State Dept. whistleblower's lawyers targeted by 'Watergate-style' break-ins
July 08, 2013
Two burglars spent last weekend repeatedly breaking into a Dallas law firm and stealing three computers while leaving other valuables behind. The attorneys said Sunday that this was no ordinary break-in: it may have been politically motivated.
The law firm targeted is Schulman & Mathias, which represents State Department whistleblower Aurelia Fedenisn, formerly with the department's office of inspector general. Fedenisn revealed to CBS News earlier this year that she'd seen internal investigations called off or misdirected by higher ups, drawing a rapid and terrifying response from law enforcement, with a specific focus on her family and children.
In an email to Foreign Policy, the State Department accused her of removing "highly sensitive, internal documents" containing "personal information and unsubstantiated allegations," and explained that it was working to secure the documents once again.
Then, last weekend, security cameras caught two unknown people repeatedly burglarizing Fedenisn's attorney's office in north Dallas. An office across the hallway that was left unlocked and was full of valuables was overlooked by the thieves, who only took three computers.
Speaking to Foreign Policy on Sunday, attorney Cary Schulman said he suspects the crime was political in nature. "It's clear to me that it was somebody looking for information and not money," he said. "My most high-profile case right now is the Aurelia Fedenisn case, and I can't think of any other case where someone would go to these great lengths to get our information."
Dallas-based Fox News affiliate KDFW-TV added on Wednesday that Schulman believed someone may have left the door open for the thieves to get in. "Someone jokingly said it's 'Schulman & Mathias-gate,'" he quipped.
This video is from Fox News affiliate KDFW-TV, aired Wednesday, July 3, 2013.
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