Beto O'Rourke Disavows Disturbing Teen Writings From Hacker Group Past
Former presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke expresses deep regret over disturbing fictional stories he wrote as a teenager under the alias "Psychedelic Warlord" for the Cult of the Dead Cow hacker group.
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke faces intense scrutiny after Reuters reveals his secret teenage membership in the Cult of the Dead Cow, the oldest continuous computer hacking group in the United States. Operating under the alias "Psychedelic Warlord" in the late 1980s, O'Rourke contributes various writings to the group's early electronic magazines.
Resurfaced submissions include a deeply disturbing story written when O'Rourke is 15 that graphically depicts a driver running over children with a vehicle. O'Rourke publicly addresses the controversy during a podcast taping in Iowa, labeling his old writings as "really hateful, really bad stuff" and stating that he is mortified and incredibly embarrassed by his past words.
The candidate takes full ownership of the content, emphasizing that his teenage intentions do not matter compared to the harmful language he uses. While he expresses no pride in his former association with the Cult of the Dead Cow, O'Rourke insists he can only control his future actions and promises to constantly try to do better as he moves forward with his political campaign.