Grassley's support of SOPA was the main target of the hacking. Grassley Twitter account hacked

The Twittter account of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a former supporter of the anti-piracy legislation PIPA, was hacked Monday by a follower of the Anonymous “hacktivist” group.

“Dear Iowans, vote against ACTA, SOPA, and PIPA, because this man, Chuck Grassley, wants YOUR internet censored and all of that BS,” read Grassley’s account Monday afternoon. “Yes I was hacked.”


Grassley withdrew his support for PIPA last week.

The person who wrote unauthorized tweets said he was supportive of the Anonymous “hacktivist” group.

“Yes, I am an Anonymous follower,” read a tweet from Grassley’s verified social media account.

Grassley’s office, confirming unauthorized tweets, said it noticed the hacking after the first false Tweet was posted. Aides immediately contacted Twitter to obtain access to the account.

“The password has been changed, and Senator Grassley controls the account again,” said Grassley spokeswoman Beth Levine.

Grassley was a supporter of PIPA, the Protect IP Act, which Anonymous has condemned, along with SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, a similar bill in the House.

“Chuck is a supporter of SOPA, PIPA, and ACTA, meaning he wants no privacy for private accounts,” read one of the unauthorized tweets.

The hacker also wrote on less weighty matters.

“I really wanted Herman Cain to get president this year,” one apparently unauthorized tweet read.

“#Winning,” read another.

“Yes, its surprising that I’m actually writing in full sentences with spaces and correct grammar/spelling,” said one tweet, poking fun of the short-hand that Grassley often employs with his Twitter account.

The tweets started around 1:30 p.m. and ended about 15 minutes later. Nineteen tweets were made over that time period.

“Well, its been fun getting Chuck’s account this week, so I better get off. I got nothing better to do since we got a snow day here in Osage,” read the last tweet.

Osage is a name associated with multiple places in the United States, including places in Iowa, New Jersey, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Wyoming and other states.

The senator usually tweets himself from his BlackBerry. At the time of the breach, he was traveling from Iowa to Washington.

Grassley had previously decided to back away from his support for the PIPA anti-piracy legislation.

“It’s critical we protect the intellectual property rights of our businesses and fight online infringement, but at the same time, we can’t do harm to the internet, the Constitution, or the ability of businesses to grow and innovate. Internet piracy is illegal, and we need to find a way that works for all sides. The current Protect IP Act needs more due diligence, analysis, and substantial changes. As it stands right now, I can’t support the bill moving forward next week,” Grassley said in a statement withdrawing his support for PIPA last week.

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