Motive sought for Obama passport breach
Could be a very big story.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that for now it appears that nothing other than "imprudent curiosity" was involved in three separate breaches of the Illinois senator's personal information, "but we are taking steps to reassure ourselves that that is, in fact, the case."
I gather, from TV last night, that the State Dept doesn't actually know if it was "imprudent curiosity." These were contract employers. The first two were discovered either by the contract employer or the immediate rather low level state department employee, who failed to report it up the chain. And the conclusion that it was "imprudent curiosity" comes from this same level. The level that kept the information from moving to the Inspector General, where it belonged.
The story was that the upper levels of the state department only learned about it on Thursday. And that upper level included the Inspector General.
According to lawyers, including Rep lawyers, any "triggering" of the inappropriate access, which did occur, should entail a report to the Inspector General, who mounts an investigation.
Don't know where this story is headed. But, as of last night, it was disturbing. |
