I-ISI-I vs-zum-Hs-l-mua 
- LDATE 0F REQUEST

REQUEST FOR OFFICIAL PERSONNEL FOLDER
(SEPARATED EMPLOYEE) 7/9120] 8 
SECTION I To 55 av neouosmo PERSONNEL OFFICE

2 CURRENT NAME (Last, ?rst, middle; NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
EPANBERGER ABIGAIL NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER
Personnel Records}

. n' '3 3}ny 1411 Boulder Boulevard
Valmeyer.lL ?2295?2603

Wuum?' no.
I 
FORM :3 REQUIRED For-t Eio?FoLoEn REQUESTED. REQUESTS aE FAXED on MAILED TO THE PERSONNEL

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

?gconos CENTER. 

5. PREVIOUS FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT 

AGENCY Mioio?ELum LOCATION FFIOM ?3?ng
USPS WASHINGTON DC1 I/34/2ll04 7f6!200(1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

u. REASON FOFI REQUEST (Gravel: hm)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
   

Currently employed. b. Temporary use. o. Pre~omploymont considerallon. relaln Ioldor hired.
7 Ham?arm 
- 
. SECTION II FOR USE BY RECORDS CENTER 
. Paper OFF Folder shipparl, h. Folder was sent {Dam}
To.

I b. EOPF Folder Iran-mulled
[j a. oOl??F Paper Copy shipped.
Pope-n? oil-PF om.- or both] resumed. ol {3 Yum Agency

Sz-rvim be sent

I. Dillorrdolalls

E. l[Slur search did not reveal a Paper OFF or EOPF record for the oivillon
Federal employment clalmod.

Paper OPF Folder not locotud. a former employee of your agency.
we suggest a lurlhar search 0! your agenCy If still unlocalod. verily namo.
date of binh and social securlty number, and return request to NPRC together
will: dam lolder was Iransforrad to NPHC and several names. dates o!
both. and social security numbers ol olhor folders in some shipment.


DATE INITIALS

  
 

[j On: Search lotmd ovldenco ol .1 Paper OFF loldor that Has not boon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

rr?rraivud by this center. Suggea! that you contact the last om playing o?loo. 71163.01 8 I
.M.m 
Ill TO BE COMPLETED a? REQUESTING PERSONNEL OFFICE

FULL NAME OF REQUESTING AGENCY SUB NAME OF REQUESTEH TELEPHONE N0. meme area made}
1 1 - .L 
AGENCY RECORD GROUP I AGENCY CHARGE ACCOUNT
STATES SER VICE Entorcomplalo
1' 3 A MAN AGER address lo whloh folder
1 or reply Is to be mailed.
URPORATE MANAGEMEN 1? Incruua ZIP Code.

475 PLAZA SW. ROOM 133]
WASHINGTON DC 20260-4261

.n . . 

STANUAHD FORM 122' [02-1 IJ
Ptooctzbo?d by NARA. 36 CFFI IEBJ latch I)

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE:
Til Z2013
REPLY TO INQUIRY (NCP)
Your Reference
SPANBERGER, ABIGAIL Date oi Inquiry:

 

 

"The answer to your inquiry is mmished beiow. This abbreviated form of repiy has been adopted as a means of supplying information in a
timeiy manner.

 

 

The Freedom of Information Act does eliow certain information to be released without the written consent oi the individual.
The ioliowlng intormation is releasable to the public:

Name

Past and present positions.

Past and present salaries (perionnance awards).
Past and present grades.

Past and present agencies and locations.

The United States Postal Service retains custody of all personnel folders of prior employees. Therefore.

we are forwarding the OFF, along with all documents of your request, to the following address. There.
they will review and handle your request.

United States Postal Service
General Manager

Corporate Personnel Management
475 L'Eniant Plaza SW. Room 1831
Washington DC 20260-4261

h_ 



 

NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER

AMERICA RISING $133531 $.22'tiififmm
1500 WILSON BLVD 5TH VLR St. Louis. mo 53132-5100

ARLINGTON VA 22209

Civilian Personnel Records
1411 BOULDER BLVD.
VALMEYER. IL 52295

 

 

 

 

NTTIWIIAL mo nico?n?o?? NA FDFIM tame (9-35?

Fi?. I. i UIIUHMLU in)! 

 


AMERICA 

RISING zma JUL --150o Wilson Boulevard, 5th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209

 

 

Julyg, 2018
VLA FAX: (618) 935-3014

National Personnel Records Center
1411 Boulder Boulevard
Valmeyer, 62295

To whom it may concern:

This is a request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act for access to certain records
contained in the of?cial civilian personnel ?le of former federal employee Abigail
Spanberge r. Speci?cally, this request seeks records re?ecting Ms. Spanberger?s
employment dates, annual salaries, title, and position description. To facilitate the
agency?s search, below is additional information concerning Ms. Spanbe rger:

 

 

 

Full name: Abigail Anne Daria Soanbcraer
Date of birth: l=

SSN: ii 

Agency: U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Date of Sewiee: coca-2006 (approx)

l-?or fee perposes, America Rising should be categorized as an ?all other" requester in
accordance with 5 U.S.C. America Rising intends to inform the
public about the existence and content of any disclosed records, which concern the
qualifications of a candidate for Congress. America Rising is not making this request on
behalfofan)r client, nor does it intend to use the records for ?nancial gain. See,

ARCHIVE, mewamericarisingarchivecom (America Rising's document library).

America Rising agrees to pay applicable fees up to $25.00. To reduce the burden of
production, America Rising will accept records electronicaily or double-sided copies.

'l?hank you in advance for your time and assistance.

