Attorneys for an Ontario man accused of stealing and leaking Texan Republican Get together knowledge in 2021 say he has pleaded responsible earlier than a Canadian courtroom.
In a press release launched this afternoon, Arash Ghiassi and Riaz Sayani say Aubrey Cottle has “formally accepted his position” within the hacking of the get together’s web site 5 years in the past.
Ghiassi stated in an electronic mail that Cottle pleaded responsible in a Newmarket, Ont., courthouse to unauthorized use of a pc, mischief to pc knowledge, and failure to adjust to a launch order.
Get each day Nationwide information
Get each day Canada information delivered to your inbox so you will by no means miss the day’s high tales.
U.S. authorities introduced the arrest of a person from Oshawa, Ont., in April of final yr and stated the suspect was dealing with fees beneath Canadian legislation.
On the time, the U.S. Division of Justice alleged Cottle had gained unauthorized entry to “deface and obtain a backup of Texas Republican Get together’s server” and made the information, which included private info, obtainable on-line for downloading.
The division additional alleged Cottle claimed duty for the cyberattack on social media and a search of his digital gadgets confirmed he was in possession of the stolen knowledge.
Cottle’s authorized group says their consumer has additionally been charged by the U.S. federal prosecutors over the identical incident.
“As mater of equity, that cost ought to now be withdrawn. Nobody must be prosecuted or punished twice for a similar conduct,” they stated.
“Within the occasion of an extradition request, Canada ought to do the fitting factor and refuse to extradite Mr. Cottle,” they stated, calling on Ottawa to “defend the integrity” of Canada’s authorized system.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
