By Joe Uchill - 08/22/16 05:09 PM EDT
The hacker Guccifer 2.0 posted new documents Monday from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pertaining to four Pennsylvania House races.
The documents contain an overview of the contests, as well as opposition research and vetting information on candidates.
The cache is just the latest dump from Guccifer 2.0, who has admitted hacking both the Democratic National Convention and the DCCC.
For one of the races, in Pennsylvania's 7th district, the documents include research on a Democratic primary candidate, Bill Golderer, and incumbent Republican Rep. Patrick Meehan. The document notes that Golderer, who lost in the primary, "does not live in the seventh 7th congressional district."
It also includes opposition research on Meehan, saying that he "voted against [a] bipartisan spending bill to keep government open that included funding for 9/11 first responders.” The document adds that “Meehan has travelled the world on the taxpayer’s dime, taking taxpayer funded foreign trips to Japan, Korea, China, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala,” and that "he has accepted privately funded trips to Italy, Brazil, and the Czech Republic.”
It also discusses his past work as a U.S. attorney, noting his involvement in a case where federal officials bugged the office of the mayor of Philadelphia.
Other files discuss the open race in Pennsylvania's 8th district, where Democrat Steve Santarsiero is challenging Republican Brian Fitzgerald, the brother of incumbent Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick.
The documents note that Santarsiero faces a tough road because of his staunch support for gun control as a state legislator and allegations of trading votes for campaign donations.
The documents also include allegations against Fitzgerald potentially violating the Hatch Act by having his brother — the retiring incumbent representative in the district — campaign for him. The files accuse Fitzgerald of lying in a debate about his brother's support.
Other files include opposition research on Larry Maggi, a candidate in the 18th Congressional District, and a document vetting Mark Parrish, a Democrat running in Pennsylvania’s 6th District against incumbent Ryan Costello (R).
Parrish’s vetting document commends the candidate’s business background and active role in the military, but worries past business lawsuits might come back to hurt him.
The Maggi file points out the candidate, a former county commissioner, has a record of raising taxes, supported the war in Iraq, backed raises for his county commission and was in 2004 “found guilty of violating state ethics laws by using taxpayer funds to promote his political campaign.”
According to The Cook Political Report, all of the races are non-competitive and likely Republican victories, with the exception of the 8th district, which is an open seat. That race between Santarsiero and Republican Brian Fitzgerald is rated a toss-up with a slight GOP advantage.
The latest dump from Guccifer 2.0 adds to the headache for Democrats dealing with the hacks.
Little is known for sure about the mysterious figure, who claims to be a Romanian who took the name in homage to another Romanian hacker who targeted American political groups, Guccifer.
Many within the intelligence community, though, believe Guccifer 2.0 is, in fact, a cover for Russian operatives. This fits with ample evidence, including similarities with other attacks worldwide attributed to Russian intelligence and the fact, when tested, Guccifer 2.0 has struggled to speak Romanian.
http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/292258-guccifer-20-posts-dem-docs-on-house-races