Sincerely,
[mill

 

 

 

 

Vice President, 01A Operations

in in):

 

 

 

 

Pigt 1 at 2 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pages including cover sheet: 2

 

 

 

 

 

TO: From: America Rising

 

 

 

America Rising

 

 

1500 Wilson 

 

 

Arlington

 

 

VA 22209

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phone 

Fax Number Fax Number

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOIA request

 

 

 

 

HUMAN RESOURCES 
EMPLOYEE MAIMGEMENT

um 341 r55 -
POSTAL senwcs

July so, 2018

America Rising Corporation USPS Tracking Number 9114901496451615068011

1500 Wiison Bivd 5"1 ioor
Arlington. VA 22209-2453

Re.- Of?mai Personnel Foider for Abigail Spanberger

To Whom it May Concern:

Please find enclosed the entire Of?cial Personnel Folder for Abigai! Spanberger

Thank you.

 

?littl-

 

 

 

L'Ersrani Plaza SW. Room 1831
Waohinglon. DC 20260-4201

 

lbii?i

 

 

 

 UH I"?ll1 I 
1 

I1

r5] .Hil mm 

unr. 1iI111 M1unv=nn1 an'k
?mlimqumg aw t" litigLIHnJmi pm' llurzm [mum :mgurrgm-Iim um mm] 
?m All? 



till-I! :aalnujmlm]

Inn?lng

mum-II Sgt; Ann-1.; ?ramuH a 
Ell-?J 'g?uum' [manned ?Ivy. :01

up 9 2.11193 ml'mv m1? an! :mug

.urq 

 

jg 'uol?ugqsem - ?B 1109~sautlenm 3

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy Washington, DC

From: indium], learn-inn {if

Sent: Wminr-uricw 3? ?015 itIl'inLl AM

To: (luminlles Emile, Nu." 'y - bulmr'l. Panlcla - 
Cc: luwph WJ'J-iriutrm WT. Titanic-3'. SiImI-n DC
S'uleuct: i- IIA Reining!

in 1-.an Hing Ham 

Faun n. In [hr nl mainline .1 uf dnrunn-nls and furwanl Sherllv.

Hnnli 
1mm

 

 

 

 

Hum: inwnnin -. l?uiltli Ham 3; i' 
?u-nt: Alnjuar Elli}: in AM

10: (.i.ilii'mi, Panwln l-Iiill?l. Ml: {ll?lhm
LL: (nah-.5111, Jmnninl- Wunlniuznin. 
5iilijrt't: mm Iii-1mm!

Importance: Hinn

 

_i'nH?J

 

 

 

I?mnuln,

I?m phone mainwrsatmn this morning. can you please send us the letter and documents ASAP.
wn him.- i'nrxaiwad inquiries this morning on this issue.

alumni and Vi" wouici also like to see what was. requestmi and rem-Lise, Once
recriive liiv infnnimtiun win or your office. we Wiil for?wen?d it In him and media relations.

Hui-ink yum
Nancy ChavannesRattle:

Government Informalmn Specialist
US Samar:

 

 



 

 

lrnm: WW. Hill! Wd'uhnmli in, 
Sent: AUHUBI 

lelinL?L Farm-L] 1? MIEGI 
anuv w.i-.niimmn, DC 

i .1 Thu.? 

 

 

 

Cnalurinn. Janina: - 

 

 

Subiect: FOIA Remnant
Importance: High

inmwlu,
I?m lo tr.? down infummlmu About a FOIA requexl that may haw [mun smut out by your Gfl'lLE on JulyI it],
Ihe requust may haw- lJm-n frum an organization called American Rising and pertaining to .1 M5. Snanberger. [10

mm anything such a mum-st 

w. m-ml rm- unn-sul. thr:k Hm to the mqueat, the mmnla that wvre tnluasml tn Ihw
rmlu-wtnh? 


Imif 10m Ul'lu 

Chauannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC



 

 

 

 

me: l-?nnmLIi i.m 3.15.!

Sum: Wv-z e'unrmr 3? i 

To: .slnauu. 3'1" Luv;- 1.
(LC: .1 II ail"; 

?f 

AttachmentsIa-[l-I

Chavannes-Battle. Nancy Washington, DC

Frmn: Pul?-rlri hum-L I'u?lD

Sunt.? 9-. ?.me 31?] IF. 1' I AM

To: him mun?.- H.Itrle-, In 13m; hm:? I. Wt"
Cc: In - Van: .imupt. .-- LIE

Subjr-cl: Lw- mm

UN up!?

I lr-umi the 11m Hun-H1 . 

 



 

 

 

ChavaImes-Battle, Nancy - Wasl'Iington, DC

- 

 

 

 

I 
Smu: AM
Tu: Hi", HIP. farw i3
Cr: I ;1.l l rr?w 
Suijct: H. WI


1.- .1.-II I
Hut-I

I I 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washiigton, DC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: thilnwf, Pam-.401 law-:1, MD

Sent: 1 Eh" Nd

To: I hamnnr". Hume, 

Subject; tu'F Fl?lm

II I I
. ?la-?3H 
LIIHIJ
hum: I: mmnn". Hm?. In;

Ln-nt: Hr!" AM

To: t..1im--I, I'mm-lnl lmm-J, [Lynn 1mm Wmlunnlmu I'lt?

.E-H'ill

CL: marmm, 1H ?"63 ll LirnntHum: (mink-I, Imno-l, MI:
50m: Auguxl Jill?! HIM AM
In: (Julian-nu; Wmhilmmn. DC WIT-J Jam: t? - IJC


 

 

 

 

 

 


Subiect: OPFFOIA

I I11 luau! Ihu :lm'unwm'. Winn-um]

LI 3_ liIInlls?l 

 

{mm

 

 

 



 

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:



Attachments:

..

