A Tampa federal prosecutor is investigating an alleged hack of Fox News that resulted in internal videos of Tucker Carlson being released to news outlets, according to a bombshell new report from the Tampa Bay Times.
According to the reporting, the FBI searched the home of media consultant Tim Burke — a former Deadspin and Daily Beast writer known on Twitter as @bubbaprog — in connection with the investigation.
A letter sent to Fox News by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Trezevant and obtained by the Tampa Bay Times asked the network to “preserve information and records” pertaining to computer hacks at the company. The federal investigation into the matter “concerns allegations of unauthorized computer access; interception of wire, oral or electronic communication; conspiracy; and other federal crimes.”
“The letter does not mention Burke, but the Times confirmed with two people close to the investigation that the matter relates to the May 8 search at his Seminole Heights home,” noted the report, which added Burke “has not been accused of any wrongdoing.”
The videos were released to the public through Vice News and Media Matters for America, neither of which are accused of wrongdoing. Vice published unaired footage of Carlson’s interview with Kanye West last year, while Media Matters released, following Carlson’s ouster from Fox News last month, several candid videos of the cable news host on set in a series titled “FOXLEAKS.”
Burke is married to Tampa City Council member Lynn Hurtak, who had denied any involvement in the leaks or ongoing criminal investigation into them.
This is a developing story and will be updated…
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