Voting Station

David Kernell

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Computer Tech

The Resume

    (1987-February 2, 2018)
    Economics major at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville
    Son of Democratic Tennessee State Representative Mike Kernell
    4Chanand WikiLeaks user; went by the pseudonym Rubico
    Hacked the personal email account of then-Vice Presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin (September, 2008)
    Found guilty on charges of obstruction and unauthorized access to a computer (April, 2010)
    Served ten months of a one-year sentence in a minimum security prison (2011)
    Passed away from complications related to progressive multiple sclerosis

Why he might be annoying:

    He successfully guessed the password to Sarah Palin's Yahoo! account using the 'recovery' feature and changed it to 'popcorn.'
    He posted the new password, in addition to private family photos, personal phone numbers, and email screenshots, to the 4Chan message board.
    He admitted to reading Palin's personal e-mails with the intention of finding content that 'would derail her campaign.'
    The leak resulted in the Palin family and associates receiving prank calls and harassment.
    He was accused of attempting to erase evidence of the crime from his hard drive.
    At his trial, Palin called the hacking 'the most disruptive and discouraging moment' of the Presidential campaign.
    After the trial, reporters asked him what his opinion was of Bristol Palin (who went without a phone for weeks after having to turn it in to investigators). He responded 'she's not my type.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He struggled with depression since his childhood.
    He once ranked in the top ten percent of chess players in the country.
    At 16, he won the Tennessee Open Scholastic Chess Championship (2004).
    He enjoyed spearfishing, rock climbing, and free diving.
    He volunteered as a technician with Tennessee Voices for Children, a child advocacy nonprofit.
    He had been undergoing physical therapy ever since being diagnosed with MS in 2014.
    He participated in clinical research trials in Los Angeles to help develop treatments for MS patients.
    He likely didn't grasp the severity of his actions (or 'prank') until afterward.
    He said at his sentencing: 'I am not going to make any kind of excuses. I'd like to apologize to the Palin family. For the rest of my life I am going to be ashamed [and] feel guilty for what I have done.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2022, Out of 14 Votes: 14.29% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 20 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 12 Votes: 41.67% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 149 Votes: 55.70% Annoying