I 

Gullilurl, .l 

Mgr-v1.41 20111351 PM
Battle 


Lei'l Ft 



 

 

[Tl]

 

 

hum: I ?Illui'. M'v'uuhulgglun, IJI


I
(Hr-um I-I 
Subject: HI UPI 
lmporiurltu 

From: Ifiriln'wl, Funnel? I I.HHM, Ml)
Sent: W?.?tll1u5tlcw, Attgunl 1?1, 91'13 AM

 

To: t;havmmes-lmuiv. Nancy mum

 

 

 

Subject: RE: Dl?f 

unit-LI lunhlla'l 

 

WU:

 

 

 

FldleHll". Halthg Maury l? 
Sent: Wa-tlm-adny, Auguut I I AM

 

fu: [hum-la] vitrutn

 

 

 

LINE: 1

Wm, Luv- (3 - Wmhingmm [it

 

Ct: Waning: mm, in; tit-Jim

pit?l 

 

 

 

HI Ul?f Hll?

 

I-h'I-n]

 

 

 

From: l?mhriel, f?mm-LI} 
bunt: Augm! J?tlli-i 1:14..wa

.mmrum, ,Iamum - lilI

 

To: N. m - DC 

1_ 

 

Ewe, Jun:- (3 - WmJunquu 11C

 

Cc: Graham, Jeammw In? my}:
Subjt-ct: 

 

Fm Imml Ilw dc): 

 





 

Mini:

 

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washingt_on, DC

 

From: Walker, Janice - Washington, 
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:01 PM

To: Partenheimer, David A Washington, DC

Cc: Adams, Jeffery A - Washington, DC

Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Thank you!

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:54 PM

To: Walker, Janice - Washington, DC

Co: Adams, Jeffery A - Washington, DC

Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Will do
Sent from my iPhone

  

(W5)

 

 

 

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:44 PM

To: Walker, Janice - Washington, Adams, Jeffery A - Washington, DC
Subject: FW: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

From:?

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton DC
!u!1ec!: i Ill! i igi!

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising. submitted a for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 

  

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:

Subject:

I I
Eire. Jane 6 Washington. Dc?

Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:1? PM

Partenheimer, David A Washington, Castorina, Janine - Washington, DC
Bonanno, Natalie A - Washington, Weidner, Keith - Washington, Chavannes?
Battle, Nancy Washington, DC

RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:11 PM

To: Eirel Jana - Washliilii 

Bonanno, Natalie A - Washin ton
Washin ton, DC

 
   

?Castorina, Janine - Washington, DC

Weidner, Keith -
Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

 
  

Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 

  

I RGENT QUESTION

 

Nothing is coming up right away in our FOIA Tracking System, but I'll do some further searching to

see what I can find out.

Jane

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:02 PM

 

To: Castorina Janine - Washi

  

Eyre, Jana - Washington, DC

 

From:
Sent: Tuesday. August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton DC
!u!1ecl: ?ll! 

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

There is an urgent diSpute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund imprOperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group. American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

    

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC 

 

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:28 PM

To: Eyre, Jane - Washington, Castorina, Janine Washington, DC

Cc: Bonanno, Natalie A - Washington, Weidner, Keith - Washington, Chavannes?
Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

Subject: RE: FDIA URGENT QUESTION

Thanks!

From: Eyre, Jane - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:21 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton 
- Washington, DC
Cc: Bonanno, Natalie A - Washin

 
 
 

Castorina, Janine

    
 
  

eidner, Keith -
Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 

 

ubjeot: FW: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton DC
gugjeotz FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising. submitted a for Ms. Spanberger?s records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy Washington, DC

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, 
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 PM

To: Walker, Janice - Washington, Adams, Jeffery A Washington, DC
Subject: FW: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

FYI. So far the FOIA cannot locate this FOIA.

 



C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael
Tackett< 

Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of imprOperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and?desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal

information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she SUSpected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private lslamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporterfor The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

"i am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information 1 submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When i decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?Butl
expected these attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.

2

National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly con?dential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?it calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel
puter-system-
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence ofthis isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Batdwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance. The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. ?l just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added. have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it's me."

 

From:
Sent: ues ay, ugust 281 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton DC

    
  
 

   
 

 

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimen

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

    

Chavannes-Battle. Nancy - Washington. DC

From: Partenheimer. David A Washington. 

Sent: Tuesday. August 28. 2018 7:13 PM
To: Castorina. Janine - Washington. DC
Cc: Eyre. Jane Washington. Bonanno. Natalie A - Washington. Weidner. Keith 

Washington. Chavannes?Battle. Nancy Washington. Walkerr Janice 
Washington, Adams. Jeffery A - Washington. DC
Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Thanks Janine. I have copied Janice Walker and Jeff Adams on this email.

From: Castorina, Janine - Washington. DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:11 PM
To: Partenheimer. David A - Washington, DC
Cc: re. Jana - Washin ton DC

  
    
  
  
 

Bonanno. Natalie A - Washington.
. - Washington. DC
avannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington. DC

Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Sent from my iPhone

 

On Aug 28. 2018. at 7:09 PM, Partenheimer. David A - Washin ton. DC

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28. 2818
WASHINGTON A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease-and?desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund .
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all c0pies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.

?i write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican?aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different,? Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39. said in the letter that she had "clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet,? adding, ?i am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate, served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political

nytimescomfZOl . html>, surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?Butl
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter. Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the lslamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

2

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.LA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel
Management: nytimes.comi201 puter-system-
exposes-personneI-data.htmla. American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?in this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

"i personally don?t see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. ?i just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. if they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it?s me."

 

 

Sent: ues ay1 ugus . 
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton DC
!u!JecI: I FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer.

