| Subject: Re: docs I have |
| From: Michael Hastings <mhastings@gmail.com> |
| Date: 4/24/12, 18:20 |
| To: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com> |
Okay, sounds good.
On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 5:08 PM, Michael Hastings <mhastings@gmail.com> wrote:
> Cool--I have line where I say that they are looking for info on private
> intelligence contracting firms HBGary and Endgames systems, and two
> companies I say you clashed with them and criticized them on a website you
> founded, Project PM.
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 6:00 PM, Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Heh, that was two years ago. I'm 30 now.
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 4:59 PM, Michael Hastings <mhastings@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > Cool, great, thanks. You're 28 right?
>> >
>> >
>> > On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 5:46 PM, Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
>> > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Make sure to mention Endgame Systems, HBGary, and our Echelon2.org
>> >> wiki being listed on the warrant, as that's an angle I need people to
>> >> understand. My statement:
>> >>
>> >> "I haven't been charged with anything at this point, although there's
>> >> a sealed affidavit to which neither I nor my attorney have access. I
>> >> suspect that the FBI is working off of incorrect information."
>> >>
>> >> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 4:28 PM, Michael Hastings <mhastings@gmail.com>
>> >> wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> > Hey man--thanks for this. We've redacted the documents, and I'm
>> >> > basically doing a quick write up explaining how the Feds raided your
>> >> > place
>> >> > searching for info on Anon and Lulzec, then we're just going to post
>> >> > the
>> >> > search warrant.
>> >> >
>> >> > For legal reasons, I need a straightforward comment from you--as in,
>> >> > do
>> >> > you deny wrong doing that the FBI is accusing you of or something
>> >> > along
>> >> > those lines.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 5:24 PM, Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
>> >> > wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Over a year ago, it was revealed that the federal contractors HBGary
>> >> >> Federal, Palantir, Berico, and Endgame Systems had combined forces
>> >> >> to create
>> >> >> a sort of cyber-offense unit called Team Themis. With the assistance
>> >> >> of the
>> >> >> law firm Hunton & Williams, they went about collecting potential
>> >> >> clients,
>> >> >> including two institutions which desired to go on the offensive
>> >> >> against
>> >> >> certain activist groups. One of these institutions, the Chamber of
>> >> >> Commerce,
>> >> >> provided them with the names of various individuals believed to be
>> >> >> involved
>> >> >> with groups that opposed their policies, and asked them to come up
>> >> >> with a
>> >> >> plan by which to discredit them. This was one of the options that
>> >> >> Team
>> >> >> Themis came up:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Create a false document, perhaps highlighting periodical financial
>> >> >> information, and monitor to see if U.S. Chamber Watch acquires it.
>> >> >> Afterward, present explicit evidence that such transactions never
>> >> >> occurred.
>> >> >> Also, create a fake insider persona and generate communications with
>> >> >> CtW.
>> >> >> Afterward, release the actual documents at a specified time and
>> >> >> explain the
>> >> >> activity as a CtW contrived operation. Both instances will prove
>> >> >> that
>> >> >> Chamber Watch cannot be trusted with information and/or tell the
>> >> >> truth.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> In the eyes of the Justice Department, this sort of thing does not
>> >> >> constitute even probable cause of criminal activity on the part of
>> >> >> any of
>> >> >> the individuals involved, or their companies, or the various other
>> >> >> employees
>> >> >> who viewed these kinds proposals. I say this because no one involved
>> >> >> has had
>> >> >> their apartment door knocked down and their equipment and notes
>> >> >> seized by
>> >> >> the FBI, as I have. The fact that Team Themis also discussed the
>> >> >> option of
>> >> >> hacking the servers of Wikileaks, and engaging in a campaign of
>> >> >> intimidation
>> >> >> against the journalist Glenn Greenwald due to his support of the
>> >> >> organization, does not seem to generate much activity over at the
>> >> >> DoJ or
>> >> >> FBI, either. Perhaps this is because these latter measures were
>> >> >> proposed for
>> >> >> another of Team Themis' prospective clients, Bank of America, and
>> >> >> that Bank
>> >> >> of America first got in touch with Team Themis and Hunton & Williams
>> >> >> after
>> >> >> they were recommended to them by the Justice Department itself.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> The call for a Congressional inquiry into this matter was shot down
>> >> >> by
>> >> >> Rep. Lamar Smith. His reasoning was that the Justice Department is
>> >> >> best
>> >> >> equipped to decide if any investigation is warranted in this
>> >> >> instance. I
>> >> >> would tend to disagree with that insomuch as that they helped to put
>> >> >> these
>> >> >> activities in motion.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> At any rate, the FBI is now searching through my belongings for
>> >> >> information on HBGary, Endgame Systems, and the website that my
>> >> >> group
>> >> >> Project PM maintains for the purpose of disseminating info on such
>> >> >> firms as
>> >> >> these, Echelon2.org. They will find quite a bit of information on
>> >> >> all of
>> >> >> these things. They will also find further evidence of wrongdoing on
>> >> >> the part
>> >> >> of other "security contractors" who posted pictures of what they
>> >> >> believed
>> >> >> to be my apartment so that, as one of them put it, the Zeta drug
>> >> >> cartel
>> >> >> would know which house I lived in (http://twicsy.com/i/6dHfX). They
>> >> >> will
>> >> >> find the name of the contractor in question; they will find screen
>> >> >> shots
>> >> >> showing that he has ties to the former CEO of HBGary Federal.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> But they will not choose to investigate those sorts of things. The
>> >> >> state has friends, and the state has enemies.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 3:18 PM, Michael Hastings
>> >> >> <mhastings@gmail.com>
>> >> >> wrote:
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>> Great, thanks very much.
