Further, I recall several of the L0pht members were heavily interested in TEMPEST and van Eck phreaking at the time. Really played it up in an ominous tone.
Well, that sort of scaremongering was part of the PR aspect of the whole thing. Back then (I've been out of the scene for a decade and a half now, I don't know if it's still as bad) the amount of money you could sell your 'company' (read: two guys in a basement) for, was directly correlated to the scariness of the stories you could get into the press.