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger. a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Risingy submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger?s records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30. 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

  

  

The New York Times

Chauannes-Battle, Nancy Washington, DC

Sent: Tuesday; August 28, 2018 7:17 PM

To: Marshall, Thomas] Washington, DC
Subject: Fwd: FOJA URGENT QUESTION
FYI

Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

From: "Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton, 

      
 
  

   

Washington, "Chavannes-

Battle, Nancy 

 
  
 

"Walker, Janice

 
    

JefferyA- Washington 
Subject. RE: 

Thanks Janine. I have copied Janice Walker and Jeff Adams on this email.

From: Castorina. Janine- Washington DC
Sent: Tuesday August. 28 2018 7: .11 PM

Bonanno Natalie A - Washin ton DC

Weidner Keith -
Washington, DC Chavannes-
Battle, Nanc - Washin ton, DC
!u!}eol: I 

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 28, 2018, at 7:09 PM. Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton, DC
?wrow:

 

 

nytimes. comf20?l 

CIA. Of?cer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

 am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. ?i have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

"When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism." Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal lnspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant." said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

Ma nage me nt< nytim es .co mf201 5106l05/uslb reach-in-a-federaI-compute r-system-
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an of?cial government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place.? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy.
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing.? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine. I'm glad it's me."

 

 

To: Partenheimer DavidA-Wa hin 

 

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document. then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another grOUp. American Rising. submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 

Chavannes?Battle, Nancy - Washian, DC

From: Eyre. Jane 6 Washington, Dc?

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:20 PM
To: Castorina, Janine Washington, DC
Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

reading the article

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

Original message mum

From: "Castorina, Janine - Washington. 
Date: 81281118 7:10 PM 

To: "Partenheimer, David A - Washington, 

Cc: re Jane ~Washin ton DC

 
    
 
 
 

'Bonanno, Natalie A - Washington
?Weidner, Keith - Washington, 
es-Battle, Nancy - Washington, 

Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Sent from my iPhone

On Au 281 2018, at ?:09 PM, Partenheimer David A - Washin 
erote:

 

 

 

nytimes. comr?201 

OLA. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former OLA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She

1

demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, ?l am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted,? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, i
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks,? she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va., an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a

2

school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it's me."

From: Eyre, Jane - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:21 PM

To: Partenheimer, David A Washin ton, DC
Castorina, Janine 
as mg on,

3

 



To: Partenheimer Dijli i - 
- 

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group. American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30. 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy Washington, DC

 

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 w1?223 PM

To: Brennan, Megan Washington, Stroman, Ronald A Washington] DC: CottrelL Guy


Subject: FW: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

(W5)

 

 

 

Thomas J. Marshall
General Counsel and Executive Vice President United States Postal Service

From: "Partenheimer David A Washin ton 
Hate: !ugust 28, 2018 at 7:13:25 PM EDT

   
   

  
  
 

  

c:
?Bona

   

vre, ane as Ington,
nno NatalieA-Washin ton 

   
     

Jeffery A - Washington, 
Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION Thanks Janine. I have copied Janice Walker
and Jeff Adams on this email.

From: Castorina, Janine - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:11 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton DC

 
 
 

 

 
 

Cc: Eyre. Jane - Washington, DC
Bonanno Natalie A - Washin ton DC

 

I ith E-

Washington, DC Chavannes-
Battle, Nanc as In ton 
gubject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 

Sent from my iPhone

On Au 28: 2018, at 7?:09 PM, Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton DC

 

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of impmperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet,? adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." in an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent? certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

 am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate, served in the as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "Butl
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican?aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy.
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing? said Bryan
Baldwin. a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine. I'm glad it?s me."

 

To: Partenheimer. David A - Washin ton. DC
Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimer.

There is an urgent dispute over the release ofthe SFBB form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

   

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Childs, Stephanie - Washington, DC 

Sent: Wed nesday, August 29, 2018 ?:25 PM

To: Meyers, Sheila Washington DC

Subject: FW: Fwd: Reps. Connolly and Cummings Request Postal IG Investigation
FYI

From: Stroman? Ronald A - Washington, DC
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 ?:18 PM
To: Childs, Stephanie - Washingto

n, DC
Cc: Ray, Christine - Washington, DC

  
  

Subject: Re: Fwd: Reps. Connolly and Cummings Request Postal IG Investigation

 

On Au 29 2018 at 7:11 PM Stroman RonaldA-Washin ton 
wrote:

 

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:
From: "Ste henson, Mark?

  

 

      

ate: ugust 29. 2018 at 6:40:49 PM EDT

Subject: eps. onno yan ummings eques os a nves Iga Ion

FYI This just went out to press.

  
 

   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29. 2018

CONNOLLY: Collin Dav 

    

CUMMINGS: Aryele Bradford

 

Reps: Connolly and Cummings Request IG Investigation into Postal Service's Reported Release of
Congressional Candidate's SF-86 and Personnel File

Washington, D.C.?Today, Vice Ranking Member Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Ranking Member Elijah
E. Cummings (D-MD) of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to
the Acting Inspector General for the United States Postal Service requesting an investigation into the
Postal Service?s reported release of a former employee and current Congressional candidate's
unredacted Standard Form 86 (SF-86). Press reports indicate that the unredacted Standard Form 86
and personnel file of Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for the Commonwealth of
Virginia?s 7th Congressional District, was released by the Postal Service to a conservative PAC
through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Ms. Spanberger, an err?CIA officer, is also a
former employee of the Postal Service. The personal information obtained through the FOIA request
was subsequently used by a Super PAC working against Ms. Spanberger.

?We write to request that your office conduct an investigation into the reported release by the United
States Postal Service of a former employee's unredacted Standard Form 86 (SF-86) and any other
related personal information that was released in violation of privacy statutes and other laws and
regulations,? the Ranking Members wrote.

