U.S. probes passport file breaches

The U.S. State Department has launched an investigation into breaches of passport files on the 3 main presidential candidates. State department contractors viewed the files of Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, while a trainee accessed Hillary Clinton's file. U.S. probes passport file breaches Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has apologized to all three candidates. U.S. passport files include data such as age and place of birth, foreign travel records, and a Social Security number. That number can be used to obtain credit records and other personal information. Two state department contractors have been fired and a third disciplined. The case has raised suspicions that someone was digging for information that could be damaging to the candidates. However, with breaches concerning all three contenders, the likelihood of political motivation is somewhat diminished. Contractors On Friday the state department said the employees who had been disciplined worked for two contractors, Analysis Corporation and Stanley. Stanley is an IT firm that recently won a 5-year contract to issue American passports worth more than USD 500mn. There are now concerns over why the state department fired two contractors before having time to question them, correspondents say. The Department of Justice is to monitor the state department's probe, while the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee has also said it will launch an investigation. Obama called the case "deeply disturbing" and asked for a congressional inquiry. "When you have not just one, but a series of attempts to tap into people's personal records, that's a problem - not just for me, but for how our government is functioning," he said. McCain said any breaches of passport privacy called for an apology and a full investigation. He said "corrective action should be taken". Precedent Clinton's senate office said it would closely monitor the state department's probe. The passport records of her husband, Bill, were breached by a Republican appointee to the state department when he was running for president against George H W Bush in 1992. After first revealing that Rice had apologized to Obama over the security breach, the state department acknowledged McCain's and Clinton's files had been looked at as well. It said that one contract employee had viewed the files of Obama and McCain, and had been reprimanded but not fired. McCormack said the breaches of Clinton's and McCain's files were discovered on Friday after officials were informed by a reporter on Thursday of the unauthorized access to Obama's record. He said McCain's passport file had been looked at some time earlier this year. The Obama breaches occurred on three separate dates - January 9, February 21 and March 14. The state department tracks the viewing of its passport database.

U.S. probes passport file breaches

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has apologized to all three candidates.

U.S. passport files include data such as age and place of birth, foreign travel records, and a Social Security number.

That number can be used to obtain credit records and other personal information.

Two state department contractors have been fired and a third disciplined.

The case has raised suspicions that someone was digging for information that could be damaging to the candidates.

However, with breaches concerning all three contenders, the likelihood of political motivation is somewhat diminished.

Contractors

On Friday the state department said the employees who had been disciplined worked for two contractors, Analysis Corporation and Stanley.

Stanley is an IT firm that recently won a 5-year contract to issue American passports worth more than USD 500mn.

There are now concerns over why the state department fired two contractors before having time to question them, correspondents say.

The Department of Justice is to monitor the state department's probe, while the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee has also said it will launch an investigation.

Obama called the case "deeply disturbing" and asked for a congressional inquiry.

"When you have not just one, but a series of attempts to tap into people's personal records, that's a problem - not just for me, but for how our government is functioning," he said.

McCain said any breaches of passport privacy called for an apology and a full investigation. He said "corrective action should be taken".

Precedent

Clinton's senate office said it would closely monitor the state department's probe.

The passport records of her husband, Bill, were breached by a Republican appointee to the state department when he was running for president against George H W Bush in 1992.

After first revealing that Rice had apologized to Obama over the security breach, the state department acknowledged McCain's and Clinton's files had been looked at as well.

It said that one contract employee had viewed the files of Obama and McCain, and had been reprimanded but not fired.

McCormack said the breaches of Clinton's and McCain's files were discovered on Friday after officials were informed by a reporter on Thursday of the unauthorized access to Obama's record.

He said McCain's passport file had been looked at some time earlier this year.

The Obama breaches occurred on three separate dates - January 9, February 21 and March 14.

The state department tracks the viewing of its passport database.