Gaped Crusader email deleted from Scribd account

One of the documents related to the SWATings mysteriously deleted from my Scribd account this weekend was a December 2, 2011 email sent by "Gaped Crusader", who most probably is Neal Rauhauser, a Democratic operative who claims to have ties to the FBI. Rauhauser worked with Adrian Lamo, the hacker who turned in Bradley Manning, for a group called Project Vigilant - where they both reportedly worked for Chet Uber. Lamo was mentioned a few times in the Gaped Crusader email which carried the header: "SWAT".

"After a search, it appears my NDA prevents me from confirming or denying whether any party has been CC'd on any PV e-mail," Adrian Lamo told me on Twitter earlier today, after first claiming otherwise, when asked about communications with Rauhauser regarding working on projects together, based upon his "general memory."

"I can say with authority that I have never received an e-mail concerning or addressed to that individual, with the exception of replies to queries concerning him from third-parties, spurred by this kind of inquiry," Lamo tweeted.

Lamo also told me, prior to checking his email account, "I've never collaborated with Mr. Rauhauser directly or by proxy on any issue insofar as I'm aware."

In another tweet, Adrian Lamo told me, "@ronbryn You can deny anything when you focus on explaining what you don't say at the expense of actually saying anything you'll back."

"If you watch carefully, you'll see @diesl0w, quoted in this article, sometimes talk with @NealRauhauser," Gaped Crusader told me in the email, and added, "Both Rauhauser and Uber were in Omaha when Global Hell and the swatters were at the peak of their power."

From his protected account, @diesl0w tweeted, "@6 @ronbryn that one twisted my mind."

"@diesl0w All part of the service," Lamo responded.

I tweeted to @diesl0w, "I didn't realize Adrian Lamo @6 - along with @ChetUber - followed your protected account. @NealRauhauser used to follow all 3."

Joking just like Rauhauser would, @diesl0w tweeted back, "@ronbryn @6 @ChetUber @NealRauhauser maybe its a conspiracy where we all have secret handshakes and talk in rainbows," and added, "@ronbryn @6 @ChetUber @NealRauhauser or we could just all be infragard.. I don't remember."



Patterico recently wrote a post claiming to show "extensive evidence connecting Gaped Crusader to Brett Kimberlin associate Neal Rauhauser." I still think it's possible somebody is hoaxing somebody but I have little reason to doubt Rauhauser is Gaped Crusader and have other communications with him that suggest more proof he was at least a close associate.

December 2, 2011 email sent by "Gaped Crusader" who most probably is Neal Rauhauser:

Swatters have been a problem since the 1990s anarchist hacker outbreak. The worst of the worst was Global Hell, and there was a big cell in Omaha. Jason Neff, kiddie fiddler, was recently arrested after a years long chase by Special Agent Allyn Lynd.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/tag/swatting/

If you watch carefully, you'll see @diesl0w, quoted in this article, sometimes talk with @NealRauhauser. The reporter on this is Kevin Poulsen, who was prosecuted by the former head of the DoJ cybercrimes division, Mark Rasch. Rasch is also the general counsel for Project Vigilant.

http://www.examiner.com/technology-in-san-francisco/big-names-help-run-project-vigilant

You can find Rasch, Poulsen, and Adrian Lamo, the guy who caught Bradley Manning, mentioned in the same breath here.

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread644608/pg1

If you look at Rauhauser's LinkedIn you will find those looking at him often look at Chet Uber, the head of Project Vigilant. Rauhauser has admitted involvement in this, but the story is really sketchy.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nealrauhauser

Both Rauhauser and Uber were in Omaha when Global Hell and the swatters were at the peak of their power.

This goes back, all the way back to before the internet had a web over the top of it - Rauhauser, Uber, Lamo, Rasch, Poulsen, some of the people at the NSA Center for Excellence at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Did they SWAT @goatsred? Or is it some old enemy of this group trying to set them up? Is it something with Patterico, or is it some obscure hacker spat over Manning? It's hard to tell with this bunch - they've fought like cats and dogs since clear back during Operation Sundevil, the event that lead to the creation of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sundevil

And if you watch EFF co-founder @JPBarlow close enough ... yeah, he's talking to Rauhauser, too.

Wheels within wheels. I'm just trying to understand it all.