Posted on 09/09/2019 3:29:55 PM PDT by MarvinStinson
A Philadelphia man has pleaded guilty in connection with a scheme to trick a U.S. government website into serving up the president’s tax returns.
Andrew Harris, a student who attended Haverford College, admitted in court last week that he used a school computer and the Free Application for Student Aid website to try to access Donald Trump’s financial records. By opening a FAFSA account in the name of a Trump family member and using Trump’s Social Security number, Harris and another student apparently thought the FAFSA page would populate with Trump’s tax data. The attempt failed when the pair found a username and password for Trump already existed.
Harris, 24, pleaded guilty on Sept. 5 to two misdemeanor counts of computer fraud. He faces two years in federal prison and a $200,000 fine. Another man, 22-year-old Justin Hiemstra of Minnesota, pleaded guilty last month. FAFSA is run by the Department of Education, but it has connections to Internal Revenue Service systems so students can import tax information as part of the federal student aid application process.
William J. Brennan, Harris’ attorney, previously told the Philadelphia Inquirer the case “was a ‘Wayne’s World’ scene gone awry.’” Brennan has maintained that the attempted hack was a college prank, saying Harris and Hiemstra “were Wayne and Garth in a blue Pacer with a dumb idea and a mixed run of luck.”
Trump for years has refused to release his tax returns, first as a candidate and then as president. While generations of politicians have made their financial forms public to be transparent about their business dealings, Trump’s legal team last week asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit from House Democrats trying to force him to turn over his files.
The plea memorandum filed last week in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is available below.
Awwwww. He may not like Bubbas attention.
If only pickles had done this then maybe someone in the just-us department would take action.
I can dream can’t I?
They'll get off with a slap on the wrist. Count on it.
Thanks Marv. Never accept the candy bar on your bunk.
I would react exactly the same way to hacking Barack Hussein’s tax returns. Lock him up for as long as the law permits. Attempting to manipulate election results by illegally releasing confidential information is and ought to be a serious crime.
Good. Lock him up. Maybe he’ll learn... or not.
They are not putting the perp of a computer attack on Trump into the slammer for 2 years. It...is...not...going...to...happen.
The story states that it is 2 misdemeanor charges. Though they ought to be felonies, they are not. I am very skeptical that a judge is going to sentence 2 years in federal prison for 2 misdemeanor charges.
The FAFSA likely gets only a small part of the return, maybe just a few numbers. For sure it doesn’t get attachments. The info would likely have been nearly useless. Trump’s return would have dozens of pages.
I think it likely even Trump’s full personal return would have very little that was actually enlightening. The real mischief would be at least two steps further in, The business returns where Trump’s real income is generated.
There would be plenty to demagogue though. Try explaining foreign tax paid on your K-1 to someone who has never had any income from anything other than a w-2 or 1099- INT
Odds are, if there was anything substantially wrong with his tax form, the media would have found a way by now to get the information. So, it is likely the media has the information and did not find anything wrong.
Haverford student. I used to whip their epee fencers on a regular basis. Too much good living and not enough “sweat”.
Milktoast white bread liberals at a pacifist school. What would you expect, a Donald Trump to emerge from them?
"Yew got purty lips, college boy"
I don’t really care they did it. I’m curious as to who paid them to do it. Forget the minnow when the whales are out there. Make a deal. Let them off if they turn state’s with names. They are not going to last long anyway as they are loose strings that must be cut. The libs have a record of that, especially tied to the Clintons.
rwood
Yep - when #NeverTrumper types commit a felony, it’s “just a college prank”...if any conservative does it, it’s “throw away the key”....
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