Latest news with #StanleyBastian
CNN
3 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Federal courts go old school to paper filings after hack to key system
Digital securityFacebookTweetLink Follow Federal district courts are beginning to implement new approaches to guard confidential information in cases following a breach of the electronic databases used in the judiciary. The policy changes move an already vulnerable and antiquated record-keeping system to paper-only filings in some instances after a major cyber security breach of federal court records this summer that may have been perpetrated by a foreign government. Federal courts that have announced changes to how attorneys make sealed filings include are in Washington state, Florida, New York, Maryland and Virginia, representing only a small portion of the business of the federal judiciary across the country. Stanley Bastian, the chief judge of the Eastern District of Washington federal court, which includes the cities of Spokane and Yakima, ordered that as of this week, all documents being filed in that court under seal or for a judge's review only were to be filed only on paper, as 'the best way to secure sensitive case documents while ensuring continued access to all public court records.' In the Southern District of Florida, including Miami and West Palm Beach, Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga ordered that attorneys send in confidential filings in an even more specific way: by delivering pages to the clerk's office in a plain envelope marked 'SEALED DOCUMENT.' Chief Judge Mark Davis of the Eastern District of Virginia, which presides over Northern Virginia, the Tidewater area and Richmond, also directed his courthouse to only accept sensitive filings on paper. 'In response to recent cyberattacks directed at public and private sector computer systems, including attacks directed at the judiciary, information technology specialists have advised this Court of the need to take additional steps to better secure our case management system,' Davis wrote in an order late last month. 'Public users enjoy direct access to this Court's electronic filing system through PACER and CM/ECF, and while this access creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities, there is a vital need to preserve the integrity of this critical public resource.' In Maryland, attorneys can submit sealed filings on paper in person or via US mail, Chief Judge George Russell III said in an order this week. The chief judge in Brooklyn's federal court also changed filing procedures for the Eastern District of New York, setting up a submission process online outside of the case management/electronic filing system (also known as CM/ECF) that the court uses. While sealed filings can be submitted by attorneys electronically to a court, generally aren't able to be viewed by the public in the federal court records database online, called Pacer. They are often used in criminal cases to protect sensitive information about defendants, victims or others under investigation. The Administrative Office of the US Courts, which is the central administrator for the judicial branch of government, said last week it was working to further enhance security to prevent future attacks and protect sensitive documents. But it is up to each court to set their own policies for intaking filings. Officials working in the courts have long warned the systems could be vulnerable to cyber attacks. The New York Times reported that investigators have found evidence the Kremlin was 'at least partly responsible' in the recent breach of the federal case management system. CNN has not independently confirmed this report. However, President Donald Trump on Wednesday reacted to the alleged Russian involvement, saying, 'Are you surprised?' 'That's what they do. They're good at it. We're good at it. We're actually better at it,' the president told reporters at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Asked whether he would raise the incident with Russian President Vladimir Putin when he meets with him in Alaska on Friday, Trump said: 'I guess I could.' CNN's John Fritze contributed to this report.
