DNC software breach gave Sanders campaign confidential Clinton Data

[Ebsy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-democrats-sanders-clinton-data-20151218-story.html

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[Ebsy]

Griffin, I really don't think the DNC will lock Sanders out for a protracted period of time. I know that every hour his campaign doesn't have access does damage, but they brought this on themselves by knowingly accessing and downloading data they knew they should not use. I doubt this is going to turn into a protracted legal battle, though even if it did, I'm not sure what ground Sanders has to stand on considering his campaign likely violated the terms and conditions that they agreed to upon purchasing access to Votebuilder.

[Ebsy]

Everyone knows the game is rigged here. Hillary's campaign lobbied for few debates scheduled when few would watch them and the DNC obliged. No one serious believes her campaign would be punished similarly if the situation were reversed. The DNC is in the tank for her. The game is rigged and it confirms Sanders's message

I know the backlash against Clinton if her campaign was the one stealing data would be much, much worse.

[Ebsy]

BREAKING: WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton campaign manager says its data was 'stolen' by Sanders campaign.

Well that much is obvious.

[Ebsy]

It's hard for me to blame the DNC when the Sanders campaign has spent the past 24 hours making repeated false statements to the press.

[Ebsy]

Progressive Canadian, I can appreciate that you like Sanders and such, but the version of events you are trying to sell isn't even close to reality. I urge you to go to the Bloomberg article on the breach and read what actually happened.

[Ebsy]

Sanders isn't going to run third party and anyone who seriously thinks he will is stupid. He will lose the primary and endorse Clinton because that is simply what you do. No one likes a sore loser.

[Ebsy]

Yeah, I don't see her engaging on it, but politicos will write think pieces.

[Ebsy]

People will say they are going to vote third party, and then after 5 months of a general election campaign will show up on election day and vote for Hillary Clinton.

[Ebsy]

The Hillary campaign accessed confidential information in the past without punishment. I see nothing in the contract about that anyways. And there is supposed to be a 10 day notice before it terminates.

That's a boldfaced lie.

[Ebsy]

The first statement. What you are referring to is an unsubstantiated claim in the legal filing that says Clinton's campaign was inadvertently transferred data it was not supposed to have. That is not the same as deliberately stealing data from another campaign, which is what occurred here.

[Ebsy]

"Run to the media" What was the DNC going to do? Cut off Bernie's access without saying anything?

[Ebsy]

"Run to the media" What was the DNC going to do? Cut off Bernie's access without saying anything?

Just read this.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1461610

I did, and it does not support anything you said. He actually speculates that the other course of action could have been to arrest the staffer for cyber crimes.

[Ebsy]

Bernie Sanders will regain access to his voter file.
https://twitter.com/gdebenedetti/status/678075287490404352

Looks like I was right.

[Ebsy]

Okay, let's sum up what happened:

Wednesday, 10:40-11:20: During a patch for Votebuilder, the firewall separating the Clinton and Sanders campaign data goes down and the National Data Director for the Bernie Sanders campaign runs searches specifically for Clinton data. Then he, possibly with assistance over a total of 4 accounts, downloaded 21 lists from 11 states, including Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. No one at the Sanders campaign calls to alert the DNC of the vulnerability.

Sometime before Friday: NGP VAN alerts the DNC of the vulnerability and the DNC orders a full audit. The audit produces evidence of the breach by the National Data Director for the Sanders campaign. The DNC calls the Sanders campaign, alarmed, but the Sanders campaign denies that it has downloaded any proprietary data.

Late Friday: DNC and NGP VAN go to the press to tell them why they are cutting of Sanders' access to Votebuilder pending an independent investifation. Sanders spokesperson states that it was a "low-level staffer" and that no data was improperly saved and that said staffer had since been fired. NGP VAN falsely states that there was no way for proprietary data to have been downloaded.

Early Friday: It emerges that the "low level staffer" was the National Data Director for the Sanders campaign.

