This one is serious. I believe accessing this information without authorization or proper clearances is a criminal offense and jail may be appropriate for some. It also explains how the power brokers are able to intimidate, even blackmail, those who oppose them. Just access their private information.

Zitat

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WASHINGTON — Scores of U.S. Secret Service employees improperly accessed the decade-old, unsuccessful job application of a congressman who was investigating scandals inside the agency, a new government report said Wednesday. An assistant director suggested leaking embarrassing information to retaliate against Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) chairman of the House oversight committee..

The actions by the employees could represent criminal violations under the U.S. Privacy Act, said the report by the Homeland Security Department's inspector general, John Roth. "It doesn't take a lawyer explaining the nuances of the Privacy Act to know that the conduct that occurred here — by dozens of agents in every part of the agency — was wrong," the report said.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson personally apologized to Chaffetz again Wednesday, the congressman told The Associated Press in an interview on Capitol Hill. Johnson did not disclose whether any employees had been punished. "It's intimidating," Chaffetz said. "It's what it was supposed to be."

Johnson said in a statement Wednesday that "those responsible should be held accountable" but did not provide further details.

[snip]

Employees accessed Chaffetz's 2003 application for a Secret Service job starting 18 minutes after the start of a congressional hearing in March about the latest scandal involving drunken behavior by senior agents. Some forwarded the information to others. At least 45 employees viewed the file.

One week later, Assistant Director Ed Lowery suggested leaking embarrassing information about Chaffetz in retaliation for aggressive investigations by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee into a series of agency missteps and scandals, the report said. Days later, on April 2, the information about Chaffetz unsuccessfully applying for a job at the Secret Service was published by the Daily Beast, an Internet publication.

[snip]

The inspector general said that under U.S. law and Secret Service rules, employees were required to report such behavior to supervisors. The investigation found that 18 supervisors or members of the agency's senior executive service knew or should have known that employees had improperly accessed Chaffetz's job application, but only one person attempted to inform the Secret Service director, Joseph Clancy.

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http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-secr...0930-story.html [bold emphasis added]

This is similar to the lawless behavior conducted by Lois Lerner and confederates at the IRS and DEMANDS a thorough investigation and some kind of punishment. This administration is rotten and it starts at the top.

Just as an afterthought I wonder why the SS chose the "Daily Beast" as its conduit. Is there a relationship there which ought be looked at?