Guccifer may have Hillary emails stashed online

The Romanian hacker known as Guccifer has agreed to plead guilty to cybercrime, likely as part of deal with federal prosecutors. Guccifer, whose real name is Marcel Lazar, revealed in early 2014 to a reporter for The Smoking Gun that he had stored large numbers of documents on Google Drive. The TSG reporter subsequently reviewed these files, which contained email messages, photos, videos and other documents which he had stolen from several high profile people. Lazar also hacked into Hillary confidante Sidney Blumenthal’s email account and revealed the existence of Hillary’s private email server.

Lazar also claimed to have hacked into Hillary’s email server, but thus far has not offered any proof of doing so. It may be that Lazar has additional files on Google Drive or other web servers where he stored Hillary’s emails that he can now share with the FBI as part of the plea deal. When speaking to a reporter, he said he had more material in the cloud which he would share with security officials “when the time is right”. These emails, if they exist, may contain information not only about State Department correspondence, but may also include emails about the Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative Bill’s speaking fees. Since Lazar did not fight his extradition to the US, he may be holding some cards to play with the FBI and federal prosecutors. He almost seems willing to talk to them. The TSG story has some additional insights into Lazar and the possibility of his being arrested: “i don’t know what near future hold for me,” the hacker stated, adding that the thousands of documents were being provided to a reporter “in case I disappear.” Aware that a platoon of federal agents is hunting for him (or her or them), “Guccifer” facetiously claimed to be having dreams “in which a woman is steping [sic] up to me saying that she is from Federal Bureau and I am busted.” He added, “meanwhile me trying desperately to erase my files on my computer at my desk or on my smartphone which btw I don”t have because I can”t afford one.” The media have focused on the legal risk to Hillary due to having classified material on her email server which may have been hacked. But if Lazar can retrieve emails from an online account that connect the dots between Hillary’s official capacity as Secretary of State to payments to the foundation or honoraria to Bill, the damage done will be far worse. Stay tuned.