Tucker Carlson, Fox News hacks tied to FBI search of Tampa council member’s home

TAMPA — An FBI search earlier this month at the home of media consultant Tim Burke and his wife, Tampa City Council member Lynn Hurtak, stemmed from an investigation of alleged computer intrusions and intercepted communications at the Fox News Network, the Tampa Bay Times has learned.

The Times obtained a letter Thursday that a Tampa federal prosecutor sent to Fox News, which describes an ongoing criminal probe into computer hacks at the company, including unaired video from Tucker Carlson’s show. The former primetime host was dropped by the network in April.

The letter does not mention Burke, but the Times confirmed with two people close to the investigation that the matter relates to the May 8 search at his Seminole Heights home.

The Times contacted Burke on Thursday evening and read him parts of the letter. Burke said that he would have to ask his legal team if he could make a statement in response. On Friday morning, he said he couldn’t comment. Hurtak previously said in a statement that the search appeared to be solely related to her husband’s work as a journalist.

Burke’s attorney, Mark Rasch, told the Times on Friday afternoon that the legal team has yet to see the FBI’s affidavit in support of the warrant. Rasch is a former federal computer crimes prosecutor who is representing Burke, along with Tampa defense lawyer Michael Maddux. Rasch is a frequent expert commentator for Fox, as well as CNN and NBC.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Trezevant wrote the letter asking that Fox News preserve information and records related to the investigation for a period of at least 90 days. The government views the network “as one of the potential victim-witnesses” of the alleged criminal conduct, Trezevant wrote.

The investigation, according to the letter, concerns allegations of unauthorized computer access; interception of wire, oral or electronic communication; conspiracy; and other federal crimes. Trezevant is assigned to the criminal probe and is listed on court filings related to the search at Burke and Hurtak’s home.

William Daniels, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Tampa, said he had not seen the letter, and the office would not comment on an ongoing investigation.

Burke, 44, has not been accused of any wrongdoing. A nationally recognized media figure, he runs Burke Communications, a media and political consulting company that produces an array of content. He also has worked for the online news outlets Deadspin and the Daily Beast, and is a member of Jobsite Theater’s board of directors. He managed his wife’s recent successful campaign for Tampa City Council.

He is perhaps most recognizable for having helped debunk a widely reported but unverified story about former Notre Dame and NFL player Manti T’eo, whose girlfriend was said to have died on the same day as his grandmother. Burke appeared in a 2022 Netflix documentary called “Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist,” which recounted the story and the resulting scandal.

Burke’s business website has been offline since the day of the search. A prolific Twitter user, he also has not posted any tweets since the search.

The hacked material, the letter states, relates to a story published by Vice News under the heading “Watch the Disturbing Kanye Interview Clips that Tucker Carlson Didn’t Put on Air,” and a video series titled “FOXLEAKS,” published by Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog. Links to the six clips published by Vice News are included in a footnote to the letter.

The letter specifically notes that Vice News and Media Matters for America are not accused of any wrongdoing.

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