O'Reilly Factor Attracts Hacker After Dare
The Web site, Wikileaks.org, which also posted Palin's private e-mails last week, posted screenshots of the BillOreilly.com administrative interface just days later.
The files display information about 20 subscribers of O'Reilly's Web site, including names, e-mail addresses, passwords and home towns. Wikileaks reported that in total, information about 205 subscribers was intercepted, according to Eric Marston, CTO of Nox Solutions, the company that maintains the Web site.
In a YouTube snippet, the O'Reilly Factor rails against the hackers who violated Palin's e-mail, and said he would personally contact the FBI and Attorney General to look into the matter even though the FBI had already begun its investigation.
What really riled O'Reilly was that Wikileaks posted the e-mails in the first place.
"I'm not going to mention the Web site that posted this, but it's one of those despicable, slimy, scummy Web sites," O'Reilly said.
In a subsequent O'Reilly show, he argued with a lawyer about the legality of Wikileaks posting the Palin e-mails, and said that the site was "trafficking in stolen merchandise." Although the lawyer pointed out that as a news organization Wikileaks is covered by the First Amendment, O'Reilly was not swayed by her arguments.
"We have no privacy left, there are no libel and slander laws anymore -- you can do whatever you want," O'Reilly said. "The Web site knows the law and says, "you know, I'm going to do it anyway because I'm daring you to come get me."