Hacker steals Coleman donor data

POLITICO - By MANU RAJU 3/11/09

Former Sen. Norm Coleman announced Wednesday that a hacker may have confiscated the confidential financial information for several thousand donors to the Minnesota Republican’s campaign. In a statement released Wednesday evening, Coleman attorney Fritz Knaak said the campaign suspects that there was a breach in the Coleman for Senate website, and that many donors' personal information — including credit card numbers — had been accessed illegally. “Let me be perfectly clear: We believe a federal crime has been committed,” Knaak said. “This information has been stolen. And, stealing private, confidential information is illegal.” Knaak said that individuals who contributed online to Coleman should immediately cancel their credit cards. Knaak said the campaign became aware that something was amiss in late January when its website crashed, potentially compromising the security of the site. At the time, law enforcement authorities launched an inquiry but did not turn up any evidence of wrongdoing, he said. Tuesday night, the Coleman campaign was notified that donors had been receiving e-mails from the address press-office@wikileaks.org that said this organization had obtained donors’ confidential and private financial information. And the campaign said it notified law enforcement immediately thereafter. “We intend to fully pursue all legal options available, working with all appropriate local, state and federal authorities to identify the criminals who stole this information and to seek the most severe punishment available for their crimes,” Knaak said. (continues...)