The Bush Idea of Homeland Security: Letting Trainees Access Passport Privacy

Incompetence is running rampant and privacy doesn't exist in the Bush Land of Homeland Security. Freakin' insane.

Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Sen. Barack Obama's files had been viewed three times by contractors working for the State Department starting in January.

One of the contractors who viewed Obama's file also looked at the file of Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Two contractors were fired and a third was disciplined after they accessed Obama's file, McCormack said.

"We are reviewing our options with that person and his employment status," McCormack said. 

In the case of Clinton, a trainee accessed her files in 2007.

"Usually in these training circumstances, people are encouraged to enter a family member's name (in the system), just for training purposes," McCormack said. "This person chose Senator Clinton's name."

The person was immediately "admonished and it didn't happen again," he said.

Comments

[cage free brown]

so...
it's the most normal thing in the world!
and we should take the Bush Administrations word for anything why?

[Sandi]

If the alarm is triggered "immediately", then someone knew in January and did NOTHING to prevent Obama's records from being accessed a second time. Once it happened a second time, they should have been under special lock and key. One more thing to fix in the next administration.

[How Insane Is John McCain?]

I'm SHOCKED that this would happen in the Bush Administration.

Wait. No I'm not.

[Tom Joad]

First off...this is pretty scary anyway. In a training course, this would be a way to let the user become empowered, to not be afraid to "play" with the system...to "own it" in a way.

For another, without knowing specifics, I would bet a good deal of money that either all three, or two of three the motive behind it was more than curiousity. IF they didn't work for any campaign, I would bet the motive was IF they could dig any undisclosed dirt on any of them, they probably believed they could start a bidding war between the other two candidates campaigns.

Right now a KEY question is, WHAT is included in passport files? I am pretty sure it is more than JUST the data on your passport. Does it include notes on a person? Transcripts of any interviews if questioned at a US border? List items in baggage if it was checked?

WHAT is in these files...or what can be? Anyone know?

[Tom Joad]

I did some checking on the net, reportedly THIS is what is included or can be in a "Passport file":
What kind of personal information do these Passport Records actually contain? Contrary to what you might expect, the system doesn't have information about your entries into the U.S. (That's in a separate system run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that actually swipes your passport when you come into the country.) The State Department's records do, however, hold every application for a passport and copies of any supporting documents like birth or marriage certificates. That application has your address, Social Security number, phone number, the name and number of your emergency contact and your photograph. The records also have information on any attempts to change the status of your citizenship, which is what employees in the elder Bush Administration were suspected of looking for in Bill Clinton's records in 1992. A search by name or passport number can also dredge up other items that have been attached to the file, such as court orders, arrest warrants, financial reports and even medical reports, according to the public State Department records.

[lawton]

What I can't believe is how well the cover up is going on this scandal. "Same ole same ole" with the media! Just take their word as gospel and let it die!