On Monday, Tim Burke, a former Deadspin staffer and current media consultant, faced federal conspiracy charges in a Tampa court.
Originally scheduled for Monday, Burke’s arraignment was postponed for two weeks.
He faces 14 charges, including conspiracy and hacking into protected computer systems. New details revealed last month show he was arrested on the day of the raid and charged with one count of conspiracy, six counts of unauthorized access to protected computers, and seven counts of intercepting or disclosing electronic communications.
This development comes nine months after a raid on Burke’s residence, initially linked to the publishing of leaked footage from Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show. The leaked material included unaired clips, such as an antisemitic rant by Kanye West and behind-the-scenes comments from Carlson.
According to The Tampa Bay Times, the indictment alleges that Burke and an unidentified co-conspirator used stolen login information to access and download protected video streams from a commercial broadcaster. They then selectively shared these clips, taking measures to hide their origin and how they were acquired.
“Mr. Burke is not a criminal. He’s just a person attempting to do good journalism,” Burke’s attorney, Michael Maddux, said via 10 Tampa Bay (WTSP). “We’re taking our time getting things launched in the case. And I mean, it’s an important case. It’s a case of paramount concern to journalists all across the country.”
The outcome of this case remains uncertain, but it carries significant potential consequences for journalism as a whole. These implications become particularly concerning if Burke is convicted. While Burke has a long history in sports media, including co-authoring the Manti Te’o dead girlfriend hoax story for Deadspin, his past work is not directly relevant to the current legal situation.
A conviction could see Burke sentenced to up to 60 years in federal prison.
“This [case] is about whether or not when you’re using the internet in an open public space and finding things and information about important people that they may not want known, but that’s the truth, and if you publish it that you’re getting in trouble for that, that’s what this case is going to come down to,” Maddux explained. “We’re going to show Mr. Burke absolutely shouldn’t be in trouble and should be allowed to go pursue his journalism permanently and in the future.”
He’s currently released on bond; he’s due back in court later this month.
