Former Senate GOP staffer arrested on federal child pornography charges

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A former Republican Senate staffer was arrested in Washington on Friday on federal child pornography charges in what investigators said was a crackdown on an online group that traded numerous illicit files and videos in recent months.

Ruben Verastigui is accused of receiving and possessing child pornography between last April and this month, according to a criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The 27-year-old was arrested Friday evening at his apartment in Northeast Washington, where police executed a search warrant. Investigators said they found “several files of child pornography” on his cellphone, along with a chat conversation in which he allegedly discussed exchanging the files and videos. During an interview with investigators, Verastigui admitted to receiving some of the files, according to the complaint.

Verastigui worked as a digital strategist for the Senate Republican Conference as recently as last July.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/former-senate-gop-staffer-arrested-on-child-pornography-charges/ar-BB1dscju?li=BBnbfcL

[PJMcK]

1. Republican Family values

Bullshit.

[volstork]

2. Anyone surprised?

I'M certainly not.

[bullwinkle428]

3. "Digital strategist", eh? I wonder how much this fucker was involved in pushing

a "Q narrative", while working his online campaign strategy.

[sdfernando]

10. As a "digital strategist" he should have known better

I wouldn't put 2-cents value on his work of he is so dumb to trade in this type of stuff.....SICK!!!!

[Dagstead Bumwood]

4. Trust the plan?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Nailed it. Projection always happens with the GQP. Who else is in this satanic Qonservative cabal?

[LaMouffette]

5. I swear to God, everything, but EVERYTHING Repubs accuse others of is something they themselves

are guilty of. I know this has been brought up many times here on DU, but dang! Classic projection.

It's most likely a means of distracting from their own misdeeds, but I wonder if it's also a lack of imagination: "Hmm, what could we accuse the Dems of this time? Let's see . . . I got nuthin'. Wait! What about that thing I've been doing? Yeah!"

[malaise]

6. Have to wonder if this is connected to the murders of two FBI

agents in Florida earlier this week. They must have found some serious internet links

[soothsayer]

7. Very, very, very sick and disturbed individual

Very

[struggle4progress]

8. San Antonio native worked as Trump aide

... News site Law & Crime identified him as a one-time aide to former President Donald Trump ...

https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2021/02/06/san-antonio-native-who-worked-as-trump-aide-arrested-in-washington-dc-on-child-porn-charges

[FelineOverlord]

11. Former Senate GOP staffer arrested on federal child pornography charges

His last tweet from YESTERDAY included these immortal words:

Now it’s the Dems turn to hold their people accountable for their words and actions

Yes, he's being roasted in the replies.

[gratuitous]

13. Funny that dumbass should mention that

Diego Hernandez, an Oregon State House Representative has been credibly accused of harassing women and creating a hostile work environment. He's denying the allegations but there are too many women coming forward to just sweep it under the rug. The Democratic caucus, led by the Speaker of the House, is calling for Hernandez to resign. This week, the Democratic Governor of Oregon called for Hernandez to resign.

Compare and contrast to what happens to elected Republicans credibly accused of sexual harassment. Like, say, Donald Trump. How has he been held accountable for his words and actions by Republicans?

[crickets]

12. If you see a Twitter thread discussion about this that has a warning,

read the comments that follow and think about it before you click past it. Some of Verastigui's online conversations are just sickening. I wish had read the article in a Twitter thread and not gone any further. Lesson learned. I don't want to know any more of the details, except to keep track of his journey through the justice system and hope the judge has a heavy hand. For the conversations alone, this man is a monster.

[soothsayer]

15. Yeah it's sickening

[Vivienne235729]

14. OF COURSE he worked for the republicans. And the BIG irony

Is how they tried so hard to push that pizza gate and incriminate the clintons when it is ALWAYS them. From the Moore senator from Alabama to Trump and his close affiliations w Epstein and Trump’s own child pornography legal cases. Just disgusting. The whole lot of them.