Illicit use of officials’ e-mail sets off probe

MUKILTEO — An e-mail that was sent in November to Mukilteo Mayor Don Doran has triggered a criminal investigation into unauthorized tampering with city computers.

At the request of Mukilteo Police Chief Mike Murphy, an Edmonds police detective is trying to determine if first-degree computer trespass occurred, according to a search warrant filed Tuesday in Snohomish County Superior Court.

The Nov. 7 e-mail, originally sent by the city attorney to an assistant Mukilteo fire chief, apparently was downloaded to a disk and taken away while the chief was at lunch, according to the search warrant.

Later in the day, the same e-mail, with slight modifications, was sent to Doran by somebody using a Hotmail account.

Edmonds police used the search warrant to compel the Microsoft Corp. to provide information that may assist them in identifying the user of the Hotmail account.

Doran said he couldn’t recall exactly what the e-mail said and referred all other questions about the case to Murphy.

The chief said he couldn’t comment because the matter is under investigation by another police department. He said he asked for Edmonds to investigate because of potential conflicts for his department.

"It just works better if somebody outside does it," Murphy said.

The computer where the e-mail was taken is in an office at the fire department that isn’t easily reached by the public, according to court papers. The computer system’s logs show the e-mail was not inadvertently sent to somebody outside the fire department.

The e-mail incident occurred about the same time another letter flap occurred in Mukilteo.

Letters were sent to the Chamber of Commerce, the Historical Society and the Mukilteo Beacon newspaper, all questioning the organizations’ relationships with the City Council.

The letters purported to be from three newly elected City Council members, but all denied any involvement.

Reporter Scott North: 425-339-3431 or north@heraldnet.com.