They also wrote.
?The release of Ms. Spanberger's unredacted SF-SS to any individual or entity without her permission
in violation of the law would call into question the Postal Service?s processes for responding to FOIA

requests."

The Members requested that the Office of the Inspector General address at least the following
ques?ons:

(1) Did anyone at the Postal Service disclose Ms. Spanberger's if so, who and what
were the circumstances of the disclosure?
(2) Did the disclosure of Ms. Spanberger's SF-86 or any other documents provided under

America Rising?s FOIA request violate any laws, regulations, or policies governing disclosure of such
materials?

(3) What, if any, information provided under America?s Rising's FOIA request should

not have been provided?

(4) Why did the Postal Service not seek a privacy waiver from Ms. Spanberger before releasing
her personnel file and SF-86 pursuant to a FOIA request?

(5) Were any individuals in the Postal Service who handled America Rising's FOIA request
aware of Ms. Spanberger?s candidacy for Virginia?s 7th Congressional District or the political nature of
America Rising?s request?

(6) Does the Postal Service have adequate procedures in place to process FOIA requests and
prevent disclosure of protected information?
(7) What actions, if any, has Postal Service management taken to prevent unauthorized and

impermissible disclosures of such information in the future?

The full letter follows and is available 


August 29, 2018

Ms. Tammy L. Whitcomb
Acting Inspector General

United States Postal Service
1735 N. Street
Alexandria, VA 22209-2029

Dear Acting Inspector General Whitcomb:

We write to request that your of?ce conduct an investigation into the reported release by the United
States Postal Service of a former employee's unredacted Standard Form 86 (SF-86) and any other
related personal information that was released in violation of privacy statutes and other laws and
regulations.

On August 28. 2018 the New York Times reported that the Congressional Leadership Fund. a political
action committee (PAC). obtained the federal security clearance application. SF-SS. of Abigail
Spanberger. the Democratic candidate for the Commonwealth of Virginia?s 7th Congressional
District.[1] Press reports indicate that an unredacted copy of Ms. Spanberger?s SF-86 was obtained
by America Rising. a political research firm. through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to
the Postal Service. which then shared it with the PAC. It was also reported that the Postal Service
provided America Rising with Ms. Spanberger?s entire personnel file.[2] It is unclear whether any of
these disclosures conformed with laws and regulations including FOIA or the Privacy Act.

The release of Ms. Spanberger?s unredacted SF-SB to any individual or entity without her permission
in violation of the law would call into question the Postal Service's processes for responding to FOIA
requests. We request that your office investigate the Postal Service?s role in the release of Ms.
Spanberger?s SF-86 and related personnel information and. at a minimum. address the following
ques?ons:

(1) Did anyone at the Postal Service disclose Ms. Spanberger?s If so. who and what
were the circumstances of the disclosure?

(2) Did the disclosure of Ms. Spanberger?s or any other documents provided under
America Rising's FOIA request violate any laws. regulations. or policies governing disclosure of such
materials?

(3) What, if any, information provided under America?s Rising?s FOIA request should not
have been provided?

(4) Why did the Postal Service not seek a privacy waiver from Ms. Spanberger before
releasing her personnel file and SF-BB pursuant to a request?

(5) Were any individuals in the Postal Service who handled America Rising?s FOIA request
aware of Ms. Spanberger's candidacy for Virginia?s 7th Congressional District or the political nature of
America Rising?s request?

(6) Does the Postal Service have adequate procedures in place to process FOIA requests
and prevent disclosure of protected information?

(7) What actions, if any. has Postal Service management taken to prevent unauthorized and
impermissible disclosures of such information in the future?

Thank you for your immediate attention to this urgent request.

 

 

Sincerely,
Elijah E. Cummings Gerald E. Connolly
Ranking Member Vice Ranking Member
cc: The Honorable Trey Gowdy. Chairman

 

 

 

Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application, New York Times
(Aug. 28, 2018) (online at 


In an Unprecedented Move. the US Postal Service Released a Former CIA Officer's Security
Application to a Republican Group. BuzzFeed News (Aug. 29. 2018) (online at




Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Childs. Stephanie - Washington, 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29. 2018 ?:26 PM

To: Slusher, Scott - Washington. Simpson, Mary Ann Washington, Sallay, Rod
(HQ) - Washington, DC

Subject: FW: Fwd: Reps. Connolly and Cummings Request Postal IG Investigation

FYI I already shared 

From: Stroman, Ronald A - Washington. DC
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 7:18 PM

To: Childs, Stephanie - Washington. DC
Co: Rayj Christine -Washington. DC
Subject: Re: Fwd: Reps. onno an equest osta Investigation

  
   
      

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

FYI
Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:
From: "Ste-hen 

 
 
             
     

a e: ugust I a val-I? ?u I
To: Ron Stroman

Subject: i w: 'eps.

       

  

onno an ummings Request Postal IG Investigation

FYI This just went out to press.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29. 2018

CONNOLLY: Collin Daveniort
CUMMINGS: Aisle Bradford

Reps. Connolly and Cummings Request IG Investigation into Postal Service?s Reported Release of
Congressional Candidate's SF-BB and Personnel File

   

 

Washington, D.C.?Today. Vice Ranking Member Gerry Connolly and Ranking Member Elijah
E. Cummings (D-MD) of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. sent a letter to
the Acting Inspector General for the United States Postal Service requesting an investigation into the
Postal Service?s reported release of a former employee and current Congressional candidate?s
unredacted Standard Form 86 (SF-86). Press reports indicate that the unredacted Standard Form 86
and personnel file of Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate for the Commonwealth of
Virginia's 'r'th Congressional District, was released by the Postal Service to a conservative PAC
through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Ms. Spanberger. an officer, is also a
former employee of the Postal Service. The personal information obtained through the FOIA request
was subsequently used by a Super PAC working against Ms. Spanberger.