CNN
3 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Federal courts go old school to paper filings after hack to key system
Digital securityFacebookTweetLink Follow Federal district courts are beginning to implement new approaches to guard confidential information in cases following a breach of the electronic databases used in the judiciary. The policy changes move an already vulnerable and antiquated record-keeping system to paper-only filings in some instances after a major cyber security breach of federal court records this summer that may have been perpetrated by a foreign government. Federal courts that have announced changes to how attorneys make sealed filings include are in Washington state, Florida, New York, Maryland and Virginia, representing only a small portion of the business of the federal judiciary across the country. Stanley Bastian, the chief judge of the Eastern District of Washington federal court, which includes the cities of Spokane and Yakima, ordered that as of this week, all documents being filed in that court under seal or for a judge's review only were to be filed only on paper, as 'the best way to secure sensitive case documents while ensuring continued access to all public court records.' In the Southern District of Florida, including Miami and West Palm Beach, Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga ordered that attorneys send in confidential filings in an even more specific way: by delivering pages to the clerk's office in a plain envelope marked 'SEALED DOCUMENT.' Chief Judge Mark Davis of the Eastern District of Virginia, which presides over Northern Virginia, the Tidewater area and Richmond, also directed his courthouse to only accept sensitive filings on paper. 'In response to recent cyberattacks directed at public and private sector computer systems, including attacks directed at the judiciary, information technology specialists have advised this Court of the need to take additional steps to better secure our case management system,' Davis wrote in an order late last month. 'Public users enjoy direct access to this Court's electronic filing system through PACER and CM/ECF, and while this access creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities, there is a vital need to preserve the integrity of this critical public resource.' In Maryland, attorneys can submit sealed filings on paper in person or via US mail, Chief Judge George Russell III said in an order this week. The chief judge in Brooklyn's federal court also changed filing procedures for the Eastern District of New York, setting up a submission process online outside of the case management/electronic filing system (also known as CM/ECF) that the court uses. While sealed filings can be submitted by attorneys electronically to a court, generally aren't able to be viewed by the public in the federal court records database online, called Pacer. They are often used in criminal cases to protect sensitive information about defendants, victims or others under investigation. The Administrative Office of the US Courts, which is the central administrator for the judicial branch of government, said last week it was working to further enhance security to prevent future attacks and protect sensitive documents. But it is up to each court to set their own policies for intaking filings. Officials working in the courts have long warned the systems could be vulnerable to cyber attacks. The New York Times reported that investigators have found evidence the Kremlin was 'at least partly responsible' in the recent breach of the federal case management system. CNN has not independently confirmed this report. However, President Donald Trump on Wednesday reacted to the alleged Russian involvement, saying, 'Are you surprised?' 'That's what they do. They're good at it. We're good at it. We're actually better at it,' the president told reporters at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Asked whether he would raise the incident with Russian President Vladimir Putin when he meets with him in Alaska on Friday, Trump said: 'I guess I could.' CNN's John Fritze contributed to this report.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Federal courts go old school to paper filings after hack to key system
Federal district courts are beginning to implement new approaches to guard confidential information in cases following a breach of the electronic databases used in the judiciary. The policy changes move an already vulnerable and antiquated record-keeping system to paper-only filings in some instances after a major cyber security breach of federal court records this summer that may have been perpetrated by a foreign government. Federal courts that have announced changes to how attorneys make sealed filings include are in Washington state, Florida, New York, Maryland and Virginia, representing only a small portion of the business of the federal judiciary across the country. Stanley Bastian, the chief judge of the Eastern District of Washington federal court, which includes the cities of Spokane and Yakima, ordered that as of this week, all documents being filed in that court under seal or for a judge's review only were to be filed only on paper, as 'the best way to secure sensitive case documents while ensuring continued access to all public court records.' In the Southern District of Florida, including Miami and West Palm Beach, Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga ordered that attorneys send in confidential filings in an even more specific way: by delivering pages to the clerk's office in a plain envelope marked 'SEALED DOCUMENT.' Chief Judge Mark Davis of the Eastern District of Virginia, which presides over Northern Virginia, the Tidewater area and Richmond, also directed his courthouse to only accept sensitive filings on paper. 'In response to recent cyberattacks directed at public and private sector computer systems, including attacks directed at the judiciary, information technology specialists have advised this Court of the need to take additional steps to better secure our case management system,' Davis wrote in an order late last month. 