To: San Jose Mercury News Editorial Board
San Jose Mercury News: Withdraw your endorsement of Ro Khanna
Residents of Silicon Valley have had their privacy invaded and been harassed by the Ro Khanna campaign. As the paper of record for Silicon Valley, your endorsement betrays the community’s trust in you. We ask you to withdraw your endorsement of Ro Khanna.
Why is this important?
On September 22, Mike Honda for Congress filed suit against Ro Khanna, Ro Khanna for Congress, and campaign manager Brian Parvizshahi alleging cyber crimes violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the Federal Economic Espionage Act. These alleged cyber crimes and data thefts include lists with private contact information of supporters and donors of Rep. Honda.
“You have the theft of confidential, proprietary information that’s then used against the supporters of a rival campaign,” states Gautum Dutta, an attorney for Rep. Honda's campaign.
Mr. Khanna contacted and harassed Honda supporters seeking political support and financial contributions. My private contact information and that of my family and friends were stolen. I ask the Mercury News not to lose sight that the data represents individual lives that have been negatively affected by the Khanna campaign. These actions highlight an alarming trend by Ro Khanna of cheating the system to advance himself and his political ambitions.
The San Jose Mercury News has not yet withdrawn their endorsement.