?We write to request that your office conduct an investigation into the reported release by the United
States Postal Service of a former employee's unredacted Standard Form 86 and any other
related personal information that was released in violation of privacy statutes and other laws and
regulations.? the Ranking Members wrote.

They also wrote.
?The release of Ms. Spanberger's unredacted to any individual or entity without her permission
in violation of the law would call into question the Postal Service's processes for responding to FOIA

requests."

The Members requested that the Office of the Inspector General address at least the following
questions:

(1) Did anyone at the Postal Service disclose Ms. Spanberger's If so. who and what
were the circumstances of the disclosure?
(2) Did the disclosure of Ms. Spanberger's or any other documents provided under

America Rising?s FOIA request violate any laws. regulations. or policies governing disclosure of such
materials?

(3) What. if any. information provided under America's Rising's FOIA request should

not have been provided?

(4) Why did the Postal Service not seek a privacy waiver from Ms. Spanberger before releasing
her personnel file and SF-86 pursuant to a FOIA request?

(5) Were any individuals in the Postal Service who handled America Rising's FOIA request
aware of Ms. Spanberger's candidacy for Virginia?s ?th Congressional District or the political nature of
America Rising?s request?

(6) Does the Postal Service have adequate procedures in place to process FOIA requests and
prevent disclosure of protected information?
(7) What actions. if any. has Postal Service management taken to prevent unauthorized and

impermissible disclosures of such information in the future?

The full letter follows and is available 


August 29. 2018

Ms. Tammy L. Whitcomb
Acting Inspector General

United States Postal Service
1735 N. Street
Alexandria, VA 22209-2029

Dear Acting Inspector General Whitcomb:

We write to request that your office conduct an investigation into the reported release by the United
States Postal Service of a former employee's unredacted Standard Form 86 (SF-86) and any other
related personal information that was released in violation of privacy statutes and other laws and
regulations.

On August 28. 2018 the New York Times reported that the Congressional Leadership Fund, a political
action committee (PAC). obtained the federal security clearance application, SF-BS, of Abigail
Spanberger. the Democratic candidate for the Commonwealth of Virginia?s 7th Congressional
Press reports indicate that an unredacted copy of Ms. Spanberger?s SF-BS was obtained
by America Rising, a political research firm, through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to
the Postal Service, which then shared it with the PAC. It was also reported that the Postal Service
provided America Rising with Ms. Spanberger?s entire personnel file.[2] It is unclear whether any of
these disclosures conformed with laws and regulations including FOIA or the Privacy Act.

The release of Ms. Spanberger?s unredacted SF-BS to any individual or entity without her permission
in violation of the law would call into question the Postal Service's processes for responding to FOIA
requests. We request that your office investigate the Postal Service?s role in the release of Ms.
Spanberger's SF-BG and related personnel information and. at a minimum. address the following
questions:

(1) Did anyone at the Postal Service disclose Ms. Spanberger?s If so, who and what
were the circumstances of the disclosure?

(2) Did the disclosure of Ms. Spanberger?s SF-86 or any other documents provided under
America Rising?s FOIA request violate any laws, regulations. or policies governing disclosure of such
materials?

What. if any. information provided under America's Rising's FOIA request should not
have been provided?

(4) Why did the Postal Service not seek a privacy waiver from Ms. Span berger before
releasing her personnel file and SF-BB pursuant to a FOIA request?

(5) Were any individuals in the Postal Service who handled America Rising?s FOIA request
aware of Ms. Spanberger's candidacy for Virginia?s 7th Congressional District or the political nature of
America Rising's request?

(6) Does the Postal Service have adequate procedures in place to process requests
and prevent disclosure of protected information?

(7) What actions, if any. has Postal Service management taken to prevent unauthorized and
impermissible disclosures of such information in the future?

Thank you for your immediate attention to this urgent request.

 

 

Sincerely,
Elijah E. Cummings Gerald E. Connolly
Ranking Member Vice Ranking Member
cc: The Honorable Trey Govvdy. Chairman

 

 

 

CIA. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application. New York Times
(Aug. 28, 2018) (online at 
:waw.nytimes.coml201 html>).

In an Unprecedented Move, the US Postal Service Released a Former CIA Of?cer's Security
Application to a Republican Group, BuzzFeed News (Aug. 29, 2018) (online at




Chavannes-Battle, Nancy Washington, DC

 

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:35 PM

To: Eyre. Jane (3 - Washington, DC

Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
{bi(5}

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 28, 2018, at 7:19 PM, Eyre. Jane (3 - Washington, DC
wrote:

  

(W5)

 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

Original message 
From: ?Castorina Janine- Washin ton 
II

 

 
  
 

Date: 8128f18 7:10 PM (GMT- 05: 00)


Da id Whas in
?C'Bonanno NatalieA- Washin ton 
Weidner Keith -
Washington 'Chavannes?

Battle Nanc P- Washin ton 

 
   

Subject. Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 28. 2018, 31?:09 PM, Partenheimer. David A - Washington, DC

 



1

 Of?cer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for politics! purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent" certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."
Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

"When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican?aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others. had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the Opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents," lv'ls. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me."

From: Eyre, Jane - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday August 28 2018 6: 21 PM

To: Partenheimer DavidA- Washin ton DC
a Janine-
BI gon

Weidner Keith 
Washington, DC Chavannes-

 

 

Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION


Sent: ues ay, ugus

To: Partenheimer DavidA- Washin ton DC
UNEENI 

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

     

 

There is an urgent di3pute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document. then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising. submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted cepy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC


Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 T235

 

To: Castorina, Janine Washington, DC
Cc: Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington. DC
Subject: FW: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28. 2018 7:09 PM

To: Eirel Jane - Washinitonl 

Cc: Bonanno, Natalie A Washington, DC
Washington, DC

 
 
   

Castorina, Janine - Washington, DC

Weidner, Keith -
Chavannes~Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

 
 

FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 



C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former C.I.A. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies ofthe form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
"1 write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different,? Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

1

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanbergefs campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clearevidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet,? adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place." Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence ofthis isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy.
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me."

