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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Graduate student arrested for posting senators’ private information online

Updated: Oct. 10, 2018 at 11:14 a.m.

A graduate student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science was arrested Wednesday for publishing personal information about at least three Republican senators online last week, authorities said.

Jackson Cosko, 27, was charged with making personal information public, witness tampering, threatening interstate communications, unauthorized access of a government computer, identity theft, second-degree burglary and unlawful entry, Capitol Police announced in a press release. He was studying cybersecurity policy and compliance and worked as a Democratic congressional aide to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, NPR reported Thursday.

“The investigation will continue and additional charges may be forthcoming,” Capitol Police said in the release.

During Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, personal information – including home addresses and phone numbers – was released on the Wikipedia pages of Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. The information was also widely spread on Twitter, Gizmodo reported.

Cosko has since been fired from his position at Jackson Lee’s office. Previously, he worked for Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and former Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Cosko was caught and arrested Wednesday night after he was caught sneaking into Hassan’s office, Politico reported Wednesday.

He also graduated from the University in 2014, according to Politico.

Cosko contested the charges brought against him in a court appearance Thursday, The Washington Post reported.

Neither Cosko nor a University spokeswoman immediately returned requests for comment.

This post has been updated to reflect the following correction:
The Hatchet incorrectly reported that Orrin Hatch is a senator for Pennsylvania. He represents Utah. The Hatchet also incorrectly reported that Mike Lee is a senator for Arizona. He represents Utah. We regret these errors.

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