Rice apologizes to Obama over passport files

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice apologized on Friday to Sen. Barack Obama after it was learned State Department contract workers improperly viewed the Democratic presidential candidate's passport files.

"I told him that I was sorry and I told him that I myself would be very disturbed if I learned that somebody had looked into my passport file and therefore, I will stay on top of it and get to the bottom of it," Rice told reporters.

The State Department said on Thursday it had fired two contract employees and disciplined a third for having looked into Obama's passport files without authorization.

The department has begun an investigation by its acting inspector general, who in turn has contacted the Justice Department to involve it in the probe if it turns out that any laws were broken.

Asked if she believed laws may have been broken, Rice told reporters: "I can't comment before there is an investigation but there will be a full investigation."

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed, editing by Vicki Allen)