Tennessean: The son of state Rep. Mike Kernell has been contacted by authorities in connection with a probe into the hacking of the personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Kernell confirmed on Thursday.
The FBI and the Secret Service started a formal investigation on Wednesday into the hacking.
David Kernell is a student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
I wonder if he will just refuse to comply with any subpoenas?
UPDATE: Bizgrrl brings our attention to the rest of the story. Back in the day, I believe they called this "social engineering."
UPDATE: Sharon Cobb says she has spoken with Rep. Kernell and that that the Tennessean story (as also quoted online earlier today by the Knoxville News Sentinel) is bogus. Wow!
UPDATE: Double wow! The KNS article which quoted the Tennessean article above has been scrubbed.
UPDATE: Triple wow! I just got off the phone with the Tennessean reporter who filed the first above quoted report. He says he spoke with Rep. Kernell but there was confusion and miscommunication about whether Kernell's son was the target of an investigation or just the subject of internet rumors, which the updated Tennessean report now reflects. The reporter said it revolved around various internet websites tracing comments back to Kernell's son, and that's all Rep. Kernell was saying. The reporter said the online Tennessean article was updated as soon as they were aware of the miscommunication and that the story is still developing.
UPDATE: NewsChannel5.com Nashville
But Kernell said, "We know of no investigation. I've not been contacted. He has not been contacted for any investigation at this point."
|
Topics:
|
|
Discussing:
- Burning Down The House... (2 replies)
- Behind Lege Lies (1 reply)
- Peace (1 reply)
- Speak your truth, fight and believe. (1 reply)
- Large banks have too much AI data center debt? (1 reply)
- GOP misleading on federal health care funding (1 reply)
- Feds indict civil rights group (3 replies)
- Georgia issues burn ban, first time in state history (2 replies)
- State of TN proposes exempting voucher students from standardized testing (1 reply)
- UAE asks for financial assistance? (1 reply)
- Are our deployed military going hungry? (1 reply)
- Tennessee passes bill to restrict college students' protests (1 reply)
TN Progressive
- Pellissippi Parkway extension delayed again (BlountViews)
- Blount County early voting record turnout (BlountViews)
- Louisville, TN, town center coming soon? (BlountViews)
- Siemens expending in Blount County, But... (BlountViews)
- WATCH THIS SPACE. (Left Wing Cracker)
- America As It Is Right Now (RoaneViews)
- A friend sent this: From Captain McElwee's Tall Tales of Roane County (RoaneViews)
- The Meidas Touch (RoaneViews)
- Massive Security Breach Analysis (RoaneViews)
- (Whitescreek Journal)
- My choices in the August election (Left Wing Cracker)
- July 4, 2024 - aka The Twilight Zone (Joe Powell)
TN Politics
- Data center battles started in the states. Now it’s Congress under siege. (TN Lookout)
- In Nashville, a federal judge dismisses indictment against Kilmar Abrego Garcia (TN Lookout)
- SK On Tennessee takes control of battery plant in Stanton as joint venture with Ford dissolves (TN Lookout)
- Three-judge panel to rule on NAACP challenge of redrawn Tennessee district map (TN Lookout)
- Stockard on the Stump: Tennessee, Nashville pour untold resources into Super Bowl LXIV (TN Lookout)
- Sagging poll ratings, soaring gas prices put GOP in a fix for keeping US House control (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- For some reason, Vol football fans are optimistic (Knox TN Today)
- Marine shares what Memorial Day asks us to remember (Knox TN Today)
- ‘The only thing constant is change’ (Knox TN Today)
- Memorial Day: More than BBQs (Knox TN Today)
- These KCSO indictments: Questions galore! Shhhhh!!! (Knox TN Today)
- Topgolf for Tots (Knox TN Today)
- Meet LaKelvin: Monday’s Parent-A-Child (Knox TN Today)
- Mission Monday: Empowering community ministries. Today’s focus on Sacred Ground Hospice House & more (Knox TN Today)
- What are ultra-processed foods, and why are they so bad? (Knox TN Today)
- 5/25 HEADLINES: News and events from Knox, the World, the USA, Tennessee & Historic Notes (Knox TN Today)
- Saving Grace is saving souls (Knox TN Today)
- Lady Vols open Super Regional with win over Georgia (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- Knoxville Weather: Heavy rain could lead to flash flooding (WATE)
- Power restored to 1,300 in Knoxville after tree fell on lines (WATE)
- Suspect in custody after shooting at Pigeon Forge cabin development that injured man (WATE)
- 'Get it fixed back' Duncan Lumber damaged by New Tazewell tornado (WATE)
- Knoxville man charged with second-degree murder after wife found dead (WATE)
- Knoxville Weather: Daily rain and storm chances continue (WATE)
News Sentinel
State News
