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Assange rescues Trump: “A 14-year old kid could have hacked”, into the Clinton campaign emails

Thursday, January 5th 2017 - 08:42 UTC
Full article 11 comments
“We published [...] several emails which show Podesta responding to a phishing email,” Assange said in an interview with Fox News presenter Sean Hannity “We published [...] several emails which show Podesta responding to a phishing email,” Assange said in an interview with Fox News presenter Sean Hannity
”Now, was she (Hillary) trying to keep them secure from Republicans? Probably,“ Assange added. ”But in terms of [nation] states, almost no attempt.” ”Now, was she (Hillary) trying to keep them secure from Republicans? Probably,“ Assange added. ”But in terms of [nation] states, almost no attempt.”
The US intelligence community believes that Podesta's emails were stolen by hackers aligned with the Russian government. The US intelligence community believes that Podesta's emails were stolen by hackers aligned with the Russian government.

The founder of whistle blowing website WikiLeaks has said that even a teenager would have had the technical skills needed to break into the personal email inbox of John Podesta, a close aide to Hillary Clinton who was recently targeted by hackers with suspected links to Russia.

 “We published [...] several emails which show Podesta responding to a phishing email,” Assange said in an interview with Fox News presenter Sean Hannity, published on Tuesday (3 January 2017). “Podesta gave out that his password was the word 'password'.

”His own staff said 'this email that you have received is totally legitimate'. This is something that a 14-year-old kid could have hacked.“

As reported at the time, WikiLeaks obtained tens of thousands of Podesta's emails and released them all into the public domain.

In the wide-ranging interview, Assange also said that Clinton, a one-time favorite to win the race to the White House, put little effort into keeping her private emails safe from the threat of state-sponsored hackers.

”Now, was she trying to keep them secure from Republicans? Probably,“ Assange added. ”But in terms of [nation] states, almost no attempt.”

The US intelligence community believes that Podesta's emails were stolen by hackers aligned with the Russian government. Joint statements by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and others suggest only senior officials in Putin's state could have sanctioned the attacks.

The US agencies believe WikiLeaks was effectively “weaponized” by the Russian state.

For his part, Assange has consistently denied the accusation. “We can say, and we have said repeatedly over the last two months, that our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party,” Assange told Hannity, adding he has never been in contact with Putin or Trump.

The claim that a teenager could have the proficiency to hack Podesta's inbox is now under debate. It was quickly jumped on by president-elect Tump on 4 January. He tweeted: “Julian Assange said a 14-year-old could have hacked Podesta – why was DNC so careless?”

He later added: ”Somebody hacked the DNC but why did they not have 'hacking defense' like the RNC has and why have they not responded to the terrible things they did and said (like giving the questions to the debate to H). A total double standard! Media, as usual, gave them a pass.“

While speaking to Hannity from inside the Ecuadorian embassy, where he currently lives under political asylum, Assange also said any suggestion his organization worked with Russia to influence the outcome of the election in the US was ”absolutely false“.

”They don't have the evidence that WikiLeaks is involved in that way,“ Assange countered. ”Now why am I confident about that? Well, because there is one person in the world – and I think it is actually only
one – who knows exactly what is going on with our publications, and that's me”.

Categories: Politics, United States.

Top Comments

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  • Captain Poppy

    DemocraPs, Repupukecans.......all canny names all too often used but the intellectually gifted.....Most Americans who are opposed to Trump are not looking for a recount, his presidency is long accepted that an egomaniacal , idiot will be a figurehead for the USA with Pence's hand up his ass........Pences new sock puppet. From my background and POV.....I trust DIA, NSA, NSC,NRO and DNI etc, etc....over ....Assange. But hey.....who am I, I didn't have a multi season TV show playing a a far from realitysuper hero.......or posting under a fake super hero meme. Believe the sex offender.

    And onto relevant news:

    “I'm disappointed that the first action out of a new Republican Congress that has the majority in the Senate, majority in the House and the White House that their first action will be a budget that never balances and adds 9.7 trillion dollars to the deficit,” Rand Paul told CNN Wednesday. “I just can't vote for a budget that never balances and adds so much new debt.”

    January 4th and the fractures widen in the GOP. But, I can't wait for McCain to vote for Tillerson because I am looking forward oh so much to seeing those “pigs fly”. I love my bacon!

    Jan 05th, 2017 - 05:48 pm +2
  • Idlehands

    This Assange/Trump love in is very strange. I can only assume Assange believes he'll receive assurances about his liberty from Trump.

    Jan 05th, 2017 - 12:12 pm +1
  • Nowhere-man

    All the assurances will never protect him from the inner workings of the agencies he exposed. He'll be a red dot poster child for some time to come, upon walking out that door in London that is.

    Jan 05th, 2017 - 12:39 pm +1
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