Oh My Stars! Public Officials Access Confidential Databases?
Is anyone actually surprised that this happens? I'm not. I assure you that it's not all that difficult to get supposedly "confidential" information if you know the right people, and it's inevitable that the information will be abused.
Which is why we should think about privacy issues before we institute these programs:
The White House nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration gave Congress misleading information about incidents in which he inappropriately accessed a federal database, possibly in violation of privacy laws, documents obtained by The Washington Post show.
The disclosure comes as pressure builds from Democrats on Capitol Hill for quick January confirmation of Erroll Southers, whose nomination has been held up by GOP opponents. In the aftermath of an attempted airline bombing on Christmas Day, calls have intensified for lawmakers to install permanent leadership at the TSA, a critical agency in enforcing airline security.
Southers, a former FBI agent, has described inconsistencies in his accounts to Congress as "inadvertent" and the result of poor memory of an incident that dates back 20 years. He said in a Nov. 20 letter to key senators obtained by The Post that he had accepted full responsibility long ago for a "grave error in judgment" in accessing confidential criminal records about his then-estranged wife's new boyfriend.
And by the way, as we are rushing toward installing full-body scanners at airports, we might want to keep this in mind the next time Michael Chertoff appears on the teevee:
What he has made little mention of is that the Chertoff Group, his security consulting agency, includes a client that manufactures the machines. Chertoff disclosed the relationship on a CNN program Wednesday, in response to a question.
It was also a crime.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Why go into law enforcement if you can't abuse your NCIC access to harass the ex girlfriends new boyfriend?
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
They most likely know more about you then you know about yourself.
From 20 years ago?
I guess if that disqualifies him. I wonder how many people have something from two decades back that is such a huge issue.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
His career continued on just fine. No charges; no prosecution; no jail.
Unlike us lesser folk who are held to much more stringent standards by FBI agents just like Erroll Southers. What's the federal mandatory minimum sentence for crack cocaine? It's certainly not censure. We never seem to "look forward and not back" for the little people.
But for Erroll Southers? He's suffered enough just by admitting his "error." And then he's approved to a post where he'll be responsible for protecting the type of information he's admitted that he illegally accessed without repercussion.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
What is the penalty for abuse of access to private information by law enforcement?
I bet it is only a civil remedy.
I also don't think abuse of access compares to selling crack but maybe that's just me.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
I've done crack before, but I'd suffer far more by someone not allowed access to my info getting it (and potentially using it). But that's just me.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Objectively - no.
Jail time for the crack - someone might sue for monetary damages for abuse of the info. One is a penal crime the other just a civil infraction.
Not disagreeing with your opinion but I like to stick to the facts at hand.
:)
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
they do it on tee vee and the movies all the time. Isn't that the way they catch the bad guys?
From the Post article:
He's admitted to two counts.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Now find me a single successful prosecution and you'll own it!
Oh wait, the statute of limitations on a misdemeanor is?
It is really no big dealio. 20 years ago things were very different.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
Cops don't get DUIs, and carpenters don't pay full price for lumber. Of course one is a fringe benefit and the other is criminal, but it's not like you can call the cops on them.
I understand this isn't unusual behavior, but I don't think we should be rewarding someone with such obvious disregard for the rule of law.
Anyway, I get to see Avatar 3D this afternoon, and my lighter just ran out of butane.
Peace, Hp.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Cops do get DUI's and they all dabble in the NCIC computer. Are we suppose to exclude all of them from public service two decades after the fact?
That doesn't make sense to me.
:)
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
Still true today.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
Long live FZ.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
The article states that he testified he was censored by the FBI for accessing the files. It also states that the penalty for accessing such information under "false pretenses" carries a maximum penalty of a $5000 fine under the federal Privacy Act, but doesn't say whether he was fined for this or not. It would also depend on whether he used false pretenses to obtain the records or not. The article mentions him requesting a file from an employee at the San Diego police department. If he didn't say what he wanted it for, and the employee gave it to him without asking there was no false pretense (which would be a bit silly, but it happens, and it's a systemic problem). It also says he accessed files from a database himself, which also may not require a stated purpose, so there would be no false pretense.
