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Judge Orders Suspected Capitol Hill Doxxer To Be Held Without Bond

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Kerry Picket Political Reporter
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Jackson Cosko, the former Democratic Capitol Hill staffer accused of posting personal information of Republican lawmakers online, was ordered to be held without bond Tuesday, The Washington Times reports.

Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson also denied his attorneys’ request that he be released under stringent circumstances. This would include wearing a monitoring bracelet on his ankle if he was released to his parents and stayed away from electronic devices.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Demian Ahn, Cosko was caught by a staffer of New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan of breaking into the office he previously worked in as a tech staffer. Cosko later threatened the staffer and cautioned him not to reveal his activities to authorities or he would reveal more sensitive information.

An email message to the witnessing staffer had the subject: “I own EVERYTHING” and said, “If you tell anyone I will leak it all. Emails signal conversations gmails. Senators children’s health information and socials,” The Washington Examiner reported.

According to Ahn, law enforcement searched his storage unit and automobile and found plans to go after other members of Congress as well as documented plans to help him ditch any evidence of his involvement of the crime.

“It is virtually a hackers’ obstruction checklist,” Ahn said.

Ahn also said investigators found cocaine and methamphetamine when they searched his belongings and claim he may have been under the influence of narcotics when he posted the private information of the lawmakers.

Cosko was charged with five federal offenses: making threats in interstate commerce, identity theft, making public restricted personal information, unauthorized access of a government computer, and witness tampering.

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Kerry Picket