Republican Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama was widely criticized as "perhaps the dumbest member of Congress" after tweeting a photo. The image included important personal information, including passwords and PIN numbers.
Brooks' tweet was posted to lash out at a fellow member of the House of Representatives.
The GOP Representative from Alabama's 5th Congressional District, which includes Huntsville, ranted on Twitter his wife was unlawfully served with a subpoena by Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell of California, because the server "snuck into [his] house" and "accosted [his] wife." He then tweeted a photo of the law from his computer...with very important information taped to the bottom edge of the monitor visible.
Hours later, the tweet had still not been deleted.
Eventually Brooks was alerted to the error and replaced the tweet with one that didn't include his password and PIN information.
.@EricSwalwell Well, Swalwell FINALLY did his job, served complaint (on my WIFE).\n\nHORRIBLE Swalwell\u2019s team committed a CRIME by unlawfully sneaking INTO MY HOUSE & accosting my wife!\n\nAlabama Code 13A-7-2: 1st degree criminal trespass. Year in jail. $6000 fine.\n\nMore to come!pic.twitter.com/XSrFnezDlC— Mo Brooks (@Mo Brooks) 1623008949
But the internet, as they say, is forever.
While ranting like a lunatic and claiming to be a victim because his wife was handed a piece of paper, Mo Brooks accidentally tweeted his Gmail password and pin numbers.\n\nHe's Mr. Underhill from Fletch.pic.twitter.com/w6YyyqF9o9— Josh Moon \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Josh Moon \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1623021147
@RepMoBrooks/Twitter
@RepMoBrooks/Twitter
Brooks serves on several committees within Congress—including the Armed Forces committee—making things like tweeting your password and PIN to the entire world could have serious consequences for the national security of the United States of America.
You tape your passwords to your laptop? And then take a picture and tweet it to the world? And, wait - hang on! - you\u2019re on the Armed Services subcommittee for Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems? Surely not! Even Gohmert\u2019s not this dumb.— Helen Kennedy (@Helen Kennedy) 1623032938
What the penalty for letting everyone know how to access your account?pic.twitter.com/WmI1rfCYdI— Jaynie's Got a Bun (@Jaynie's Got a Bun) 1623032956
there I was having a normal Sunday, secure in the knowledge that Kevin McCarthy and Louis Gohmert were the dumbest members of Congress, when BAMpic.twitter.com/ci3ZHtJwSK— shauna (@shauna) 1623035350
.@SpeakerPelosi - Mo Brooks, who sits on the Armed Services committee & the Science, Space, and Technology committee, posted his Gmail password on Twitter. He should be placed on leave from these committees pending an investigation into whether his Gmail contained sensitive intel— leewah (@leewah) 1623028497
That's just your word against the process servers' Mo.\nAnd they have video evidence.\n\nYou don't seem smart or tech-savvy enough to be able to think of that, let alone do it.\n\n(You don't need to use a camera to take a screencap. Or reveal your Gmail account or password doing it.)— Monty \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8Lincoln's Speeches\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Boa (@Monty \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8Lincoln's Speeches\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Boa) 1623033418
Brooks has also been blocking people from his official congressional account.
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, the infamous QAnon Congresswoman, was caught doing the same and paid a $10,000 settlement.
Good times!pic.twitter.com/tnILz9r4zd— Patricia Arquette (@Patricia Arquette) 1623021239
Me too. I\u2019m honored.\n\n I emailed a group of attorneys who take on such cases. It\u2019s illegal for a U.S. elected official to block U.S. citizens & I intend to make a fuss.pic.twitter.com/ixCoer4Yfn— Jodie (@Jodie) 1623064070
pic.twitter.com/gE1bAbzhGv— Patricia Arquette (@Patricia Arquette) 1623023029
I am pretty sure this is illegal...pic.twitter.com/CjFM9O9wUY— Michael Anthony (@Michael Anthony) 1623030100
Brooks' lack of concern over public knowledge of his password and PIN was concerning for the public.
Did Mo Brooks change his email password yet?— Molly Jong-Fast (@Molly Jong-Fast) 1623065105
Mo Brooks, who sits on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, just posted a photo with his gmail password taped to the bottom of his screen. I seem to remember email security being a pretty defining topic for the GOP.https://twitter.com/repmobrooks/status/1401595174220861453\u00a0\u2026— Brian Tyler Cohen (@Brian Tyler Cohen) 1623033076
Happy Monday to everyone who knows NOT to take a picture of their Gmail username and password, and then post it on Twitter the way that Alabama dumbass Mo Brooks did.— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@BrooklynDad_Defiant!) 1623074077
When Mo Brooks realized he Tweeted out his Gmail password on Twitter: pic.twitter.com/VxFUmP3F1J— In My Mind (@In My Mind) 1623031448
Mo Brooks really tweeted out his own gmail password? I can\u2019t leave these idiots alone for five minutes.— Palmer Report (@Palmer Report) 1623053612
Swalwell's lawsuit against Brooks seeks to hold Brooks partially accountable for the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021. Brooks' strong reaction to being served a subpoena seemed to be telling of his fear of what the courts may find out.
It will be even easier if the court can readily log into his email account without help.