Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 11, 1993 TAG: 9305110082
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
An electronic mail message from a top legal official in the RTC's Denver office directed a technician to "get into" and copy material in the desktop computer of Bruce Pederson, an agency attorney who criticized management policies in testimony to Congress last summer.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the E-Mail directive, from assistant general counsel Barbara Shangraw to computer technician John Waechter. It reads: "I have been requested by D.C. to get into Bruce Pederson's word perfect. Please copy into a directory for me what Bruce has in his word perfect."
Anne Freeman, an RTC spokeswoman in Washington, confirmed that Pederson's WordPerfect files - meaning documents created with WordPerfect Corp. software - were searched.
Shangraw declined to comment.
The FBI already has interviewed Pederson, and agents told him they intend to talk to Waechter and others involved in the matter, according to sources familiar with the case who spoke only on condition of anonymity.
The federal law that prohibits unauthorized wire-tapping was expanded in 1986 to bar unlawful entry into a person's work computer system and electronic mailbox. This statute covers both government and private workers, although there are permissible invasions of government computers if the worker is suspected of violating fraud or international security laws.
According to documents obtained by the AP, a message appears on RTC computer screens every time the machines are turned on warning that "Whoever knowingly accesses a computer without authorization" faces both fine and imprisonment.
by CNB