Mike Pence used his personal AOL account for official business, and of course it was hacked

So that's who still uses AOL.
 By 
Jack Morse
 on 
Mike Pence used his personal AOL account for official business, and of course it was hacked
Find him on Friendster. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

This is Mike Pence: Former governor of Indiana, Vice President of the United States, Chili's patron and AOL user.

It's that last bit that seems to have gotten him into trouble, as The Indianapolis Star reports that while serving the Hooiser State, Pence repeatedly used his personal AOL email account for official business.

And you better believe it was hacked. As recently as last summer, in fact.

Just what was Pence discussing via the two-decade-old webmail service? His passion for Chili's Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas?

Nope. The matters at hand were just a tad more meaty, like the state's response to global terror attacks.

News of Pence's AOL habits came out following a public records request by the Star and demonstrates that the first-in-line to the presidency may not take digital security all that seriously. Which, well, is sort of confusing considering his administration's professed concern for "the cyber" (we kid).

But Pence is brushing the entire incident off like a Chili's Signature Boneless Wing accidentally dropped in his lap while advocating on behalf of gay conversion therapy.

"Similar to previous governors, during his time as Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence maintained a state email account and a personal email account," a Pence spokesperson told the Star. "As Governor, Mr. Pence fully complied with Indiana law regarding email use and retention."

In other words, there's nothing to see here — just like when Pence chows down on an order of Chili's Fresh Guacamole. He scrapes that bowl clean, swallowing his digital-security incompetence bite by tasty bite.

Yum.

Mashable Image
Jack Morse

Professionally paranoid. Covering privacy, security, and all things cryptocurrency and blockchain from San Francisco.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
The Epstein Files: Read Epstein's emails as if you hacked into his Gmail with Jmail
Jmail World

We need to talk about that Mike Tyson Super Bowl ad
A collage of colorful images, including photos of Mike Tyson and RFK Jr., an apple, broccolli, and a football.

Google is bringing Personal Intelligence to AI Mode in Google Search
Personal Intelligence in AI Mode in Google Search

The European Commission got hacked for the second time this year
Europe flag

Grammarly removes AI feature which used real authors' identities, faces class action lawsuit
The Grammarly logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen.

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 4, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!