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Sharp Sticks
Showing entries for Category: GSA

BREAKING NEWS: Chinese spies hack Capitol Hill

POSTED June 11, 4:23 PM

Just got off the phone with Congressman Frank Wolf, who will be invoking Rule 9 - Privilege of the House - at 5 pm today to request that the House leadership ask the FBI, Dept of Homeland Security and National Security Agency to hold a closed-door briefing for all members of Congress on their vulnerability to computer hacking by agents of foreign governments. Wolf says the U.S. government is under daily cyber attack that puts the nation in grave danger. BlackBerries and cell phones are also vulnerable.

Wolf said the FBI was called in when the House Information Resources Office found evidence of hacking by Chinese spies on four of his in-office computers beginning in 2006, including one used by the staffer who compiles detailed files on human rights cases - the first machine in Wolf's office to be compromised. He hinted that prior intelligence led the Chinese to that particular computer.

Two years ago, The Examiner quoted former US Customs and Immigration Service head of security Mike Maxwell, who told us that Chinese spies back in China were printing out their own green cards using an automated system - with no U.S. government employee ever seeing the application.

But China itself is far less accomodating, as Rep. Wolf found out today when he was denied a visa. The Virginia Republican planned to go to China to investigate human rights cases in anticipation of the Olympics in Beijing. The Chinese, it seems, don't believe in open borders.

We've also heard from another source that the State Department now assigns extra security agents to keep track of Chinese spies seen tailing the motorcades of foreign dignitaries. Wonder how they got here? Our own government rolled out the welcome mat!

Here's a copy of Wolf's Resolution:

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr. WOLF submitted the following resolution:

Directing the Chief Administrative Officer and the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives to take timely action to ensure that all Members, committees, and offices of the House are alerted of the dangers of electronic attacks on the computers and information systems used in carrying out their official duties and are fully briefed on how to protect themselves, their official records, and their communications from electronic security breaches.

Whereas beginning in August 2006, several of the computers used by Congressman Frank R. Wolf, a Representative from the Commonwealth of Virginia, in carrying out his official and representational duties were compromised by an outside source;

Whereas the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, acting through House Information Resources (HIR), alerted Congressman Wolf to this incident and cleaned and returned the compromised computers to the Congressman’s office;

Whereas since this attack, it has been discovered that computers in the offices of other Members, as well as in the office of at least one committee of the House, have been similarly compromised;

Whereas in subsequent meetings with HIR and officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the outside source responsible for these incidents was revealed to be located in the People’s Republic of China;

Whereas according to HIR, when Members use Blackberry devices or cell phones while traveling overseas, especially in nations in which access to information is tightly controlled by the government, they are at risk of having their conversations or other personal information recorded or collected without authorization;

Whereas HIR, the FBI, and the House Security Office briefed the affected offices on the security breaches that have occurred, and have done a good job in attempting to protect other offices of the House from similar threats; and

Whereas it is nevertheless not clear that all Members, committees, and other offices of the House are aware of the existing threats against the security and confidentiality of the electronic records of their offices or their overseas electronic communications, nor is it clear that Members and other House personnel have been fully briefed on how to protect themselves, their official records, and their communications from electronic security breaches:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Chief Administrative Officer and the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, in consultation with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, should take timely action to ensure that all Members, committees, and offices of the House are alerted of the dangers of electronic attacks on the computers and information systems used in carrying out their official duties and are fully briefed on how to protect themselves, their official records, and their communications from electronic security breaches.

Categories: GSA , Chinese spies

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Where's the rest of the story?

POSTED May 9, 2:45 PM

Former GSA Administrator Lurita Doan's long-running battle with agency inspector general Brian Miller started when she tried to reduce his budget as part of a "cost-cutting initiative." Doan recently told Federal News Radio that the White House asked her to resign after less than two years on the job because she "refused to back down on my support for the four whistle blowers at GSA" who complained about Miller. But the Corporation for National and Community Service, which agreed to review the case, found no wrongdoing by Miller.

However, a high-profile investigation by Office of Special Counsel Scott Bloch found wrongdoing by Doan herself, who allegedly violated the Hatch Act by asking federal employees to help Republican election efforts and steered lucrative GSA contracts to friends and political allies.

Here's what doesn't make sense: On April 29, White House chief of staff Josh Bolton and counsel Fred Fielding summoned Dean to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and told her she was to resign immediately. Her unceremonious departure indicated that the administration wasn't buying her version of events.

If so, why is Bloch's head on the chopping block?

At a July 12, 2007 House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee hearing, ranking member Tom Davis, R-VA, went after Bloch, asking him if he had authorized a leak of the GSA investigation, a charge Bloch denied. This week, Davis called for Bloch's resignation.

What the media hasn't reported is that Doan and her husband Doug just so happen to be some of Davis' major contributors. According to FEC records, the Great Falls couple gave more than $200,000 to GOP candidates and PACs since 2000.

Sources tell us the Tuesday raid of Bloch's office and Alexandria home was pay-back for being a straight arrow whose politically embarrassing investigation of the firings of the U.S. attorneys and other allegations of illegal political activity in the executive branch made him some powerful enemies in the administration, including Karl Rove, which is why the White House is now desperately trying to silence him.