The bottom line is this:
1. There is a systemic problem with protection of confidentiality in government agencies. Even Senator/Candidate Obama's passport information was accessed several times without authorization or cause by several people in the State Department either looking for dirt or just thrill seeking for the sake of voyeurism. This is bullshit, and the entire issue of privacy and government information needs to be seriously addressed. A solid mechanism needs to be put in place to protect personal information held by government. Theoretically there are already privacy commissioners in place, but the system is still a joke, and needs serious repair.
2. That said, linking the LEGITIMATE issue of privacy and government to a minor incident committed by Erroll Southers 23 years ago is also stupid. Southers is the most qualified candidate for this job that has ever been presented (his predecessor worked for a company that wrote software for supply management), and it would be stupid to let him be submarined over something like this. He's been in law enforcement for 32 years, and if something like THIS is the worst they can dig up on him, the man is a virtual saint. We've already had a good man like Van Jones assassinated over the fact that he once signed a petition without reading the fine print. It's bad enough that the populist right are assassinating Obama's nominations over trivial things, I don't see why we have to hand them the bullets and help them aim the gun.
3. The fact that Michael Chertoff may make some money off of full body scanners shouldn't color our decisions about whether to use them or not, it's immaterial. The only thing that it proves is that Chertoff has no credibility, and we've all known that ever since he announced that he uses his "gut" as a Geiger Counter.
While there's nothing I can do about the way the Susie Madrak wrote this article, there are two ways that it can be read. One way of reading it gives you the take away message that Erroll Southers can't be trusted, government can't be trusted with confidential information, and full body scanners are inherently bad because Michael Chertoff will make money off of them. I hope people won't read it that way, or (more importantly) propagate it that way. The other way the article can be read is to say that there are serious holes in federal privacy laws, and serious systemic problems with the way government protects confidential information. That's the important message from this post, that's the one we should be talking about, and that's how I hope people will read it.
Isn't the TSA paid to invade our privacy?
Seems he might be just the right person for the job?
:)
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
This is the SURVEILLANCE STATE.
FISA NATION
Barack FISA Obama and the Coverup Congress
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
tell us how this cannot stand!
But, if I hear a sitting Senator whose Mommy and Daddy had to pay off his girlfriends husband and also, illegaly, try to get him a job at a lobbying group, yap at me, I swear I'm going to shoot the screen..
On the other hand, I don't know, this is bad. Yes. And maybe we should set an example, and not put him in the position. It'll seperate us from the "Heckuva job, Brownie" crowd.
US marshals and Secret Service all the time. And Customs. In fact we had a 'secret' meeting once or twice a month, between credit granters and police agencies, all totally illegal. We shared private credit info and the whereabouts of possible suspect in crimes. You'd be amazed what you can tell from a credit report.
That was mid-late 80s, v. early 90s. Statute of limitations is up :P
A lot of officers in law enforcement check people out, just like a lot of people in retail credit depts check out famous people who have accts. Back in the day, we only generated a report if we changed something on the acct. Back then, looking was free. Now I understand, with larger memory capacity and these new-fangled machines, it's possible to record just a look...
me-oww!
Same here - well I had family in law enforcement and in the DEA - same same - but also many years back.
Not to mention a NCIC printout wasn't like the stuff we can get off the internet these days.
If I remeber what one looked like.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
As far as Obama appointments go - If this is all they have on the guy he is a no-brainer.
I think some of Obama's other appointments and hold-overs from Bush are WAY worse. The mountain top mining guy is a real stinker.
Maybe this dust-up is to distract from the really bad slugs?
(and yes I'm already wearing my tin foil hat)
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
Not in the least.
I think we all grew up knowing this happens.
This has happened since the beginning of this country.
Not surprised at all.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
I FULLY EXPECT "law enforcement" types to do this. Ones who don't may well be the exceptions.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
An officer breaking the law to lead the way in Transportation security.
A Treasury secretary who doesn't pay his taxes.
A chief economic advisor who was repsonsible for starting the entire derivatives thing back in the late 90's.
I really hope the democrats primary this Obama clown in 2012. This guy is 100 proof, Clinton-style repuke-lite. I can't stand to even look at him anymore.
