Anti-porn Michigan Republican denies connection to data breach info leaked from hookup, webcam site

Information allegedly leaked on two different cybersecurity websites has been linked to accounts apparently owned by Michigan Republican state Rep. Josh Schriver of Oxford, including accounts on adult entertainment, hookup sex and webcam sites.

The connection was first reported in a story published by The Detroit Metro Times.

When Michigan Advance reached out to Schriver’s office for comment, he vehemently denied the allegation and accusations that the accounts or email address implicated in the information ever belonged to him.

“I have never used or accessed any of the sites mentioned, and I had no clue they even existed until reached out about it,” he said in a statement sent by his staff via email. “The Metro Times article relies on unverified data from old internet breaches and attempts to connect me to something I have absolutely nothing to do with. Anyone familiar with how these databases work knows they are often inaccurate, manipulated, or misattributed, and it is irresponsible for a publication to present them as fact.”

Schriver similarly told Detroit Metro Times that he believed the information to have been forged.

The representative is among the most far-right legislators in the Michigan Legislature. He introduced a resolution to make same sex marriage be illegal again, was stripped of his staff and committee assignments by House Democratic leadership after sharing views related to the racist Great Replacement Theory, wrote legislation to ban all pornography in the state and voted against bills banning child marriage and closing the marital rape loophole.

As a Michigan Republican made his case to ban same-sex marriage, a gay Democrat stole the show

The Detroit Metro Times reported Tuesday that it had reviewed information on two different websites that track data breaches, and found that emails appearing to be connected to Schriver were associated with an account on Fling.com, a website that advertises adult hookups, swinger meet ups and collection of webcams.

Fling.com was the victim of a data breach in 2016, which the company has acknowledged since.

According to the Metro Times article, the website also has authenticated information leaked during the breach, much of which was sold on the seedier parts of the internet, known as the dark web. Detroit Metro Times claimed that the email address matched Schriver’s first, middle and last name and the account was tagged with an IP address in East Lansing. The publication claims the dates of use on the account coincide with Schriver’s time as a student at Michigan State University.

Still, Schriver was adamant that the story was nothing more than “a needless attack on my character and a distraction from the real work our office is doing for the people of Michigan.”

“My focus remains on protecting families, restoring accountability in Lansing, and defending our values. I will not be intimidated or silenced by falsehoods and cheap political attacks,” Schriver told the Advance. “We are currently reviewing all available options for a formal retraction and will continue to stand firm against misinformation that seeks to undermine honest public service.”

The story on Schriver follows the 2024 arrest, with no charges filed, of former state Rep. Neil Friske, a Republican, who was taken into police custody after police were called to the scene of his former Lansing dwelling on a report of shots fired. His arrest was based on allegations of sexual assault and and a weapons offense. No legal consequences ever came of it and the story died out quickly.

The investigation into the Friske matter was initially handled by the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office, but was later referred to Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office. As of July, the office was still investigating the matter and had not filed charges against Friske.

While there was no legal consequence for Friske, he did lose his primary election that year to the current state Rep. Parker Fairbairn (R-Harbor Springs).