The College Fix

‘There’s a sense of great risk to the public’

A graduate student from the George Washington University, one who allegedly posted Republican senators’ personal information online during the Brett Kavanaugh controversy, was found to have “downloaded more information than was originally understood,” a judge revealed this week. The information in question was so sensitive that the judge had to clear the courtroom before reviewing it.

Jackson Cosko, who was arrested for “doxxing” the Republican senators at the height of the Kavanaugh hysteria, apparently had downloaded “terabytes of data” prior to his arrest, The Daily Caller reported this week.. Upon reviewing the material in a sealed courtroom, the judge overseeing the case expressed notable alarm, stating that there is “a sense of great risk to the public” over the possibility of Cosko being allowed access to computers.

Calling Cosko “malicious and hostile,” the judge said: “He downloaded more information that was originally understood. There is no combination of conditions that could ensure the safety of the community.”

“The judge took the unusual step of kicking reporters and even Cosko’s own mother out of the courtroom for more than a half hour while prosecutors and the defense discussed what they found with the judge,” The Caller revealed.

From the report:

During the confirmation hearings of Kavanaugh, Cosko allegedly posted Republicans’ home addresses on Wikipedia, including from his computer in [Rep. Sheila] Jackson Lee’s office.

Then, on Oct. 2, he allegedly returned to [Sen. Maggie] Hassan’s office and logged into a staffer’s computer.

“The defendant was caught in the act of burglarizing the office of United States Senator Maggie Hassan (his former employer) for the purpose of illegally accessing a computer in the Senator’s office,” according to court papers. “When the defendant recognized that he was caught – by a staffer who knew the defendant well – he fled the office. However, only a few minutes later, the defendant sent a threatening e-mail to that same staffer.”

Cosko wrote, according to the papers: “I own EVERYTHING … If you tell anyone I will leak it all. Emails signal conversations gmails. Senators children’s health information and socials.”

Prosecutors said they searched his home and found “virtually a hackers’ obstruction checklist” and materials to impersonate congressmen such as stationary from Hassan’s office.

The College Fix reported previously that Cosko may face expulsion from the George Washington University for his alleged actions. The student code of conduct states that students may be dismissed from the school for off-campus criminal activity.

Read The Caller’s report here.

MORE: Grad student may face expulsion after allegedly doxxing Republican senators

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