King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association et al v. J. Kenneth Blackwell et al

Filing 111

RESPONSE to Motion re 110 MOTION for Status Conference filed by Plaintiffs Willis Brown, Miles Curtiss, Paul Gregory, King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association, League of Young Voters/Columbus, Ohio Voter Rights Alliance for Democracy, Matthew Segal & Harvey Wasserman. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Attachment 1 Wash Post, # 2 Exhibit Attachment 2 NYT) (Arnebeck, Clifford) Modified on 2/28/2011 to add doc link (kk2)

Attachment 1
Hacked e-mails reveal plans for dirty-tricks campaign against U.S. Chamber foes
By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 15, 2011; 12:36 AM
A feud between a security contracting firm and a group of guerrilla computer hackers has spilled
over onto K Street, as stolen e-mails reveal plans for a dirty-tricks-style campaign against critics
of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The tale began this month when a global hackers collective known as Anonymous broke into the
computers of HBGary Federal, a California security firm, and dumped tens of thousands of
internal company e-mails onto the Internet.
The move was in retaliation for assertions by HBGary Federal chief executive Aaron Barr that he
had identified leaders of the hackers' group, which has actively supported the efforts of
anti-secrecy Web site WikiLeaks to obtain and disclose classified documents.
The e-mails revealed, among other things, a series of often-dubious counterintelligence proposals
aimed at enemies of Bank of America and the chamber. The proposals included distributing fake
documents and launching cyber-attacks.
The chamber has adamantly denied any knowledge of the "abhorrent" proposals, including some
contained in a sample blueprint outlined for Hunton & Williams, a law and lobbying firm that
works for the chamber. The business group said in a statement Monday that the proposal "was
not requested by the Chamber, it was not delivered to the Chamber and it was never discussed
with anyone at the Chamber."
Two other security firms named in the e-mails, Berico Technologies and Palantir Technologies,
also have issued statements distancing themselves from the plans. HBGary Federal and Hunton
& Williams declined to comment.
The hacked e-mails suggest that the three security firms worked with Hunton & Williams in
hopes of landing a $2 million contract to assist the chamber. Some of the e-mails, which were
highlighted by the liberal Web site ThinkProgress on Monday, seem to suggest that the chamber
had been apprised of the efforts. The chamber denied any such knowledge.
On Nov. 16, for example, Barr suggests in an e-mail to Berico that his company had spoken
"directly" to the chamber despite the lack of a signed contract.
Other e-mails describe Hunton & Williams lawyer Bob Quackenboss as the "key client contact
operationally" with the chamber and make references to a demonstration session that had "sold
the Chamber in the first place."

On Dec. 1, a Palantir engineer summarized a meeting with Hunton & Williams, saying the law
firm "was looking forward to briefing the results to the Chamber to get them to pony up the cash
for Phase II." The proposed meeting was set to take place this past Monday, according to the
e-mail.
"While many questions remain in the unfolding ChamberLeaks controversy, what's clear is that
this multitude of emails clearly contradicts the Chamber's claim that they were 'not aware of
these proposals until HBGary's e-mails leaked,' " ThinkProgress reporter Scott Keyes wrote in a
blog post.
One Nov. 29 e-mail contains presentations and memos outlining how a potential
counterintelligence program against chamber critics might work. The documents are written
under the logo of Team Themis, which was the joint project name adopted by the three
technology firms.
Several of the documents focus on ChamberWatch, a union-backed organization that criticizes
the business lobby and many of its members. The documents include personal details about
activists who work for the group and suggestions for targeting its reputation, including planting
fake documents, tying the organization to radical activists or creating "fake insider personas" on
social media.
ChamberWatch, one memo said, is "vulnerable to information operations that could embarrass
the organization and those associated with it."
Christy Setzer, a ChamberWatch spokeswoman, said that "even if the chamber was not aware of
these specific proposals, they were clearly aware of the work that was being done."
The chamber disagreed and singled out ThinkProgress for allegedly organizing a "smear
campaign" similar to unproven allegations last year that the business group used foreign money
in its domestic political activities.
"The leaked e-mails appear to show that HBGary was willing to propose questionable actions in
an attempt to drum up business, but the Chamber was not aware of these proposals until
HBGary's e-mails leaked," the chamber's statement said.
Palantir chief executive Alex Karp, a self-described progressive, said in a statement Monday that
the Silicon Valley software firm had severed ties with HBGary Federal and placed on leave an
engineer involved in the project pending a review.
"Palantir does not make software that has the capability to carry out the offensive tactics
proposed by HBGary," Karp said. "Palantir never has and never will condone the sort of
activities recommended by HBGary."
Berico's co-founders, Guy Filippelli and Nick Hallam, said in a statement Friday that they also
had severed ties with HBGary Federal and had launched an internal investigation into the affair.

"Our leadership does not condone or support any effort that proactively targets American firms,
organizations or individuals," the executives said, adding that such proposals "run counter to our
organization's values."