High tech hunt underway in pilfering of SSJID's files

["Richard M. Smith" <rms () computerbytesman com>]

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2005/11/11/news/news2.txt

High tech hunt underway in pilfering of SSJID's files

A computer forensic expert is continuing to pour over hundreds of South San
Joaquin Irrigation District files that were "improperly accessed" to
determine who - if anyone - should be pursued for prosecution.

The pilfering of sensitive SSJID information by a political consulting firm
hired by PG&E has been brought to the attention of a number of county,
state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

The documents pertain to the SSJID efforts to acquire the PG&E distribution
system in a bid to lower retail power rates to customers in Manteca, Ripon
and Escalon by at least 15 percent.

A SSJID spokesman said Thursday the district is waiting for the completion
of the tedious forensic process started in mid-September before pursuing
legal action regarding the theft of confidential and privileged information.
Options include possibly filing a criminal complaint.

The computer file theft came just a year after PG&E hired an auditing firm
to pour through SSJID files seeking information on various elected directors
as well as other business dealings.

...

PG&E has repeatedly emphasized it had no knowledge that Meridian Pacific, a
Sacramento consulting firm PG&E hired that handles a number of Republican
political campaigns, was accessing SSJID files.

Meridian Pacific, for its part, has indicated they may seek legal relief
against PG&E for possibly slandering the firm's reputation. Meridian Pacific
contends they did nothing illegal as the files were legally accessed as an
intern who they paid on a piecemeal basis to keep tabs of SSJID meetings.

The intern used a laptop computer to access the files from SSJID General
Manager Steve Stroud's computer using wireless technology while he sat in
the back of the board room listening to Stroud and the elected directors
conducted district business in public. He forwarded the information to
Meridian Pacific during the meeting. The consulting firm then sent the
information to the PG&E Stockton office where an employee alerted company
officials who in turn contacted authorities and then notified SSJID.

...

 

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