State Dept workers ogle Obama's passport

[Spytheweb]

Bush government at work.

(AP) Two contract employees for the State Department have been fired and a third disciplined for inappropriately looking at Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's passport file, a spokesman said Thursday.

Spokesman Sean McCormack said the department itself detected the instances of "imprudent curiosity," which occurred separately on Jan. 9, Feb. 21 and March 14. He would not release the names of those who were fired and disciplined.

"We believe this was out of imprudent curiosity, so we are taking steps to reassure ourselves that that is, in fact, the case," McCormack said.

Pat Kennedy, State Department Undersecretary for Management, told CBS News producer Charlie Wolfson that the three employees in question worked for two different contractors, but would not identify them by name. Kennedy added that contract employees that work in the passports section of the State department number in the thousands.

Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama's presidential campaign, called for a complete investigation.

"This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years. Our government's duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes," Burton said.

"This is a serious matter that merits a complete investigation, and we demand to know who looked at Senator Obama's passport file, for what purpose, and why it took so long for them to reveal this security breach," he said.

McCormack said it was not immediately clear what the contract employees may have seen in the records or what they were looking for. He said he did not know the names of the companies they worked for.

The department has informed Obama's Senate office of the breach, and a personal briefing for the senator's staff was scheduled for Friday, McCormack said.

 

[THE KOD]

McCormack said it was not immediately clear what the contract employees may have seen in the records or what they were looking for. He said he did not know the names of the companies they worked for.
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Man they think we are stupid. It never ceases to amaze me. Just look at how the media claims total ignorance. Duh it was not clear why they would be looking in his passport files. What a joke

They wanted to find out what countries Obama has visited. To use it against him.

Doogy Duh.

I would not be surprized to find Hillarys sleazy ass behind this. :nono:

 

[djv]

Scott you may have something. I mean Hillary. She may have learn from BUSH 41 that pulled same thing on her old man in 91.

 

[JCDunkDogs]

They wanted to find out what countries Obama has visited. To use it against him.

Of course. We have to stop this guy from getting to the White House at all costs. He would be dangerous for America. Imagine the Million Man March. Now imagine that it happens again, only its on Obama's inaguration day. Every one of them demanding 40 acres and a mule. :scared

 

[smurphy]

Of course. We have to stop this guy from getting to the White House at all costs. He would be dangerous for America. Imagine the Million Man March. Now imagine that it happens again, only its on Obama's inaguration day. Every one of them demanding 40 acres and a mule. :scared

Now now - in all fairness, it would only be half a million men marching and 20 acres.

 

[JCDunkDogs]

Okay, but that still means we gotta come up with 10 million acres somewhere, and someone willing to cut all those mules in half.

 

[Chadman]

Before you guys get to excited about blaming Hillary for this...the full story is coming out now. Evidently the only one of the breachers that so far has not been fired is the one that covered his tracks by also looking at the Clinton and McCain file... :

Passport Security Breach on McCain, Clinton & Obama

State Department Contract Employees Fired, Another Disciplined for Looking at Passport File


By JAKE TAPPER and KIRIT RADIA
WASHINGTON, March 21, 2008

An embarrassed State Department admitted today that the passport files of all three presidential candidates -- Sens. John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton -- have been breached by its employees.

The bombshell announcement came within hours of the admission that Obama's personal file was improperly accessed several times earlier this year and no one was notified of the breach.

In a rapid series of escalating admissions, State Department Secretary Condoleezza Rice called Obama to apologize. She then had to call Clinton to apologize as well. And by noon, the department held a news conference to concede that McCain's personal file had also been improperly accessed.

McCormack also said, "We are going to take a look whether there are any systemic issues that need to be looked at."

McCain, the Republican presumptive nomiee, and Obama, who is the Democratic frontrunner, both released statements calling for a full investigation. McCain said that any violation of passport privacy deserves an apology.

McCormack said that three employees, who were not identified, have been caught peeking at the candidates' files. All three employees worked for a private company hired by the State Department.

Two of the workers were dismissed. The third employee not only looked at Clinton's file, but also hacked into McCain's file. That person has been disciplined, but not fired, McCormack said.

"That individual no longer has access to that kind of information," McCormack said. He said the agency was "reviewing its options" in regard to the employee.

 

[smurphy]

Okay, but that still means we gotta come up with 10 million acres somewhere, and someone willing to cut all those mules in half.

Valid concern.

 

[gardenweasel]

Bush government at work.

(AP)

not so fast,omar....

Passports probe focuses on worker
By Bill Gertz and Jon Ward


"The State Department investigation of improper computer access to passport records of three presidential candidates is focusing on one remaining employee ? a contract worker with a company headed by an adviser to the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama.

The probe by State?s inspector general will include polygraph tests for supervisors in the passport section to find out whether the three contract employees who accessed the records had a political motive or were part of a political operation to obtain personal data on Mr. Obama, Sen. John McCain or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Two of the three contract employees had been fired before The Washington Times first reported Thursday on security breaches involving Mr. Obama?s passport records. The furor expanded yesterday to incidents involving the passport records of Mr. McCain and Mrs. Clinton.

The third employee, who has not been fired, worked for The Analysis Corporation (TAC), which is headed by John O. Brennan, a former CIA agent who is an adviser to Mr. Obama?s presidential campaign on intelligence and foreign policy.

The TAC employee is the only individual to have accessed both Mr. Obama?s and Mr. McCain?s passport information without proper authorization, a State Department spokesman said. That employee, who was not named, triggered an electronic alarm system, officials familiar with the probe said."



you mean obama may be using this very conveniently timed snooping revelation as a distraction, to take attention from his cozy relation with rev. wright?

he wouldn't do anything like that!...would he?

the truth is,we don`t know whether this was a harmless breach.....or something more sinister...ALL the information isn`t in.....

it`s also true that the state dept is full of contract workers,republicans and democrats...so we really don`t know the facts...

/another case of premature incrimination....

 

[djv]

Don't blame Obama for using this info any more then Old John. Hillary was hit once last year by a new hire learning were told. Mc Cain as of yesterday once on March 18 same day Obama. But Obama had it two times earlier in Feb. Why? So old John and Obama agree this needs to be checked close. Has nothing to do with changing subject. Obama has no need to change anything.