Democratic candidate's entire personnel folder, including the SF-86 released by USPS

[dajoki]

In Unprecedented Move, The US Postal Service Released A Former CIA Officer’s Security Application to Republican Group
The former officer, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger, has suggested the information was released for partisan purposes. Documents shows USPS was responding to a FOIA request from research group America RIsing.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/gracewyler/usps-releases-cia-officer-security-clearance-application

The United States Postal Service has released the entire federal security clearance application of a former CIA officer running for Congress, in what experts say is a highly unusual, and perhaps unprecedented, move, given the extensive, highly personal nature of the information contained in such documents.

In an interview with the New York Times published Tuesday, the former officer, Abigail Spanberger, accused the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan, of improperly obtaining the document, and suggested that the Trump administration may have leaked the information for partisan purposes.

But BuzzFeed News can confirm that an unredacted copy of the federal security clearance application was obtained through a

Freedom of Information Act request filed by America Rising, a research group allied with the Republican Party, which then shared it with the Congressional Leadership PAC Spanberger, a Democrat, is challenging Republican Rep. David Brat in a Virginia congressional race that has become surprisingly competitive going into the fall midterm campaign.

<<snip>>

The FOIA request specifically sought records from Spanberger’s official personnel folder from the US Postal Inspection Service, where she used to work. America Rising’s FOIA request included the first five numbers of Spanberger’s social security number, which the group obtained from Lexis Nexis, BuzzFeed News has learned.

The documents show that on July 12, three days after the FOIA request was submitted, the NPRC notified America Rising that the FOIA request had been forwarded to the US Postal Service for processing, and that some information could be released under the FOIA “without consent from the individual.”

On July 30, the USPS provided America Rising with Spanberger’s entire personnel folder, including the SF-86.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. I just went through online training on the importance of not doing what the USPS just did.

The training is mandatory. We have to take the course annually.

Welcome to your new America.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Shades of Dick Cheney.

[gratuitous]

3. And before you ask . . .

No, you can't see Brett Kavanaugh's voluminous government records. Now, vote to put him on the Supreme Court for life.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

4. Where's your taxes don ivan?

This is a breech of trust of the highest order.

[lagomorph777]

5. SF-86 is not supposed to be for sale. This is a massive scandal and USPS heads should roll.

[zipplewrath]

6. Not sure this is what they meant

They list the reasons why the information can be shared:

7. To the news media or the general public, factual information the disclosure
of which would be in the public interest and which would not constitute an
unwarranted invasion of personal privacy

I don't think this qualified.

[Best_man23]

7. This needs greater visibility

Release of an SF-86 under a FOIA request smells to high heaven. At minimum the person(s) at USPS or the FOIA office who processed the request needs to be fired immediately. No reassignment, no retraining on handling of personal information, this is a resume generating event and they need to be fired. This clearly violates FOIA exemption 6, which covers the release of personally identifiable information, as well as protections provided under the 1974 Privacy Act.

https://www.foia.gov/faq.html

"Exemption 6: Information that, if disclosed, would invade another individual's personal privacy."

The Postal Inspectors and/or FBI also need to investigate the FOIA request made by America Rising, and whether they did receive the SF-86 through the FOIA request. Given the hack at OPM a few years ago and the Russian hack in 2015-now, I would not rule anything out.

If America Rising and Brat's campaign had any ethics, they would immediately hand over all the physical materials they received and wipe the hard drives of any computer system(s) that it was copied to or stored on. If some tRump humper at USPS or FOIA thought they were helping Brat out by giving away Spanberger's personnel file, they did not do Brat any favors.

This is bad kimchi.

[califootman]

8. I think the _request_ for an SF-86 under FOIA is what really smells to high heaven.

I suppose the release could possess the same stench, but I'm hoping it was just blatant stupidity/ignorance on the part of the FOIA Officer at USPS.

[Best_man23]

9. I just hope this is more a case of lazy behavior at USPS or FOIA

Than something malicious. But this needs visibility, as its in the same category of dirty tricks like what we saw in 2016.

[lostnfound]

10. Dirty tricks? More like intimidation of political opponents. A message to others.nt