On Thursday, Sharyl Attkisson testified before the Senate’s confirmation hearing of Loretta Lynch, the prospective new attorney general. Attkisson was present to address her concerns about U.S. mistreatment of journalists. Specifically, her own mistreatment while reporting on the Justice Department’s failed “Fast and Furious” operation and Benghazi.
“One White House official got so mad, he angrily cussed me out,” she said.
But a new report released by the Justice Department’s inspector general found that many of Attkisson’s allegations could not be verified, and, in a few instances, had incredibly mundane explanations.
“The OIG’s investigation was not able to substantiate the allegations that Attkisson’s computers were subject to remote intrusion by the FBI, other government personnel, or otherwise,” says the report.
One of Attkisson’s more mysterious claims was that she discovered an odd wire dangling from her home cable box. The OIG’s report mentions that Attkisson thought the cable “was being used to ‘tap’ her house.” But the investigation found nothing sinister.
“Further investigation by the OIG revealed that the cable was a common cable used by the provider and could not be used to monitor or otherwise affect the phone or internet service at her residence.”
Attkisson also released a video which purported to show her laptop being hacked in real-time, as words she had typed slowly, one by one, were erased from the screen. But again, the OIG found a much less ominous solution: a broken backspace key.
Whether Attkisson is a victim of conspiracy or simply needs to take her computer to an Apple repair store is anybody’s guess, but the report also suggests conflicting accounts of a mysterious computer technician who Attkisson says examined her home laptops at the behest of CBS.
The news network denies that this ever occurred, but Attkisson insists that this technician found a series of strange IP addresses on her computer. But again, the OIG found that these IP’s could be traced to “common, non-suspicious sources such as internet cookies, Google searches, and web access to the [redacted] shipping web site.”
When the Inspector General asked the FBI if it had ever investigated Sharyl Attkisson for any reason, the bureau said no.
Details will continue to emerge. Attkisson is currently suing both the DOJ and U.S. Postal service, and she has stood firm by her claims.
“If you cross the administration with perfectly accurate reporting that they don’t like, you will be attacked and punished. You and your sources may be subjected to the kind of surveillance devised for enemies of the state,” she said Thursday.