'Public users enjoy direct access to this Court's electronic filing system through PACER and CM/ECF, and while this access creates cybersecurity vulnerabilities, there is a vital need to preserve the integrity of this critical public resource.' In Maryland, attorneys can submit sealed filings on paper in person or via US mail, Chief Judge George Russell III said in an order this week. The chief judge in Brooklyn's federal court also changed filing procedures for the Eastern District of New York, setting up a submission process online outside of the case management/electronic filing system (also known as CM/ECF) that the court uses. While sealed filings can be submitted by attorneys electronically to a court, generally aren't able to be viewed by the public in the federal court records database online, called Pacer. They are often used in criminal cases to protect sensitive information about defendants, victims or others under investigation. The Administrative Office of the US Courts, which is the central administrator for the judicial branch of government, said last week it was working to further enhance security to prevent future attacks and protect sensitive documents. But it is up to each court to set their own policies for intaking filings. Officials working in the courts have long warned the systems could be vulnerable to cyber attacks. The New York Times reported that investigators have found evidence the Kremlin was 'at least partly responsible' in the recent breach of the federal case management system. CNN has not independently confirmed this report. However, President Donald Trump on Wednesday reacted to the alleged Russian involvement, saying, 'Are you surprised?' 'That's what they do. They're good at it. We're good at it. We're actually better at it,' the president told reporters at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Asked whether he would raise the incident with Russian President Vladimir Putin when he meets with him in Alaska on Friday, Trump said: 'I guess I could.' CNN's John Fritze contributed to this report.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hanford nuclear site subcontractor, owner to pay $1.1M for COVID loan fraud
A former Hanford nuclear site subcontractor and its owner will pay a total settlement of just over $1.1 million to resolve accusations they defrauded the federal government through a COVID pandemic loan program. On Wednesday, U.S. Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima sentenced BNL Technical Services, owned by Wilson Pershing Stevenson III, to pay nearly $494,000 restitution to the federal government, as proposed in a settlement agreement. That is in addition to $611,000 Stevenson, of Nashville, Tenn., already agreed to pay in a civil settlement to resolve his liability in the case. BNL, which faced a likely ban from federal government contracting, has been dissolved, according to a federal court document. However, the judge still sentenced it to one year of probation to ensure the restitution is paid promptly and in full. BNL received nearly $494,000 in 2020 from a Paycheck Protection Program loan through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The money was intended to retain and maintain payroll for Hanford site workers assigned to the nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington and also a few Department of Veterans Affairs workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the federal government continued to cover the costs of those employees as part of a commitment to keep the federal government's contracted workforce in a ready state during the pandemic, according to a court document. BNL overhead costs associated with the workers also were reimbursed with federal government funds. BNL, which had an office in Richland, hired staff and deployed them to Hanford nuclear reservation and other federal contractors, a service called 'staff augmentation.' Hanford staff paid with federal tax dollars were assigned to work for former contractors Washington River Protection Solutions, Mission Support Alliance and CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Co., according to court documents. During the early part of the pandemic the number of workers reporting for environmental cleanup at the Hanford nuclear reservation was limited, with most workers telecommuting or paid with Department of Energy money to wait for more work to resume. Workers paid with DOE to be kept in readiness included BNL workers, according to court documents. The Hanford nuclear site adjacent to Richland was used to produce almost two-thirds of the plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons program, leaving massive environmental contamination on the 580-square-mile site. Within 48 hours of BNL receiving the Paycheck Protection Program loan at least $453,000 had been spent to pay off Stevenson's personal and family debts, according to an indictment. That included $100,000 transferred to Stevenson's father and $48,600 to a family trust, according to court documents. Much of the rest of the money was used to pay off credit card debt, according to the indictment. The federal government later forgave the loan, which cleared it from having to be repaid. BNL and Stevenson later applied for and received another Paycheck Protection Program loan of nearly $820,000. Most of that loan, which also was forgiven, was used correctly for employees who were not assigned work on federal projects, according to new federal court documents. But some of it also was used to pay off another federal loan, a $150,000 COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan, which was not an approved use of the money, according to court documents. 'The misuse of critical emergency funds intended for those personally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic defrauds taxpayers and deprives legitimate recipients of important assistance at a time it was needed most,' stated Lewe Sessions, assistant inspector general for investigations at the DOE Office of Inspector General. The Eastern Washington District U.S. Attorney's Office is continuing to pursue COVID fraud cases, said Rich Barker, acting U.S. attorney. The case was investigated by the DOE Office of Inspector General Richland Field Office and the Small Business Administration and VA Offices of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Tornabene and Dan Fruchter prosecuted the case.