From: Eyre, Jane - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:21 PM
To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton 

  
  

   

Cast r' a, Janine -

   

as ing on,

Cc: Bonannoon,
Weidner, Keith -
Washington, DC Chavannes-

 
 
 
    

Battle, Nanc -Washin ton DC

 
 

Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 

3

Jane

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday. August 28, 2018 8:02 PM
To: Castorina, Janine - Washin ton DC

  
   

   

Eyre, Jane - Washington, DC

c: onanno, Natalie A - Washin ton DC
Weidner, Keith -
Washington, DC

Subject: FW: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

  

From.?

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

To: Partenheimerl David A - ?v?v'ashinitenl DC

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF88. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

HEW !Of! limes

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Storey, Simon - Washington, DC 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 YES PM

To: Castorina, Janine - Washington, DC

Cc: Graham, Jeannine - Washington, DC

Subject: FW: Summary of OPF Requests

Attachments: Summary of OPF Contents final A Spanberger Aug 2618.xlsx

 

{bii5}

 

 

 

From: Graham, Jeannine- Washington, DC
Sent: Wednesday, August 29 2018 6: 43 PM
To: Storey, Simon M- Washington DC
Co: Graham, Jeannine- Washington?
Subject: Summary of OPF Requests

  
 

Simon,

 

Thanks,

Jeannine Graham

Manager, Employment Policy Programs
Human Resources( (HQ)

United States Postal Service] 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW Washiniton DC 20260

Chavannes?Battle, Nancy - Washington. DC

From: Marshall, Thomas Washington. DC 

 

Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2018 8:55 PM

To: Brennan, MeganJ Washington, DC

Cc: Stroman, Ronald A Washington, Cottrell, Guy]
Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION



 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 28, 2018, at 8:32 PM, Brennan, Megan -Washington, DC

bli5l

 

 

Megan

On Aug 28, 2018, at 7:23 PM, Marshall, Thomas - Washington. DC

(W5)

 

 

 

 

Thomas J. Marshall
General Counsel and Executive Vice President United States Postal Service

From: ?Partenheimer, DavidA- Washington 

Bale: gugus! ?a at g: u: EH

To: "Castorina, Janine? Washin to 

  
 
 
 
   
 

 

c: ?Eyre. Jane (3 - Washington. 
"Bonanno, Natalie A - Washin ton 

 
 
 
 
 
  

"Weidner Keith -
"Chavannes-

"Walker, Janice
"Adams,
Jeffery A- Washington
Subject. RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION Thanks Janine. I have copied Janice Walker
and Jeff Adams on this email.

From: Castorina, Janine Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:11 PM

To: Partenheimer, David A - Washiniton, DC
1

Cc: Eire. Jane Washingtom Dc?

Bonanno, Natalie A - Washin ton, DC
Keith -

. Chavannes-
Battle  Nanci - as initonl DO
rect: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Sent from my iPhone

    
  

 

On Aug 28, 2018, at 7:09 PM. Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton, DC

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease?and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different." Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an

interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporterfor The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

?i am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information i submitted,? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first~time candidate, served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, 1 took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative, assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican?aligned groups
conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the lslamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others. had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Of?ce of Personnel
nytimes. co ml201 
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan. Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form.? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place.? Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy.
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing.? said Bryan
Baldwin. a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance. The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies. notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added. have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine. I'm glad it's me."

From. Eyre. JaneG- Washington. DC
Sent: Tuesday August 28. 20186: '21 PM

  
 
 

r' a, Janine -

   

Washington. DC Chavannes-

Battle Nanc as In ton
!u!iec!: l! 

I sent an email to Ms. Gabriel to see if she knows anything about this. I?ll let you know as soon as I
hear something.

Jane

From: Partenheimer. David A - Washington. DC
Sent: Tuesday. August 28. 2018 6:02 PM

To: Castorina Janine - lv?tiashin ton DC

4

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28. 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton, DC

 

 
 

 

 

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanbergery a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018? and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

Chavannes-Battle, Nan:

From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:

I have this one David.

- Washin ton, DC

Par'tenheimer, David A Washington, DC 

Tuesday, August 28, 2018 9:37 PM
Coleman, David Washington, DC

Fw: URGENT query from th-

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Partenheimer, David A Washington, 

Sent: Tuesday, August 28. 2018 9:49 PM
To: Walker, Janice - Washington, Adams, Jeffery A Washington, DC
Subject: FW: Spanberger Security Clearance

From the New York Times story

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nan: - Washin ton. DC

 

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 9:49 PM

To: Walker, Janice - Washington, Adams, Jeffery A Washington, DC
Subject: FW: URGENT query from the Daity Beast

From the New York Times story

 

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Partenheimer, David A Washington, 

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 20i8 9152 PM

To: Castorina, Janine Washington, DC

Cc: Eyre, Jane (3 Washington, Bonanno, Natalie A Washington, Weidner, Keith 
Washington, Chavannes?Battle, Nancy Washington, Walker, Janice 
Washington, Adams, Jeffery A - Washington, DC

Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 

From: Castorina, Janine Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:11 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC
Co: re Jane - Washin on

 
 
 
 

Bonanno, Natalie A - Washington,

 




Sent from my iPhone

On Au 28, 2018. at 7:09 PM Partenheimer David A 

  



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.

 write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was here.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted,? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks,? she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"it calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel
puter-system-
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a Spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it?s me."