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 4:11 PM, Barrett Brown
>> >> >>> <barriticus@gmail.com>
>> >> >>> wrote:
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>> Yep, you can do so. Let me provide a statement to go along with
>> >> >>>> them,
>> >> >>>> I'll send in a second.
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 3:09 PM, Michael Hastings
>> >> >>>> <mhastings@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> >>>>>
>> >> >>>>> Hey man--can we say we are publishing these as an exclusive.
>> >> >>>>>
>> >> >>>>> Holy shit. The feds aren't fucking around, hunh?
>> >> >>>>>
>> >> >>>>> On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 4:02 PM, Barrett Brown
>> >> >>>>> <barriticus@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>> Here are the search warrants that I was provided by the FBI when
>> >> >>>>>> they raided my apartment and then my mother's residence. If you
>> >> >>>>>> do run them,
>> >> >>>>>> please block out the addresses.
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> >> >>>>>> From: Tom Mills <tmills@millsandwilliams.com>
>> >> >>>>>> Date: Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 2:57 PM
>> >> >>>>>> Subject: docs I have
>> >> >>>>>> To: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
>> >> >>>>>> Cc: Tom Mills <tmills@millsandwilliams.com>
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>> --
>> >> >>>>>> Regards,
>> >> >>>>>>
>> >> >>>>>> Barrett Brown
>> >> >>>>>> 940-735-9748
>> >> >>>>>
>> >> >>>>>
>> >> >>>>>
>> >> >>>>>
>> >> >>>>> --
>> >> >>>>> Michael Hastings
>> >> >>>>> BuzzFeed Correspondent 2012
>> >> >>>>> Rolling Stone Contributing Editor
>> >> >>>>> mhastings@gmail.com
>> >> >>>>> Office: 646-388-1062
>> >> >>>>> International Mobile: +1-212-945-8073
>> >> >>>>>
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>> --
>> >> >>>> Regards,
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>> Barrett Brown
>> >> >>>> 940-735-9748
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>> --
>> >> >>> Michael Hastings
>> >> >>> BuzzFeed Correspondent 2012
>> >> >>> Rolling Stone Contributing Editor
>> >> >>> mhastings@gmail.com
>> >> >>> Office: 646-388-1062
>> >> >>> International Mobile: +1-212-945-8073
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> --
>> >> >> Regards,
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Barrett Brown
>> >> >> 940-735-9748
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > --
>> >> > Michael Hastings
>> >> > BuzzFeed Correspondent 2012
>> >> > Rolling Stone Contributing Editor
>> >> > mhastings@gmail.com
>> >> > Office: 646-388-1062
>> >> > International Mobile: +1-212-945-8073
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Regards,
>> >>
>> >> Barrett Brown
>> >> 940-735-9748
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Michael Hastings
>> > BuzzFeed Correspondent 2012
>> > Rolling Stone Contributing Editor
>> > mhastings@gmail.com
>> > Office: 646-388-1062
>> > International Mobile: +1-212-945-8073
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Regards,
>>
>> Barrett Brown
>> 940-735-9748
>
>
>
>
> --
> Michael Hastings
> BuzzFeed Correspondent 2012
> Rolling Stone Contributing Editor
> mhastings@gmail.com
> Office: 646-388-1062
> International Mobile: +1-212-945-8073
>
--
Regards,
Barrett Brown
940-735-9748