MostHateD was arrested after the FBI launched an investigation last may, soon after Gregory broke into the White House web site. The FBI raids and subsequent arrests sparked cyberattacks on other Government sites, including the US Senate site and the FBI's web site, by members of the cybergang.

Earlier this year, Chad Davis, another founder of Global Hell, pleaded guilty to hacking the Army site and making it appear the attack was the work of the Chinese Government. Davis, of Green Bay, Wis. (known as "Mindphasr" in Global Hell circles), has been sentenced to six months in custody, ordered to pay the Army $8,054 in damages, and forbidden to communicate with Gregory or any other member of Global Hell.

Under the proposal, political committees and other persons would be required to file reports electronically when either their total contributions or total expenditures within a calendar year exceed $50,000. The Commission has had a voluntary electronic filing system in place since 1996, and voluntary filing would still be an option for political committees and persons who do not exceed the $50,000 threshold.

As of April 11, 2000, there were 623 committees filing electronically with the FEC, out of a total of 6,608 committees registered. That 623 includes 484 political action committees, 100 U.S. House of Representatives committees, 20 party committees, and 19 Presidential committees.

The Senate would be exempt from the mandatory filing rules. Senate Candidates could continue to file their reports with the Secretary of the Senate, who then sends them to the FEC. However, Senate candidates would be invited to file an unofficial copy of their reports, designations, and statements electronically to facilitate disclosure.

This issue is of special interest to me. Recently, I wrote an article about the Internet and FEC regulations. The article is titled, ''Campaigning in Cyberspace: Federal Election Laws and Internet Political Activity'' and can be found in the Articles section of it-lawyer.com.

Lessig gained notoriety in 1997 when Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor cited one of his articles in a decision overturning an online antipornography law. Lessig is also involved in the Microsoft Corp. antitrust trial.

Mr. Lessig is the author of the well-received book ''Code, and other Laws of Cyberspace.'' I read Mr. Lessig's book late last year. He closes his book with one notable observation ''[w]e are entering a time when our power to muck about with the structures that regulate is at an all time high. It is imperative, then, that we understand just what to do with this power. And, more importantly, what not to do.''

==>Aristotle