Journalist Arrested for Tucker Carlson Hack

Tim Burke, a journalist and media consultant based in Tampa Bay, has been arrested and faces a slew of charges related to a hacking incident involving Fox News, according to federal court documents filed in Florida’s middle district.

The indictment, unsealed on Thursday, outlines 14 charges against Burke, including conspiracy, unauthorized access to protected computers, and intercepting or disclosing communications. Prosecutors allege that Burke played multiple roles in the conspiracy, utilizing compromised credentials to gain unauthorized access to protected computers and intercepting electronic communications.

The charges stem from a hacking incident that occurred last year, during which leaked, unaired footage from Fox News made its way into the public domain. Among the leaked footage was an antisemitic rant by Kanye West during an interview with former network host Tucker Carlson, which had been edited out of the final aired interview. Another leaked video featured Carlson discussing his deposition in the Dominion Voting Systems defamation case.

While the indictment does not explicitly name Fox News, it refers to a “multinational media company headquartered in New York City” that produced and distributed content through multiple brands. Burke is accused of gaining unauthorized access to the file transfer protocol server for “one of the major sports leagues in North America” as well.

Throughout the process, Burke allegedly expressed frustration to his purported co-conspirator about slow transfers of electronic items and information. FBI agents raided Burke’s home in 2023, seizing his personal electronic devices, which garnered significant media coverage given Burke’s marriage to Lynn Hurtak, a prominent member of the Tampa City Council.

In response to the charges, Burke’s lawyers assert that his online activities constituted investigative journalism rather than hacking. They argue that Burke never used stolen credentials and only accessed feeds open to the public, maintaining that his actions are protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Burke, who currently runs Burke Communications, a media and political consulting company, has garnered attention in the past for his work with online news publications such as The Daily Beast and Deadspin. His involvement in uncovering the catfishing scheme of Notre Dame football star Manti T’eo underscores his history of investigative journalism.

As the legal proceedings unfold, Burke’s case raises questions about the boundaries of investigative journalism in the digital age and the implications of unauthorized access to sensitive information.