What's Usually IN Passport Files that Would Be of Such Interest? nt

[snot]

[lligrd]

1. Nothing, I Can Imagine Being Interested In

I work for a governmental agency with records that include much more information and have never been tempted in the least to look anyone up. Confidentiality of records is one of the first and most often fortified rules we are notified of.

[backscatter712]

2. Actually, quite a bit.

Certainly, lots of sensitive info like, say, your Social Security number, and other bits of information useful for identity thieves.

Every time you go through customs, your comings and goings go into your passport file.

If you're a VIP or a frequent traveler, customs agents and other federal employees may take notes on you that go in that file.

The unauthorized access of Obama's, Clinton's and McCain's passport files is definitely a very big deal.

[lligrd]

4. You Are Right. The Question Is Why?

If you are a citizen isn't that all they need to know? And if you aren't, shouldn't they only other info they would need to keep be the reason you were denied one?

[MaryCeleste]

5. Are you really positive about some of that

Every time you go through customs, your comings and goings go into your passport file.

If you're a VIP or a frequent traveler, customs agents and other federal employees may take notes on you that go in that file.

Are the two I would question. The data you mention would be with DHS, not Dept of State/Consual affairs. I have seen others say it was specifically not included. What is the source?

[Warpy]

7. If you've lived abroad, as Obama did

then it will have information on where you went to school, whether or not a custody dispute was fought over you, all sorts of records like that being kept by the State Dept on US citizens living abroad.

The breach of security of Obama's records is serious. Don't let the right tell you it's not.

Even if the people who did it were doofuses instead of RNC operatives (unlikely, given the timing and the RNC's history of doing such fishing trips), this brings up the flaws in another pet project of the GOP--outsourcing and privatizing the Civil Service.

[Richard D]

3. Name . . .

. . . address, date of birth, place of birth.

I've been wondering the same thing. The application for a passport doesn't contain a whole lot of personal information.

[MaryCeleste]

6. Some are asserting that all that it contains are passport apps and related material

not travel information. Its not clear who is correct.

[tammywammy]

9. On KO tonight

He had on a woman that stated that the passport file is more than the application. If you lived abroad, like Obama did, it would have it in what schools he attended, if you've ever tried to renounce your US citizenship, if there's a custody dispute info on that would be in there, quite a bit of stuff actually.

This is the information they'd go through when you apply for renewal. Also it has your sensitive stuff like mother's maiden name, Social Security Number, etc things that would be ripe for someone wanting to steal your identity.

[Richard D]

12. Thank you

[Hekate]

8. Since your passport/visa get stamped when you travel, I assumed that would be in the file...

Someone doing opposition research/spying might be very interested in that kind of information, so that they could take little bits and spin it into something nasty.

If I am wrong about that, I'm sure there are a lot of others who believe as I do and might be tempted to go on a fishing expedition. Three separate employees of the same contractor went to take a look at Obama's file over three months. This does not have the appearance of casual coincidence. These people all risked their jobs with the passport people -- why? and under whose direction back at headquarters? I wonder if they have been fired by the contractor who really employs them, or just the passport office?

Bill Clinton spent part of his college years in London as a Rhodes Scholar, which is an honor and sign of academic achievement. While there, it is known that he smoked pot and took part in anti-war demonstrations. The Bushies who went fishing in his files while he was running for president were looking to see if he had also visited Russia and if so, what use they could make of that.

Obama's file is bound to be quite thick, as Olbermann pointed out when this first broke, since he has been making overseas travel since he was a small boy. The opposition has already tried to make his elementary school in Indonesia sound like madrassa, since his fellow students were mostly Muslim. Gods know what else they could find to twist.

Hekate

[sandnsea]

10. Whether you've been arrested for dealing drugs

for instance.

[soothsayer]

11. This thread offers a HUGE list of things (arrest warrants, court orders, financial info)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5202848