The journalist who allegedly leaked private footage of then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson during his shows was recently arrested for hacking computers at the network.
BREAKING: Journalist Timothy Burke Has Just Been Indicted on Hacking Charges Linked to Leaked Tucker Carlson Videos. pic.twitter.com/wYZ3t4bdj0
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) February 22, 2024
The Tampa Bay Times reported that 45-year-old Tim Burke was recently arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy, six counts of accessing a protected computer without authorization and seven counts of intercepting or disclosing wire, oral or electronic communications.
Burke’s indictment comes after Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents seized computers and other electronic devices while raiding the 45-year-old’s home in 2023, claiming that he and another individual used “compromised credentials” to access and retain private commercial broadcast footage and share them anonymously.
“The indictment also accuses Burke of accessing a file transfer protocol server for ‘one of the major sports leagues in North America.’ In a direct Twitter message included in the indictment, Burke’s alleged co-conspirator described the server as the main location ‘for all of their footage they post to social, send to partners, etc.,’” the report read.
Burke, previously employed at the leftist outlet Deadspin and the Daily Beast, is currently operating a media and political consulting company that “produces a wide range of video content, including for high-profile media clients like HBO and ESPN,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The 45-year-old’s wife, Tampa City Council member Lynn Hurtak, defended Burke in court and in a statement.
“I am confident in my husband’s innocence, and I support him completely,” Hurtak said. “I will not be making additional statements regarding this matter.”
Burke’s lawyers, Michael Maddux and Mark Rasch, defended their client in court while denouncing hacking.
“While we, like anyone else, condemn computer hacking, we emphatically insist that the facts of this case will demonstrate that there was, in fact, no hacking whatsoever,” the attorneys wrote.
The lawyers argued that their client’s actions were constitutionally protected digital journalism.
“It’s not hacking, it’s just good investigative journalism,” Maddux said.
Interestingly, although the leaked footage of Carlson was meant to hurt the former Fox News host, it had the opposite effect.
In one clip, Carlson spoke out against employing liberals at Fox News and condemned using pronouns.
“If you’ve got pronouns in your Twitter bio, you shouldn’t work here because we can’t trust you because you’re on the other side,” he said.
