Rove sicks prosecutors on spammer who hit Bush donors

[wndycty]

Rove's net anger
Hammers spammer for plaguing Bush donors

BY GREG B. SMITH
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

When it comes to pesky e-mail spam, Karl Rove doesn't mess around.

The White House political adviser and deputy chief of staff took time from his busy schedule early last year to personally track down a bothersome spammer who made the mistake of hitting subscribers to President Bush's campaign site, the Daily News has learned.

Sometime after Rove intervened, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan opened a criminal investigation that ultimately led to the arrest of a Florida man while he was at the movies with his then-7-year-old daughter.

The businessman, Robert McAllister, who hired the spammer that infuriated Rove, now claims he's the victim of malicious prosecution brought about by the President's famously ruthless political aide.
-snip-

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/451223p-379646c.html

[Ian David]

1. Oh, I don't know who to be rooting for on this one. Rove or the spammer?

It's a tough call, isn't it?

[left is right]

2. That creates a moral dilemma

on the one hand, I want to cheer the efforts of this spammer, even if spamming * donors was an accident. OTOH, he is a spammer and they deserve the harshest punishment possible.

[Ian David]

4. But now the email addresses of the subscribers are in the public record...

It would be worth a trip to the courthouse to obtain copies of the documents and post this public domain information on the internets.

[annabanana]

6. well it certainly seems that way..

But I would be surprised to find out that those email addresses aren't redacted..

[Joanne98]

7. Ooh! Good idea!

[Ian David]

3. Rove caught lying again...

<snip>

Rove said through White House spokeswoman Dana Perino that he "vaguely remembered" the spam onslaught, but did not recall making phone calls or e-mailing subordinates about it. He also said he could not recall whether he or any member of the White House or campaign contacted the Department of Justice about it.

However, e-mails, phone records and transcripts of secretly recorded phone conversations turned over to defense attorneys make it clear that Rove, in January 2005, was personally involved in finding the culprits who spammed the Bush campaign site.

The spams touted the supposedly hot penny stocks of several companies, including Voicescape Networks and Millenium Network Inc.

On Jan. 17, 2005, at 9:12 p.m., Rove e-mailed an assistant in the Bush campaign, B.J. Goergen: "Find where this company is headquartered," with the attached spam for Voicescape.

More:
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/451223p-379646c.html

[Eric J in MN]

5. In general, I think spam should be a civil matter...

...and not a criminal matter.

Why not just sue this guy and collect his money, instead of locking him in a prison cell?