| Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice found | | | | State Department Investigation Looms, with |
| herself in the position of apologizing to all three | | | | Potential Justice Department Involvement |
| major Presidential candidates this week after | | | | The Inspector General of the State Department |
| contract workers illegally accessed their passport | | | | is investigating the illegal access of these records, |
| files. During her phone call to each of the | | | | which contain personal information that could be |
| candidates, Rice advised that the State | | | | used to gain access to personal financial records. |
| Department was investigating the breaches to | | | | Passport records not only contain a record of all |
| find out how they occurred, and apologized for | | | | countries visited by the passport holder and the |
| the intrusions. The records had been accessed by | | | | address of the passport owner at the time of |
| three contract workers and one State | | | | application, but they also reveal the person's place |
| Department staffer. | | | | of birth, date of birth, and social security number. |
| Hillary Clinton, who put personal business aside for | | | | This is sensitive information that could be used to |
| the Easter weekend, said she would be closely | | | | pull credit reports or commit other types of |
| monitoring the investigation. | | | | financial crimes. The release of such information |
| The incident brought back memories of a 1992 | | | | could be detrimental to the financial independence |
| breach in passport records when Bill Clinton was | | | | of the candidates. |
| vying for the Presidency against George H.W. | | | | As of right now, it is unclear if the individuals |
| Bush. In that incident, Clinton's passport and | | | | involved in this matter had any political agenda, or |
| citizenship records were accessed by a Republican | | | | if they were just curious about the candidates. |
| appointee. As a result of the incident he was | | | | The Justice Department has said it will follow the |
| demoted. | | | | State Department's investigation closely, and will |
| There was only one unauthorized access of | | | | come to its own determination as to whether it |
| Clinton's records last summer, when an employee | | | | needs to get involved. Despite clamoring by a |
| viewed the records as part of a training exercise | | | | senior House Democrat to reveal the names of |
| with another employee. The illegal access of the | | | | the companies who employ the involved |
| records was immediately discovered, since high | | | | contractors, officials close to the investigation |
| profile individuals have their records "flagged" with | | | | have not released that information. They state |
| an alert to supervisors of unauthorized access of | | | | they wish to err on the side of caution prior to |
| the files. In that incident, the employee was | | | | releasing such data. |
| admonished. | | | | As far as any criminal prosecution is concerned, |
| One of the individuals who accessed McCain's files | | | | the Justice Department said it will likely wait until |
| earlier this year was also involved in the | | | | the State Department has concluded its |
| unauthorized access of Obama's files. While it | | | | investigation before it decides whether to move |
| appears that the other candidates only had their | | | | forward. They also said the firings of the contract |
| passport files accessed once, Obama had his | | | | employees prior to being questioned will make the |
| accessed on three separate occasions, including | | | | investigation more difficult, since the Inspector |
| January 9, February 21, and March 14, 2008. The | | | | General can no longer compel them to talk. |
| discovery of breaches in the passport files of | | | | The State Department's top management official, |
| Clinton and McCain were not discovered until | | | | Undersecretary Patrick Kennedy, agreed that the |
| March 21, once the investigation into the illegal | | | | investigation should have been forwarded to |
| access of Obama's files was launched. | | | | senior officers and that the incident had been |
| As far as the McCain files are concerned, the | | | | mishandled. |
| contract employee was reprimanded but not | | | | As far as the candidates are concerned, all three |
| fired, and the employee no longer has the ability | | | | have accepted apologies, which they deemed |
| to access passport records. The two contractors | | | | appropriate, and agree that a comprehensive |
| who illegally accessed Obama's files were | | | | investigation is in order. |
| summarily fired without being questioned first. | | | | |