Report that Romney tax returns hacked led to investigation
Josh Adams
2012-11-12
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20121112/WILLIAMSON01/311120020/Agents-search-in-Romney-tax-returns-case-spurs-denial-by-Franklin-techie?nclick_check=1
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The search warrant also lists several IP addresses that could be used to identify which machines posted the apparent extortion letter onto the website, Pastebin.com. Similarly, authorities are looking for connections to a digital currency site, Bitcoin, through which the money was to be paid.
Several years ago Brown paid $5,000 to acquire about 371,000 bitcoins and, according to a 2011 article in Wired magazine, was the “richest man in in the bitcoin realm.”
Brown acknowledged the circumstantial connection but said that, after the value of bitcoins tanked, he created another form of digital currency to compete with bitcoin. Why would he demand payment in a digital currency that competes with his own? Brown countered.
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see also:
"Cats lead Feds to KnightMB (worth 371kBTC) in Romney Tax Hack. Now he's asking for donations."
http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/12yfnk/cats_lead_feds_to_knightmb_worth_371kbtc_in/