Midday Friday: The logs from the audit are produced showing that it was in fact for accounts and that much more data than was originally revealed had been accessed and downloaded. Sanders' spokesperson holds a press conference in which he says no data was downloaded and that the campaign will be suing the DNC if they do not give Sanders access to Votebuilder immediately.

Evening Friday: The Sanders campaign files suit in federal court. The spokesperson for the Sanders campaign goes on CNN and accuses the Clinton campaign of accessing Sanders data, though is prodded into admitting he has absolutely no proof. There are calls among some Democrats for the resignation of DNC chair DWS, and wider calls for Sanders to be given access to Votebuilder.

Late Friday/early Saturday: The DNC announces that it will restore access to Votebuilder for the Sanders campaign Saturday morning.

[Ebsy]

Doesn't DWS' term end after the 2016 election? I can't imagine her staying on as DNC chair.

[Ebsy]

To even take one campaigns own data away from them is insane.

I agree, the theft of Clinton's proprietary data by the Sanders campaign is insane and should be punished accordingly.

[Ebsy]

"The staffer" = Sanders campaign National Data Director.  This part keeps getting deliberately forgotten.

He got fired so what point are you even making?

The shifting narrative coming from the Sanders spin zone.  Earlier today he was merely a low-level staffer.

Not to mention that somehow we've landed on it being only one guy because only one guy got fired.  I'm not sure where the "he was using all four usernames himself!!" came from.

This is a sad attack in desperate times...its called politics get used to it. He got fired end of discussion.

You know, saying the words "end of discussion" and the end of a thoroughly unconvincing argument does not always have the desired effect.

[Ebsy]

This is a sad attack in desperate times...

I completely agree.  And I fear it's only going to get worse as Sanders slips even further behind.

Just wait until tomorrows debate.

It's actually today's debate at this point.

[Ebsy]

The thing about this legal argument is that the contract was never terminated and neither the Sanders campaign nor NGP VAN has said that the contract was terminated. So I don't see how the 10 day notice applies.

[Ebsy]

The thing about this legal argument is that the contract was never terminated and neither the Sanders campaign nor NGP VAN has said that the contract was terminated. So I don't see how the 10 day notice applies.

I mean, the contract clearly lists the data services that were revoked as being provided under the terms of the contract (sections 1-4).  I'm no lawyer, but isn't knowingly terminating access to the services listed in the contract without terminating the contract a big ol' breach?

Section 6a:

I would imagine the NGP VAN would have a pretty strong argument that temporarily suspending access to Votebuilder falls under "all measures necessary" to protect Clinton's proprietary data in the case of a confirmed breach of this magnitude.

[Ebsy]

The Licensee, in this case the Sanders campaign, did not have permission to access third party (Clinton) data hosted by NGP VAN but knowingly did so. This seems like it might qualify as a breach of contract, but regardless, I'm sure the DNC has great lawyers and would have been able to hold this suit up in court for days had they wanted to. They obviously chose not to, but I don't think that particularly reflects on the merit of this petition.

[Ebsy]

Also, from the contract, if Sanders were to leave the Democratic Party to run as an independent, the contract with NGP VAN will immediately be terminated and he would immediately lose access to the DNC voter file.

[Ebsy]

So, four Sanders staffers illegally downloaded at least 20 folders of confidential Clinton data, So of course DWS and Hillary are the bad guys. well okeedokee then.

Only 2 staffers were involved, and I think the one who wasn't immediately fired might have only run 1 search or something.

Of course this was all OK and no punishment or running to the media was needed when the Hillary campaign got access to confidential information in 2008.

"They did it too!" is not a logical argument, especially when the event you are referring to is not even comparable.

[Ebsy]

The Clinton campaign should copyright their voter database so that the next time the slimy Sanders campaign comes knocking and tries to steal their information, they can press charges.

Just because Sanders wants to redistribute our wealth, doesn't mean he has the right to redistribute Clinton's campaign data!

I don't see why they can't already press charges if they want.  Isn't that data proprietary?

I think the National Data Director might end up going to end up in jail after the audit is finished and the DNC turns it over to a prosecutor.