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Former Senate computer systems administrator Jackson A. Cosko was sentenced to four years in federal prison on June 19, 2019, after pleading guilty to stealing Senate information, posting restricted personal information about five senators, and tampering with a witness and evidence. The case involved personal contact details—not a reported disclosure of classified material.
Who was the former Senate aide sentenced for the leak?
Cosko had worked as a computer systems administrator in a U.S. senator’s office. He was terminated from that job in May 2018. In the U.S. Department of Justice’s account, he later admitted he was angry about the termination and used unauthorized access to take Senate information.
The Justice Department described the case as theft of Senate information and illegal publication of restricted personal information. The records summarized in its June 19, 2019 sentencing announcement and April 5, 2019 guilty-plea announcement do not characterize it as a classified-information case.
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The Justice Department said Cosko broke into the office on at least four occasions between July and October 2018 and accessed Senate-owned computers to steal electronic information, including senators’ personal contact details. He posted information about five senators on Wikipedia and Twitter. The sources identify home addresses, personal telephone numbers, and other personal contact information; they do not establish that classified material was posted.
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The investigation began after three senators’ Wikipedia pages were edited on September 27, 2018, to include restricted personal information. Similar information about two more senators appeared on October 1. The posts came during high-profile Senate proceedings on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, according to the Associated Press account republished by SecurityWeek.
Why did the case include witness tampering and obstruction?
On October 2, 2018, a witness saw Cosko at a computer in the office and confronted him. The Justice Department said Cosko later sent a threatening email, attempted to delete electronic evidence, and was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police the next day.
In the sentencing announcement, DOJ quoted the email’s subject line as “I own EVERYTHING” and its warning as “If you tell anyone I will leak it all.” The messages were part of the conduct underlying the witness-tampering and obstruction charges, in addition to the theft and online postings.
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Cosko pleaded guilty on April 5, 2019, to five federal offenses. On June 19, 2019, he received a four-year prison sentence. DOJ also said he had to forfeit computers, cellphones, and other equipment used in the crimes.
| Case stage | Disposition |
|---|---|
| Charges admitted | Two counts of making public restricted personal information, one count of computer fraud, one count of witness tampering, and one count of obstruction of justice. |
| Guilty plea | April 5, 2019. |
| Sentence | Four years in prison, imposed June 19, 2019. |
| Property | Forfeiture of computers, cellphones, and other equipment used in the crimes, as stated by DOJ. |
The official announcements summarize the government’s evidence and Cosko’s admissions. They do not provide a detailed account of the judge’s sentencing rationale or establish other sentencing conditions, so those should not be inferred from the four-year term alone.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the other aide?
Samantha DeForest Davis was prosecuted separately; she did not receive Cosko’s sentence and was not convicted of his five offenses. DOJ said she lent Cosko office keys knowing he intended to enter unlawfully, tried to wipe computers after the break-in, and lied during the investigation. Her sentence was 180 days in prison with execution suspended and two years of supervised probation, according to the Justice Department’s October 28, 2019 announcement.
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