Romania to extradite hacker 'Guccifer,' who first revealed Clinton's private email


Romania has agreed to extradite hacker Marcel Lazăr Lehel, or "Guccifer," to the United States following 2014 charges by a U.S. federal grand jury for wire fraud, unauthorized access to a protected computer, aggravated identity theft, cyberstalking, and obstruction of justice, Reuters reports. Guccifer, 43, became familiar to the public in 2013 for hacking the email accounts of politicians like Colin Powell and Sidney Blumenthal.
One email released by Guccifer showed George W. Bush's artwork, including a self-portrait in a bathtub. An email between Powell and European Parliament member Corina Cretu required Powell to make a statement denying the two had an affair. Notably, Guccifer was also the first source to uncover HDR22@clintonemail.com, Clinton's private email account, into which the FBI is investigating.
"I don't oppose. I go there to United States to fight. I know what I did and this is okay with me," Guccifer told The Smoking Gun.
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Guccifer was sentenced in Romania in 2014 for illegally accessing email accounts of public officials "with the aim of getting … confidential data." While the Romanian court approved a temporary 18-month extradition, the details of the request are not yet public.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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