Overview
- The intruder accessed a New York Field Office server tied to the Epstein investigation in February 2023, according to newly reported Justice Department documents and a source.
- Agents engaged the hacker by video chat and displayed credentials after the person, described as foreign, appeared unaware the device belonged to law enforcement and decried child abuse images.
- A timeline by Special Agent Aaron Spivack says the breach began Feb. 12, 2023 and was discovered the next day; Spivack says he was made a scapegoat for vulnerabilities created by conflicting IT policies.
- The FBI says it restricted the malicious actor’s access, rectified the network, and continues to investigate, with no public determination of what files were viewed or taken or who the hacker was.
- It remains unclear whether any accessed data overlaps with Epstein-related materials already released under legal mandates, which have drawn global scrutiny and prompted investigations.