potential whistleblowers there, and correspondence with members of Congress who are investigating the allegations, Schulman said.
They also include correspondence between Higbie and Schulman about legal strategy, the lawyer said.
Schulman said he could not provide details about the evidence deleted with the e-mails.
Higbie has asked the FBI in Dallas, where he lives, to investigate the hacking, which occurred this month.
Higbie played a key role in helping fellow whistleblower Aurelia Fedenisn, a former investigator for the department’s inspector general, reveal in June a pattern of alleged coverups by top department officials.
The alleged coverups included keeping quiet separate IG investigations that found that members of then-Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s security detail had engaged hookers and that the Belgian ambassador had solicited underage prostitutes.
These were among a string of investigations by the service, responsible for protecting dignitaries and investigating crimes within the department, that were allegedly derailed by senior officials, including one instance of interference by Clinton Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills.
Since the revelations in June, the department again mostly swept the cases under the rug.
Higbie, a senior criminal investigator and the second-highest-ranking agent with the service’s Dallas office, also has an employment lawsuit against the department, alleging it retaliated against him.
The hacking of Higbie’s e-mail follows a mysterious break-in at Schulman’s Dallas law firm in July, shortly after the whistleblower allegations came to light.
The burglar sawed a hole through the wall from an adjoining office and stole three computers, but left behind other valuables.
Although cops arrested a petty thief for the crime, Schulman said, “We feel like we’re in a movie. It’s nuts. It makes us wonder . . . . maybe we’ve got something we don’t even realize or maybe they’re worried about something.”
http://nypost.com/2013/12/30/state-dept-whistleblower-has-email-hacked-deleted/
No telling how many private emails have been stolen from folks who
have forgotten about them and didn’t notice their deletion but wanted
to keep them for “just in case”. I hope when the criminals are caught,
it is a felony charge. Higbie probably had excellent security on his
computer.
“I hope when the criminals are caught, it is a felony charge”?LMAO. Do you really think that this was a “criminal” action? Why would you expect the DOJ to bring “felony charge”s against someone they hired to do this in the first place?
Wake up sheeple! Time is running out.
I guess that some people haven’t heard about backing-up “important” files. Always maintain a hidden hardcopy which can be later scanned, and/or digital (email) files which can be copied to one or more portable hard drives.
It is my understanding that whistleblower Snowden used triple encryption, and sent his files to more than one recipient. You can have the best security possible on your computer but if your computer has a back door intentionally built into the operating system, then you are never secure when your modem is connected to the Internet. Higbie is obviously not aware of these well-known hacking facts, and he should be glad that the State department didn’t have him deleted along with his email (dead men don’t talk or whistle). It takes a lot of courage to be a whistleblower… and having a little common sense helps.
We all have something to contribute here … different points of view … all worthy of posting.
I personally believe that if Leita was a sheeple, she certainly wouldn’t be reading FTTWR, much less have found the site.
Remember, we are all at different stages of awakening.
Just sayin’ …
. . .
Well said Cathleen 😉
Is this guy’s lawyer, Schulman, honest? I swear I don’t know who or what to believe anymore.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/07/09/latest-right-wing-watergate-scandal-implodes-mi/194797
Good point dph, considering my good/bad experiences with lawyers… I can’t agree more. Higbie is trusting a lawyer with a case, which is analogous to a giant can of worms in the eyes of a State or Federal Court.
Would Schulman risk losing his license to practice Law. or would he expect bribes from the State to throw the case? At this juncture, there is no case because Higbie doesn’t have documented evidence, nor can he show who deleted these “alleged” files.
Looks like the horrid, murderous beast that is known as Hitlery Clinton rears her satanic, reptilian head once again.