WASHINGTON — A former Democratic Senate staffer charged with releasing personal information belonging to Republican senators — a practice known as “doxing” — appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Tuesday afternoon.
Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson ordered 27-year-old Jackson Cosko of D.C. to continue to be held without bond.
No additional court dates were set.
Cosko is accused of posting the home addresses and phone numbers of three Republican senators — Lindsey Graham, Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee — on Wikipedia late last month at the same time that the three were taking part in a hearing for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.
Prosecutors say personal info belonging to two more senators was released the same way a few days later.
Cosko is also accused of entering a Senate office and logging on to a computer he was not allowed to use, then later sending a threatening emails to a former co-worker who spotted him.
According to a website that tracks Capitol Hill staff called Legistorm, Cosko worked for Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire from January 2017 until May 2018.
Cosko is charged with five federal crimes and two D.C. offenses.