- Chatt Foundation unveils four potential locations for homeless shelter. See where - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Seven starters for GPS softball team transferring after deep playoff run - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- EPB will give UTC $3.4M to add hundreds of quantum personnel - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- The New South - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- Oil prices slide on hopes of US-Iran peace deal - BBC (Business)
- Efforts to stop California chemical leak in Orange County on new trajectory, officials say, as 50,000 remain evacuated - CBS News (US News)
- Is Target, Costco, Walmart & Aldi Open on Memorial Day 2026? Full List of What’s Open and Closed - Nbsla.ca (Business)
- Oil Futures Edge Down as Ships Move Toward Hormuz - WSJ (Business)
- Bystander in serious condition after fatal shooting near White House checkpoint - AP News (US News)
- Trump's $1.776B fund gets bipartisan pushback from LI delegation - Newsday (US News)
- Japan’s Nikkei 225 tops 65,000 for first time as oil falls on Hormuz reopening hopes - CNBC (Business)
- Sun Pharma, Coforge: Indian businesses go shopping abroad as growth slows at home - BBC (Business)
- Confusion and Worry After Trump Administration’s Abrupt Green Card Changes - The New York Times (US News)
- Trump’s emerging plan to end Iran war draws criticism from hard-line Republicans - PBS (US News)
- 19 injured in crowd stampede at South Carolina motorcycle festival - Yahoo (US News)
- Transcript: Sen. Chris Van Hollen on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," May 24, 2026 - CBS News (US News)
- Investors drop bold Fed rate-cut signal to Warsh - Yahoo Finance (Business)
- Elon Musk’s Bugs Bunny Moment: Will SpaceX IPO Tank Tesla Stock? - Barron's (Business)
- Khanna expresses disappointment about Massie's defeat - Politico (US News)
Local Media
Lost Medicaid Funding
Search and Archives
TN Progressive
Nearby:
- Blount Dems
- Herston TN Family Law
- Inside of Knoxville
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jim Stovall
- Knox Dems
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Outdoor Knoxville
- Pittman Properties
- Reality Me
- Stop Alcoa Parkway
Beyond:
- Nashville Scene
- Nashville Post
- Smart City Memphis
- TN Dems
- TN Journal
- TN Lookout
- Bob Stepno
- Facing South

Don't know about security.
Don't know about security. It doesn't sound like they are teaching ethics. The young man possibly had a decent career ahead of him. Oh, well.
I know someone who forgot
I know someone who forgot their Yahoo email password (I believe Palin's personal email was on Yahoo) and Yahoo was no help at all in recovering the account and years worth of correspondence. Wonder if this kid could help this person hack in to their own Yahoo email account?
(Note: if you sign up for Yahoo or Google or Hotmail or whatever using fake info be sure to write it down.)
I guess it would have helped
I guess it would have helped Palin to use fake info.
Wonder how many people are
Wonder how many people are trying to log on to her account at this very moment using the password 'popcorn'?
Obama Campaign Manager..linked to David Kernell...
The Plot thickins.....
Video from Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe linked on David Kernell's Technorati Page.
libertarianrepublican.blogspot.com
So if someone links to a
The Plot thickins.....
So if someone links to a campaign website they are part of a vast left-wing conspiracy run by the Obama overlords? That's hilarious. The right-wing antennas are receiving five by five, though.
The manufactured outrage over some kid's illegal prank is the most interesting aspect of all this. I guess they're embarrassed that they have picked a VP candidate who can get punked by some lamer too young to buy a beer sitting in his dorm room with a modem.
There they go again -- those
There they go again -- those nutty Republicans.
I guess they've worn out railing about lipstick, so they're looking for a new way to distract the voting public from the issues in this election.
Mike Kernell has served in the Legislature since he was in his 20s, without so much as a whiff of scandal. He is unquestionably honest and in fact is one of the least affluent lawmakers in Nashville -- so much so that he is the butt of bad jokes.
Wingers can (and frequently do) legitimately disagree with his politics -- he's very liberal -- but I've never heard anybody accuse him of being dishonest or unethical. And attempting to tie him to some nefarious plot to sabotage Palin's emails doesn't pass the laugh test.
If his kid did this, it was a college nerd's prank, start to finish. Good luck to those who seek to prove otherwise. Maybe the time would be better spent teaching John McCain some geography (eg: Sometimes people who speak Spanish are from Spain, which is in Europe), Sarah Palin not to say Eye-Rack and nuke-ular.
