Palin’s e-mail account hacker faces three fresh charges
By ANIThursday, March 12, 2009
WASHINGTON - Tennessee University student, who was accused of hacking into Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s personal e-mail account, has been framed with three fresh charges apart from the charge of alleged hacking.
David Kernell, the son of Democratic Tennessee state legislator, was charged with unlawfully transmitting electronic information, fraud and attempting to impede an FBI investigation.
Kernell has pleaded not guilty to the new charges, just as he did after his September arrest, Politico reports.
Kernell allegedly gained access to the e-mails of the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee by correctly answering a series of personal questions.
Afterwards, he reset her password and posted much of her correspondence and content online.
Kernell is believed to have admitted hacking Palin’s e-mail in a post on the website 4chan, by saying: “As many of you might already know, last night Sarah Palin’s yahoo (e-mail account) was ‘hacked’ and (screen) caps were posted. … I am the lurker who did it, and I would like to tell the story.”
If convicted, Kernell may face a 250,000-dollar fine and up to three years in prison.
So far, Palin’s office has not released any statement on the fresh charges.
