SiegedSec, a group of self-proclaimed “gay furry hackers” who targeted the conservative Heritage Foundation to protest Project 2025, have released chat logs between one of their hackers and Heritage executive, Mike Howell. In a conversation on the messaging app Signal, Howell mentioned that the Heritage Foundation was “in the process of identifying and outing members of your group” and collaborating with the FBI.
“Closeted Furries will be exposed to the world for the degenerate perverts they are,” Howell informed one of SiegedSec’s leaders, known as “vio.” “Your methods are insignificant compared to mine. You can either surrender or cooperate.”
Howell, who confirmed the authenticity of the chat logs to the Daily Dot, serves as the executive director for the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project and is a former Trump administration official. SiegedSec also provided screenshots of the conversation to The Intercept.
Howell initiated the discussion by questioning why SiegedSec targeted the Heritage Foundation. “What is it that you are seeking or threatening?” he asked vio.
“We want to convey a message and highlight who exactly supports the Heritage Foundation,” vio replied. “We don’t seek anything beyond that, not money or fame. We strongly oppose Project 2025 and everything the Heritage Foundation represents.”
When SiegedSec posted a small set of Heritage Foundation files on Tuesday, they stated it was part of a campaign against organizations that oppose transgender rights. On Wednesday, a Heritage spokesperson informed The Intercept that the foundation’s own systems were not breached, and that SiegedSec “stumbled upon a two-year-old archive of the Daily Signal website that was available on a public-facing website owned by a contractor.”
“The narrative of a ‘hack’ is a fabrication and an exaggeration by a group of criminal trolls seeking attention,” stated Noah Weinrich, the Heritage Foundation’s public relations director.
Whether it was a hack or not, Howell informed vio that the Heritage Foundation was cooperating with the FBI to identify the members of SiegedSec, including through a “2702 order,” likely referring to a type of administrative subpoena. Howell also shared a screenshot of vio’s public bitcoin wallet.
“Are you aware that you won’t be able to wear a furry tiger costume when you’re getting pounded in the ass in the federal prison I put you in next year?” Howell remarked.
When vio threatened to dox Howell and expose such “unprofessional language from an executive director,” Howell escalated the situation. “Please share widely,” Howell responded. “I hope the word spreads as fast as the STDs do in your degenerate furry community.”
An hour after publishing the chat logs on their Telegram channel, SiegedSec announced their disbandment “for our own mental well-being, the pressure of widespread attention, and to avoid the scrutiny of the FBI.”
The Heritage Foundation chose not to comment on the interaction between SiegedSec and Howell.
