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Kavanaugh hearing reminds DC unsecured data has caused problems for years

The Senate confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh stirred up a 16-year-old email hack that took place during a previous nomination process.

The Washington Post reported that Sen. Patrick Leahy D-Vt., questioned Kavanaugh’s role regarding information on Democratic Party members that was improperly gathered by a staffer for Manual Miranda, the Republican counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2002. At the time the data was found residing unsecured on a server that was also used by Republicans making it easily accessible to the opposition party.

This information, which gave insights into the Democratic members of the committee that could help push the nominees through the process, made its way into Kavanaugh’s hands from Miranda, but the Supreme Court hopeful has repeatedly said he did not know at the time the files were illegally accessed.

Leahy is now claiming emails recently made public indicate Kavanaugh did know the true source of the Democratic documents, the Washington Post said.

Miranda told the Post that while he did work closely with Kavanaugh during that nomination process he never revealed how he came to obtain the information.

Miranda was investigated for his activity, blamed for viewing the documents and resigned his position in 2004, the Post reported.

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