WikiLeaks reveals Obama's personal e-mails

The US intelligence authorities believe Russia orchestrated the widespread cyber attacks into Democratic Party-related e-mails

Barack Obama
Barack Obama
IANS Washington
Last Updated : Oct 22 2016 | 9:20 PM IST
WikiLeaks has revealed US President Barack Obama's private e-mail address by publishing hacked e-mails, in another potentially embarrassing document dump targeting the Democrats, a media report said.

"WikiLeaks reveals first batch of US President Barack Obama e-mails sent via secret address," WikiLeaks, the Julian Assange-founded open secrets site, tweeted on Thursday — implying that even more of Obama's private communications would be released.

According to the New York Post, the site published seven messages involving an e-mail address purported to be that of the commander-in-chief: bobama@ameritech.net.

One exchange was dated the evening of November 4, 2008 — Election Day. John Podesta, co-chair of Obama's transition team, urges Obama not to accept an invitation to a G-20 meeting in November 15 on the global financial crisis should outgoing President George W. Bush invite him that night after Obama is officially elected.

Podesta attached a memo the transition team prepared weighing the pros and cons of going to the summit.

"On the chance that President Bush would raise this with you tonight, I wanted you to be aware that it is the unanimous recommendation for your advisors that you NOT attend," Podesta said.

When the G-20 convened in Washington, Obama was absent.

An e-mail message sent on Thursday to Obama's alleged address didn't bounce back immediately — signalling it could still be a working account.

The White House declined to comment. The US intelligence authorities believe Russia orchestrated the widespread cyber attacks into Democratic Party-related e-mails.

The Obama messages were among some 23,000 e-mails stolen from Podesta, who now serves as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, the New York Post reported.

The alleged Obama e-mails were from 2008 when the young Illinois senator was about to win his historic White House bid and was assembling a transition team. The e-mails largely address staffing a transition economic team and adding diversity to a future Obama administration.
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First Published: Oct 21 2016 | 9:00 PM IST

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