200+ national security veterans demand investigation into release of CIA operative’s file
The United States Postal Service (USPS) apologized Thursday to a Democratic congressional candidate and former Central Intelligence Agency operative for “inappropriate releasing” a copy of her official personnel file she submitted to obtain a security clearance at the agency.
The USPS says the release of Abigail Spanberger’s security file “occurred because of human error,” and has requested that America Rising, the GOP-affiliated super PAC that originally requested the document, return the file.
“We take full responsibility for this unfortunate error, and we have taken immediate steps to ensure this will not happen again,” USPS spokesman David Partenheimer said in a statement first reported by the New York Times and provided to ABC News, “The Postal Service has addressed the issue by providing clear instructions and guidance to our employees tasked with the responsibility for handling these requests, and we will follow up with additional training.”
The Postal Service also offered an apology to Spanberger and said it intends to change the process for how requests for official personnel files are processed and handled.
“The privacy and security of personal information is of utmost importance to the Postal Service,” Partenheimer added, “The Postal Service offers our sincere apology to Ms. Spanberger, and we will request the return of the information which we mistakenly disclosed.”
According to Partenheimer, the Postal Service was involved in this instance because of Spanberger’s previous employment with the Postal Inspection Service, a job she held in 2002 while waiting for her security clearance to be approved, according to the Washington Post.
Via Politico:
Dr. Jeff T.H. Pon
Director, Office of Personnel Management
Director Daniel Coats
Director of National Intelligence
Dear Director Pon and Director Coats,
As former national security professionals, we have all served our country—some of us in uniform, others as intelligence, diplomatic, law enforcement, or national security professionals.We did so not for the prestige, and not for the paycheck, but because we wanted to give back: representing, advocating for, and protecting the United States at home and around the world.We asked for very little in return, assuming only that the country we served would always have our backs.
As such, it was with surprise, anger, and profound disappointment that we recently learned that our government—whether intentionally or not—violated the trust of one among our ranks.The New York Times reported this month that the Executive Branch released in full the confidential national security questionnaire, or SF-86, of Abigail Spanberger, who served as a CIA case officer until 2014. The SF-86 is one of the most confidential and sensitive documents the U.S. government requires its national security officials to file. Neither we, nor national security law experts we have consulted, are familiar with any previous case of an SF-86 being released in full, to include Social Security Number and medical history, pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request, as was reportedly done in this case.
We have yet to hear an adequate explanation as to why Ms. Spanberger’s sensitive personal information was released and subsequently made public by House Speaker Paul Ryan’sPolitical Action Committee, the Congressional Leadership Fund. It is possible this situation maybe the result of a single person’s error. Nevertheless, we note how peculiar it would be for the first victim of such an error to be Ms. Spanberger, who is the Democratic nominee in a competitive U.S. House of Representatives race in Virginia. To be clear, Ms. Spanberger’s current political ambitions should have absolutely nothing to do with the obligation of the Executive Branch to safeguard her personal and confidential information. Absent answers, however, we cannot dismiss the deeply troubling possibility that this was an act of political retribution by this administration in violation of U.S. law.
Ultimately, this is about more than Ms. Spanberger’s case or our own concern for the security of our personal information. Each year, thousands of aspiring public servants file this same document, hoping to serve their country, just as we did. They must be confident that their information will be handled securely and never released pursuant to a political agenda. They, we, and Ms. Spanberger deserve answers.
The Postal management that approved the error should be put up for removal. If a low life worker did what happened, they would be up for removal. Management forces the carriers out in sub zero weather and if the low life servant becomes injured they are placed up for removal! Treat the upper crust of society the same as the worthless workers! Better yet, “promote” them to carrier. Let them enjoy working like a trained circus animal.
Management will simply blame the Union’s for management’s own incompetence, just like they always do.
USPS Press Release
“The unfortunate release of security information is yet another example of how the Unions are killing the US Postal Service and why the US Postal Service must be privatized to low wage, no benefits, nonunion companies. There is nothing else to see here, move along now.”