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
It must be standard operating procedure in Washington to have criminals running the show.
Obama is playing along nicely.
I heard Robert Siegel press Chertoff about this conflict of interest on NPR's "Talk of the Nation".
before Jim Demented starts claiming this as the reason he put a hold on the nomination instead of his amti-labor bias?
and the need to fill his pockets with that homeland security money.
Just another position made up unneeded and over paid but republican position. That makes it OK!
Is this really a big surprise? Does anybody truly believe that Cheney the cowardly lion really disassociated himself from Halliburton while he was V.P.? Does anybody truly believe that Georgie boy didn't profit from his oil connections while he was Prez? What good does it do to be in government if you can't make a ton of money from it?
He would have gotten more if he had just Googled the dude.
Yes today he would but 20 years ago no Google.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
Oops. Didn't notice how long ago.
Shucks we all used to snoop around when we was young.
Not to mention the NCIC does have a few juicy tidbits if someone has been a criminal.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
We're all here criticizing the Republicans for holding up cabinet appointments like the TSA, then Obama's appointment just so happens to be a felon.
Sound familiar? Bernie Kerrick ring a bell?
Felon?
Who is a felon?
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
Erroll Southers, for lying under oath? Abuse of power?
Nothing to see here?
Sure, let's hang him from the yardarm!
lol
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
for "our" politicians of both parties to go along with egregious violations of USA civil liberties, such as the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th and 10th Amendment rights due to USA Patriot Act I & II, FISA, Military Commissions Act and Telco Amnesty for Wiretapping. For those considerations alone, every politician that voted FOR these bills should be run out of Washington, tarred & feathered and on a rail.
But the electorate has become increasingly aware that many or most of our politicians of both political parties can be legally bribed, under the rather thin veneer of accepting campaign contributions. Plus, I have to question the appointment of persons of dual citizenship to positions of great power and influence within our government. It makes no sense that, either through cash OR dual citizenship, that we should accept these divisions of loyalty. No man can serve two masters ...
And it is not as if the USA hasn't already been taken advantage of by this country's "friends and allies":
Jonathan Pollard betrayed this country, was tried and convicted in the USA judicial system, and yet each change in administration has seen this "ally" request Pollard's release. This "ally" considers him to be a national hero, with a thoroughfare and square named after him.
Dalck and Douglas Feith were involved in the intel mash-up that got the USA into Iraq.
Michael Chertoff served as Secretary of Dept. of Homeland Security under George W. Bush.
Rehm Emanuel currently serves as Chief of Staff under Barrack H. Obama.
No doubt there are many more dual citizens serving in various functions of our government, but the question has to be asked: Why? -- Why take that chance with our national security?
No man can serve two masters ...
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
None of these people serves the interests of the American People, nor the interests of Israel, per se.
They serve only themselves; their own greed for money and power along with the rest of the folks in the privileged class.
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
That, friends, is all you need to know. Skeletor never would divulge his criminal conflicts of interest if nobody thought to ask an explicit question about them.
Chertoff is crooked to his rotten core.
This reminds me of the beginning of Ian Fleming's novel Goldfinger.
James Bond is encouraged by a friend to play poker against this one guy who seems to be cheating at cards. Bond plays him and discovers how he's cheating and manages to stop it, but at the expense of a girl's life.
But before Bond knows the girl is dead, he's back at work working the graveyard shift answering phone calls in the middle of the night from their various foreign stations. One night he gets bored and researches Auric Goldfinger on some of their government equipment.
The next day he's called into Sir Miles Messervy's office (M), and is royally chewed out for the misuse of state equipment.
And then he's given the assignment to go investigate Auric Goldfinger.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
... this kind of centralized power inevitably attracts those who want to wield such power.
There was a case in the U.K. where two gentlemen tasked with monitoring some of Britain's security cameras were found to have been playing peeping tom and looking in a woman's apartment window as she undressed.
"....he had accepted full responsibility long ago for a "grave error in judgment" in accessing confidential criminal records about his then-estranged wife's new boyfriend...."
Oh swell! Another stellar candidate nominated by the Obama Administration. Way to go, guys!
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
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