Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer running for Congress as a Democrat, has accused a GOP super PAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), of obtaining her federal security clearance application improperly and then using the information for political purposes.
“I am not aware of any legal way that CLF could have this document,” Spanberger wrote in a cease-and-desist letter to the super PAC’s executive director Corry Bliss, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
In her letter, Spanberger demanded that the CLF destroy all copies of her application form and stop using the information.
Spanberger, who is in a congressional race against Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.), wrote in her letter that she had “clear evidence” that the CLF had given her application to “at least one news outlet.”
The super PAC denied Spanberger’s allegations in a statement Tuesday, calling it “a desperate attempt to prevent Virginia voters from learning about her record and background.”
CLF said it gained Spanberger’s application through a Freedom of Information Act request, which it included in its statement. According to CLF, another GOP research group, America Rising, filed the request with the United States Post Office (USPS). The application was reportedly one of two she filled out while applying for jobs with USPS and the CIA.
In the statement, CLF spokeswoman Courtney Alexander said, “CLF follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate’s background and Ms. Spanberger was no different.”
The CLF also released a part of the application with some personal information redacted, pointing to Spanberger’s work at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Northern Virginia, which the statement says has radical leanings.
Spanberger’s campaign lawyer Graham Wilson told the Times, “In this unredacted form, this is not a document that the government can provide under the Privacy Act.”
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Ex-CIA House candidate accuses GOP super PAC of obtaining her security application, using it against her https://t.co/PR88h5bhzK pic.twitter.com/Ad50eE6lgN
— The Hill (@thehill) August 29, 2018
A former CIA official's SF86 (ie SSBI to obtain or keep TS/SCI) information seems to be out there — and is being exploited by her political enemies. This is a VERY serious development, on both the privacy and the counterintelligence fronts. /2
— John Schindler (@20committee) August 29, 2018
No matter what, this comes back to @SpeakerRyan and @DaveBratVA7th — are you exploiting a criminal for illegal political purposes against a loyal fellow American — or are you in bed with Chinese intelligence? Choose. There is no 3rd option.
Looking at you, boys.
/4X
— John Schindler (@20committee) August 29, 2018
"Oh, we asked for it through FOIA," as if that's an okay thing to do as part of a campaign, by a party that won't even ask the President for a tax return. https://t.co/PhqKoQl2ur
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) August 28, 2018
UPDATE: USPS released her **ENTIRE** SF86 thru FOIA.
People need to be fired and jailed over this. I've never heard of this kind of Privacy Act violation by any USG agency, ever.
Full, impartial investigation needed, right now.https://t.co/6yojj6KDIa
— John Schindler (@20committee) August 29, 2018
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