Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat challenging Rep. Dave Brat (R) in Virginia's competitive 7th Congressional District, wants to know how a super PAC aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) obtained her security clearance application. On Wednesday morning, BuzzFeed News had an answer: The U.S. Postal Service handed over an unredacted copy of the extensive, invasive form in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from conservative opposition-research group America Rising. America Rising then gave the file to the Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC, as the CLF told The New York Times.
Releasing someone's SF-86 application, BuzzFeed notes, is "a highly unusual, and perhaps unprecedented, move."
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The SF-86 form includes the applicant's Social Security number, addresses and employment history, and any drug or alcohol use, among other personal information. "Someone at the USPS FOIA office is getting fired," FOIA and security clearance lawyer Bradley Moss told BuzzFeed. "SF86 paperwork is categorically privacy protected and to my knowledge has never been released through FOIA to a third party absent a privacy waiver." The USPS has not yet responded to BuzzFeed's request for comment.
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