The US Department of State has revealed that since January of 2008, three contractors employed have accessed data pertaining to the passport file of US Democratic frontrunner Senator Barack Obama. This report comes suddenly as it is days after the controversy with the speech made by Obama’s then-spiritual adviser Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
Now, the newest developing story is in regards to the unauthorized access to Obama’s passport information. According to Sean McCormack, spokesman for the State Department, the three workers were not allowed to look at Obama’s passport information in the first place. However, “curiosity” had gotten the best of them.
But, McCormack explains that the company the contractors themselves worked for was not connected in any way to the security breach. Two of the contractors were fired while one is being disciplined by the company. At this moment, the names of those that committed the breach into Obama’s passport file have not been disclosed.
The report of the breach has received criciticism from the Democrats, the Barack Obama campaign, and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Obama’s campaign has asked for a full investigation into this matter.
“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,” said Bill Burton, spokesman for the Obama campaign.
Doug Hattaway, spokesman for the Hillary Clinton campaign added: “If it’s true, it’s reprehensible, and the Bush administration has a responsibility to get to the bottom of it.”
The report mirrors what happened to then-Democratic nominee and eventual US President Bill Clinton back in 1992 when he was campaigning against then-US President George H.W. Bush.
Senator Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former Democratic hopeful urged the Secretary of State to launch an investigation.
At the moment, it is unknown who looked into Obama’s passport file. The reasons for doing so still remain unknown.
It is unknown whether this will affect the Democratic race or not. If it is the case, it is unknown on how big an impact it will have.