For those of us who just can't show enough affection for Debbie Wasserman Schultz (DWS), then you may find yourself much more endeared to her from the following.

This essay could be called: Nevermind Russian hacks, the Pakistanis do it much better. The spider web gets stickier.

Debbie, the curly mis-understood poster girl for Democratic harmony, has lately tried resorting to arm-twisting the DC police chief. Call it "unfriendly" persuasion if you will (I do), but Curly seems to have coughed up a fur ball over a missing laptop from one of her reliable associates of impeccable reputation. The threat occurs at 2:46 in the video.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz threatened the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police with “consequences” for holding equipment that she says belongs to her in order to build a criminal case against a Pakistani staffer suspected of massive cybersecurity breaches involving funneling sensitive congressional data offsite.

The Florida lawmaker used her position on the committee that sets the police force’s budget to press its chief to relinquish the piece of evidence Thursday, in what could be considered using her authority to attempt to interfere with a criminal investigation.

The Capitol Police and outside agencies are pursuing Imran Awan, who has run technology for the Florida lawmaker since 2005 and was banned from the House network in February on suspicion of data breaches and theft.

“My understanding is the the Capitol Police is not able to confiscate Members’ equipment when the Member is not under investigation,” Wasserman Schultz said in the annual police budget hearing of the House Committee On Appropriations’ Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

“We can’t return the equipment,” Police Chief Matthew R. Verderosa told the Florida Democrat.

“I think you’re violating the rules when you conduct your business that way and you should expect that there will be consequences,” Wasserman Schultz said.

Delightful Debbie employed these cyberspies

The Capitol Police and outside agencies are pursuing Imran Awan, who has run technology for the Florida lawmaker since 2005 and was banned from the House network in February on suspicion of data breaches and theft.

The laptop seized was located distant from DWS's office:

Imran Awan and his brothers, a laptop used by Imran was hidden in an unused crevice of the Rayburn House Office Building. Wasserman Schultz’s office is in Longworth House Office Building, a separate structure.

The laptop was later found by Capitol Police and seized because it was relevant to the criminal investigation, the source said.

Be careful what you wish for:

The congresswoman characterizes the evidence as “belonging” to her and argues that therefore it cannot be seized unless Capitol Police tell her that she personally, as opposed to her staffer, is a target of the investigation.

DWS is fearless in her fight for Truth, Justice, and the American Way:

After TheDCNF asked why she wouldn’t want the Capitol Police to have any evidence they may need to find and punish any hackers of government information, she abruptly turned around in the middle of a stairwell and retreated back to the office from which she had come.

Another point of view is delivered by the guardian of Seth Rich's robbery story, the intrepid Brad Bauman.

Although a main charge is about a threatened kidnapping of the Awans' stepmother, the big point here is not the family affair, but the broader concern about hacking of House emails is the more important. Shill Bauman excuses DWS's actions in hiring and sponsoring of the Awans to other House members as an "act of compassion".

The connection to the former Democratic National Committee boss has sparked questions about whether the contractors could have ties to the DNC hack last summer, which was seen to hurt Hillary Clinton’s ultimately failed White House bid -- or whether Russia or other outside operatives accessed emails that the contractors allegedly put on a cloud server...

House Democrats have stood by the contractors, privately and publicly suggesting their Muslim and Pakistani heritage prompted the probe and is contributing to fear-mongering.

Wasserman Schultz as of Friday was still employing Imran Awan, 36, as an adviser, despite his access to the chamber’s computer system having been revoked.

Oh, these Muslims could not possibly be doing the USA harm.

Another view of the Awans' employment status is given here:

Imran Awan was first employed on Capitol Hill by former Rep. Robert Wexler in January 2004 as an “information technology director.” Awan has worked for at least 25 other House Democrats since that time as a shared employee providing technical support including to previous House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra, currently the California attorney general...

Jamal Awan worked as a House IT staffer for more than half-dozen House Democrats since 2014, according to LegiStorm, a website that tracks congressional employment. Abid Awan worked for more than a dozen House Democrats as a systems administrator since 2005, according to congressional records.

But wait, there's more!

Authorities terminated the three brothers’ access to House IT systems Feb. 2. Politico reported March 1 that Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks declined to fire Imran, and that both members have a “friendly personal relationship with Awan and his wife, according to multiple sources.”

So, what have all those virulently complaining about Trump-Russia had to say about this hackery?

Congressmen have been loathe to address the Awan situation. Meeks, who employed Hina Alvi, Imran Awan’s wife, claimed the family would not do anything wrong and blamed Islamophobia for the police investigation.

Spokesmen for Democratic Reps. Diana Degette of Colorado; Frederica Wilson of Florida; and Karen Bass, Jackie Speier, Julia Brownley, Pete Aguilar and Ted Lieu of California all refused or ignored requests about what they have done to look for data breaches and whether they have fired the brothers. Texas Democrat Rep. Joaquin Castro and Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan have fired their employees.

The Awans had access to high level Democratic representatives. They were extremely well-compensated:

Security-sensitive jobs typically require background checks for credit and legal problems that can create pressures to cash in on access to secret information and documents.
Jamal, who public records suggest is only 22 years old and first began working in the House when he was 20, was paid nearly $160,000 a year, or three times the average House IT staff salary, according to InsideGov, which tracks congressional salaries. Abid was paid $161,000 and Imran $165,000.

Does anybody smell blackmail? I don't think this requires exceptionally good olfactory function. Here's why: exceptional access to all involved computer systems.

And an email need not deal with national security to open that member to blackmail or extortion. All a rogue IT staffer would need to do was threaten to release emails that were politically embarrassing.

The central IT staffer said any suggestion that the brothers’ access didn’t span the full gamut of congressional intrigue was silly because they were the ones giving out permissions.

“When a new Member begins, they guide them on everything from which computer system to purchase to which constituent management system to go with and all other related hardware purchases. Then they install everything and set up all the accounts AND grant all the required permissions and restrictions,” the staffer said.

“In effect, they are given administrative control of the Members’ computer operations. They then set up a remote access so they can connect from wherever they are and have full access to everything on the Member’s system.”

If any of this doesn't convince you that DWS is a person obsessed with US security , well, then, you've actually read this post.

For those of you who still visit GOS, please send them this, picture included.