A secret server is behind law enforcement’s decision to ban a former IT aide to Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz from the House network.
Now-indicted former congressional IT aide Imran Awan allegedly routed data from numerous House Democrats to a secret server. Police grew suspicious and requested a copy of the server early this year, but they were provided with an elaborate falsified image designed to hide the massive violations. The falsified image is what ultimately triggered their ban from the House network Feb. 2, according to a senior House official with direct knowledge of the investigation.
The secret server was connected to the House Democratic Caucus, an organization chaired by then-Rep. Xavier Becerra. Police informed Becerra that the server was the subject of an investigation and requested a copy of it. Authorities considered the false image they received to be interference in a criminal investigation, the senior official said.
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Awan had access to all emails and office computer files of 45 members of Congress who are listed below. Fear among members that Awan could release embarrassing information if they cooperated with prosecutors could explain why the Democrats have refused to acknowledge the cybersecurity breach publicly or criticize the suspects.
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Each House member’s data is supposed to be stored on his own server, but
Imran moved files to a computer that was only supposed to hold the files of the administrative office of the Democratic Caucus, the senior official said.
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On Jan. 24, 2017, Becerra vacated his congressional seat to become California’s attorney general. “He wanted to wipe his server, and we brought to his attention it was under investigation. The light-off was we asked for an image of the server, and they deliberately turned over a fake server,” the senior official said.
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The executive director of the Democratic Caucus was Sean McCluskie, who was Becerra’s chief of staff and is now chief deputy attorney general of California. McCluskie did not return TheDCNF’s repeated requests for comment.
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Becerra was one of five members who first hired Awan in 2004, his first year on the Hill. Only two of the five — Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York and Becerra — remained in office through 2016, and each of them later put two of Awan’s relatives on their payrolls as well, including his wife Alvi and brother Abid.
When Becerra became chairman of the Democratic Caucus in 2013, that office began paying Alvi $25,000 to $30,000 a year in addition to the payments from Becerra’s personal office, meaning he was responsible for far more of the payments to the Awan family than any other member.
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More:
http://dailycallernewsfoundation.org...secret-server/
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Originally Posted by Anti Federalist
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