Michigan U.S. Congressman Fred Upton is staying personally silent on the weekend hacking and posting of nude pictures belonging to his niece, model and actress Kate Upton.
In response to a request for comment from The Daily Caller, Uncle Fred forwarded a response from a spokeswoman from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which said “[t]he committee is continuing to monitor these latest breaches.”
“These incidents further underscore why data security legislation is needed, and the committee is continuing to work toward a workable and bipartisan solution,” Energy and Commerce Deputy Communications Director Charlotte Baker told TheDC.
As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee — which oversees the Federal Communications Commission — Upton is in a uniquely powerful position to personally lead the charge for a federal digital privacy law, which digital and privacy activists say should make such hacks a violation of federal law, as well as set a national standard for Internet privacy protections.
In addition to his position as chair of a committee with federal influence over national telecommunications, Upton would have an especially loud voice after the victimization of a close family member and well-known public figure. (RELATED: Nude Photos Of Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton Released In Huge Leak [VIDEO])
Upton along with actresses and models including Jennifer Lawrence, Ariana Grande, Kirsten Dunst and more had multiple private photos hacked from their Apple iCloud accounts and posted on 4chan Sunday, many of which leaked onto Twitter, Reddit and other websites and platforms. (RELATED: How To Turn Off iCloud And Keep Your (Private) Photos Private)