Foreign Affairs Committee to Investigate Passport Snooping Case

Berman Notes Abuse of Government Power for Any Reason is Unacceptable

VAN NUYS, Calif., March 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Howard L.
Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the
following statement about the revelation that State Department employees had
improperly accessed the passport files of current presidential candidates:

"It is unacceptable for a government employee to invade the privacy of any
individual. We must guard against government abuse of power, whether for
political or other purposes.

"The disciplinary action that the State Department has taken in this case thus
far seems to be appropriate. The Department has affirmed that a senior,
non-political, career staff member in the Inspector General's office is now
investigating.

"However, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which oversees the State
Department, will also investigate this matter.

"The circumstances in this case may be different from the George H.W. Bush
Administration's snooping into Bill Clinton's passport records during the 1992
presidential campaign. But it is worth noting that that earlier situation
also was characterized as isolated and non-political when the news initially
emerged. This time, as then, Congress will pay close attention to the depth
of Executive Branch involvement in the rifling of presidential candidates'
passport files."

Berman chaired the International Operations Subcommittee during the
congressional investigation into the 1992 passport snooping case. The current
chairman of the International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight
Subcommittee is Bill Delahunt (D-MA).

SOURCE House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Lynne Weil of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, +1-202-225-5021