Just what we need, another
Just what we need, another distraction for the media to pursue.
Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.
The Stupid Train Rolls On
Considering how shockingly easy it was to hack into this unsecured e-mail account, one wonders at the judgment of people to use Yahoo to discuss things like "CONFIDENTIAL ETHICS MATTERS."
Palin and crew clearly are not ready for prime time.
And oh yeah, I DO hope there is some follow up regarding the fact that she was clearly skirting open records laws by discussing government business in these e-mails to begin with.
Yeah, who am I kidding.
YahooGate - It's a Democratic Thing
Now the Democrats can worry about the YahooGate thing.
Gives the University of Tennessee a lot of free publicity.
Further places Sara Palin as just a normal everyday person, who uses a free Yahoo account, not some swanky thing like ATT&T, ComCast, or AOL.
Let's see what comes of it, probably not much.
Of course the Republicans
Of course the Republicans are showing what they hope is enough indignation over this illegal hacking to mask the fact that she was using Yahoo to conduct state business in an effort to hide from legal scrutiny.
It's a bit like Busco getting their collective panties in a wad when the New York Times exposed their illegal wiretaps, one of those 'some thief stole my drug money' moments.
Visit us at
The Home
Lets see
Well maybe we can ask David Kernell if Palin really did use her yahoo for state business or if this was just another attempt to smear her. I'm sure we'll learn the facts soon enough.
Looks like the KNS "updated"
Looks like the KNS "updated" its story. I didn't read it earlier in the afternoon.
Did it declare that David Kernell had been contacted by investigators?
And what is the KNS using for sources? Drudge?
Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.
The KNS story was a cut and
The KNS story was a cut and paste of the Tennessean story quoted above.
One would think the
One would think the Tenneseean would want to get those details straight before publishing. And is it now standard journalistic practice to publish articles focusing on "Internet rumors"?
Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.
Michelle "Stalkin'" Malkin
Michelle "Stalkin'" Malkin has picked this up, unfortunately enough.
____________________________
the distance between black & white is much further than i would like until now i never noticed that fascism has many disguises -d. boon, 1981
where has it been shown that
where has it been shown that she was conducting State biz on Yahoo? It looks like it was only political biz which would be inappropriate to conduct on the State of AK e-mail system
again - show me?
again - show me?
Simple truth
What miscommunication? Did FBI or Secret Service talk to David Kernell or Not? How many folks get a visit from these guys to get confused, or do the Kernells have other issues being looked into as well?
Oh contraire
NPR is reporting this hour (as a repeat of the original airing heard two hours ago) that Palin routinely used private accounts to conduct state biz. But I think what you're arguing is that she didn't break the law, but was just foolish and extremely secretive in the Rove/Cheney tradition. Should that give a warm feeling? And apparently she did flout the law too.
where has it been shown that
where has it been shown that she was conducting State biz on Yahoo? It looks like it was only political biz which would be inappropriate to conduct on the State of AK e-mail system
You mean like this?
Interviews show that Ms. Palin runs an administration that puts a premium on loyalty and secrecy. The governor and her top officials sometimes use personal e-mail accounts for state business; dozens of e-mail messages obtained by The New York Times show that her staff members studied whether that could allow them to circumvent subpoenas seeking public records.
(link...)
Privacy
Privacy is out the window when the Democrats aren't trying to protect it. Geez....what's next all conversations must be recorded.
Palin is wack
She's so wacked.
ArleyCob
Crimes of the Democratic Party
This illegal hacking is just one more example of a party that will stop at nothing to gain power.
If Obama wins the election, say goodbye to your civil liberties.
This illegal hacking is just
This illegal hacking is just one more example of a party that will stop at nothing to gain power.
That's hilarious. And ridiculous on so many levels.
Apparently EP has been
Apparently EP has been hiding under a rock and is unaware of the NSA wireline surveillance program, Congressional immunity for telecoms that participated in it, and the scarcely precedented erosion of civil liberties in the last 8 years. For starters.
But it's all aimed at terrists, right?
____________________________
the distance between black & white is much further than i would like until now i never noticed that fascism has many disguises -d. boon, 1981
EP has been dead since 1977
EP has been dead since 1977 and just came back long enough to post here anonymously.
Visit us at
The Home
I am not a crook
"...just a third rate burglary."
Thik heads
How so?
The freeper thought process is fascinating.
Latest update: Warrant
Latest update: Warrant served:
(link...)