Military: Navy Sailor Attempted to Access Biden’s Medical Records
TL/DR –
A U.S. sailor assigned to a Navy medical unit at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was disciplined for attempting to access President Biden’s medical records without authorization. The incident, which took place in February, was reported by a co-worker and later investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which concluded that there was a breach but the president’s personal information was not compromised. The sailor, who is described as junior in rank, was punished administratively and President Biden’s health and fitness for office remain under scrutiny.
A U.S. sailor disciplined for unauthorized attempt to access Biden’s medical records
A U.S. sailor faced disciplinary action from the Navy for an unauthorized and unsuccessful attempt to access President Biden’s medical records, disclosed officials on Tuesday. The incident, taking place in late February, occurred well before Biden’s performance raising concerns among Democrats. The reasons for the sailor’s actions remain unclear.
Identified sailor from Navy medical unit failed to access President’s records
The yet-to-be-publicly-identified sailor, assigned to a Navy medical unit at Fort Belvoir, Va., accessed the military’s digital patient portal and searched for Biden’s name out of curiosity. Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, a Navy spokesman, stated that the sailor failed to access the President’s records and there was no compromise of the President’s personal information.
Investigations revealed a breach, sailor faced administrative punishment
The issue surfaced when a co-worker reported the sailor for violating medical privacy laws. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service found a breach in April, but clarified the accessed record did not belong to President Biden. The navy refrained from disclosing its findings at the time. The sailor, junior in rank, faced administrative punishment according to a U.S. defense official.
Sailor’s action came to light before President’s routine physical examination
The case, first brought to light by CBS News, came to attention just days before Biden’s regular physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The sailor’s unit, based in Virginia, trains sailors in medicine with around 400 medical professionals assigned.
White House and Defense Department notified of the incident
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder informed reporters that both the White House and senior Defense Department officials were notified about the incident in February.
Previous incident of high-profile data security breach
The Navy’s revelation of the incident comes over a year after another high-profile data security matter involving the military. In the prior case, a junior Massachusetts Air National Guard member accessed classified documents without permission and shared them online. Jack Teixeira, faces up to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty. Teixeira remains in custody and awaits sentencing later this year. The Air Force is also seeking to court-martial Teixeira for obstructing justice and failing to obey orders.
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