The US attorney under fire for prosecuting the case against Reddit co-founder Aaron Swartz defended her office in a emotional appeal released yesterday.
Massachusetts US Attorney Carmen Ortiz said she wanted to “extend her heartfelt sympathy,” while defending her role in the hacking case.
“As a parent and a sister, I can only imagine the pain felt by the family and friends of Aaron Swartz,” the statement read.
But Ortiz fell short of apologizing.
“I must, however, make clear that this office’s conduct was appropriate in bringing and handling this case.”
Swartz, 26, hanged himself Friday in his Brooklyn apartment amid negotiations in the case. The US Attorney’s Office had alleged he illegally hacked into millions of archived documents at MIT.
Ortiz’s comments come after MIT President L. Rafael Reif released a contrite statement of his own on Monday, saying he was deeply saddened by his university’s role in the case.
At Swartz’s funeral Tuesday, his father was blunt about whom to blame for the tragedy.
“Aaron did not commit suicide — he was killed by the government,” Robert Swartz said.
Ortiz has been under intense criticism by many in the Internet community.
Swartz’s attorneys did not comment on Ortiz’s remarks.