Lawyers for a man from Ontario, accused of stealing and leaking data from the Texas Republican Party in 2021, have stated that he has pleaded guilty in a Canadian court.
In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, Arash Ghiassi and Riaz Sayani mentioned that Aubrey Cottle has “formally accepted his role” in hacking the party’s website five years ago.
Ghiassi noted in an email that Cottle entered a guilty plea at a Newmarket, Ont., courthouse for unauthorized computer use, mischief to computer data, and failing to comply with a release order.
U. S. authorities announced the arrest of the Oshawa man in April last year, indicating he faced charges under Canadian law.
The U. S. Department of Justice previously alleged that Cottle had gained unauthorized access to “deface and download a backup of Texas Republican Party’s server” and shared the data online for public download, which included personal information.
The department further claimed that Cottle took responsibility for the cyberattack on social media and that a search of his electronic devices revealed possession of the stolen data.
Cottle’s legal team stated their client also faces charges from U. S. federal prosecutors related to the same incident.
“As matter of fairness, that charge should now be withdrawn. No one should be prosecuted or punished twice for the same conduct,” they said.
“In the event of an extradition request, Canada should do the right thing and refuse to extradite Mr. Cottle,” they urged Ottawa to “protect the integrity” of Canada’s legal system.
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