 

 

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

To: Partenheimer David A - ifulashinitonl DC -

Mr. Partenheirner,

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document. then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising. submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018. and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30. 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 



C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
"l write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?in this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, "l am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." in an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent" certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, i
am concerned about my privacy and security."
Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former Operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks,? she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican?aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the C.I.A., she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others. had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan. Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the ?rst place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

?i personally don't see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine I?m glad it?s me."

. ugust 28. 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David A - Wa 

Mr. Partenheimer.

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger. a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger?s records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 91 2018. and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 PM

To: Partenheimer, David A Washington, DC
Subject: Re: URGENT query from the

  

  

Ok thanks

David P. Coleman
Public Relations
US. Postal Service

 

Original message 
From: "Partenheimer, David A .. Washington, 00'
Date: 8i28i18 9:36 PM 

To: "Coleman, David - Washington,
Subject: FW: URGENT query from th

 
 
 
 
 

i have this one David.

 

Chauannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 6:50 AM
To: Panenheimer, David A Washington, DC
Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Let me know ifl can help with anything.

On Aug 29, 2018, at 6:05 AM, Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC

 
 

 

From: Castorina, Janine - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:11 PM

To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton DC

 

Bonanno Natalie A - Washin ton DC
ith -
Washington, DC Chayannes-

Battle-l Nanci - Washinitonl DC

Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

On Au 28, 2018, at 7:09 PM, Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton DC

 



CIA. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael
Tackett< nytimes. comiby/ ichael-tackett>

Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former C.I.A. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.

Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease?and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, 3 separate Republican-aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, fora law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, lvls. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups

conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in Decemberthat she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the C.I.A., she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.LA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it?s me.?

From: Eyre, Jane Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:21 PM

From:
Sent: Tuesday August. 28 2018 5: .28 PM

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release otthe SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger?s records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted cepy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30. 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

    

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

Sent: Wednesday. August 29, 2018 8:10 AM

To: Eyre, Jane (3 - Washington DC

Cc: Chavannes?Battle, Nancy Washington. DC
Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Janine Castorina

Chief Privacy and Records Officer
United States Postal Service

475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW

Washington DCI 20260

202.268.2049 fax

From: Eyre, Jane - Washington. DC

Sent: Wednesday, August 29. 2018 8:07 AM
To: Castorina. Janine - Washington. DC
Cc: Chavennes-Battle, Nancy - Washing on,
Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUES

 
 
    
 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

Original message 
Fr . 'Il 

  
 
 
 
  

 

  
 

Date: 8/29f18 8:04 AM 
To: "Eyre, Jane - Washington. 
Cc: "Chavannes-Battle, Nanc - Washin ton 

  
   

Subject: RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
(bits)

 

 

 

 

Janine Castorina

Chief Privacy and Records Officer
United States Postal Service

475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington DC. 20260

 

202.268.2049 fax

From: Eyre, Jane Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:35 PM
To: Castorina, Janine Washin-ton DC

    



Subject: FW: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 

From: Partenheimer, David A Washington DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 0
Castorinal Janine- viiashiniton  DC

Weidner Keith 
Washington DC Chavannes-

Subject RE: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

 
   
 
 
 
   

 



C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018

WASHINGTON - A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application - a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information - and then using it
for political purposes.

Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. 3 separate Republican-aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign. said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school - called "Terror High? in an earlier news article - to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, fora law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. ?i have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, i
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, 1 took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed i would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "Eiutl
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the

C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited ?nal word from the C.I.A., she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place." Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing." said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the Opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. "1 just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it's me."

From: Eyre, Jane - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:21 PM

Janine 
Washington, 

ith -
Chavannes-

   

 

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David A Washin ton DC

 
 
 

Subject; FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanbergen a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund imprOperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising1 submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela

Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

  

The New York Times

 

 



 

C.LA. Of?cer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28. 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics."
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge. saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican~aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different." Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign. said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form. this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act." he said.
Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet." adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent? certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."
Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate, served in the C.LA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District. which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.
She has made the race. which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deepiy troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

4

 personally don?t see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."
She added, have nothing to hide. if they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it's me."

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton DC

Jec 
Mr, Partenheimer,
There is an urgent diapute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic

candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

 

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 

 

View this email in your browser 

2Dhidihg-3Fe-






[engressional leadership 



3 De 864518 032U5b3f2f2808f4cd6?26id-30671 CBS 504 3~26e-

Vng?l 



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 28. 2018



 









 

CLF Issues Statement: What Is Abigail Spahberger Hiding

WASHINGTON in a desperate attempt to prevent Virginia voters from learning about her record
and background, Virginia's 7'th Congressional District Democratic nominee, Abigail Spanberger, today
sent a letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund 
5.list-






which her campaign then shared with select members of the media 
threatening legal action over information about Spanberger that was obtained through legal channels.
CLF is responding by releasing a copy 






of that letter to voters in Virginia's ?th Congressional District as well as
documentation from the Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) and the records that were obtained
from the United States Postal Service as the result of that request.

This included information about Spanberger's tenure working at the lslamic Saudi Academy in
Northern Virginia, which the Associated Press reported was clubbed ?Terror High" after 12 US.
Senators and a federal commission wanted to shut it down. Spanberger?s former employer produced
a number of well-known terrorists including Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, valedictorian of the academy in
1999. who was convicted in 2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist
network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This led US. Senate Democratic Leader Charles
Schumer to issue a press release in 2005 calling for a full-scale probe





3D09970d7f05&d= 


of the controversial lslamic school and
questioning whether the lslamic Saudi Academy was "another madrassa." In addition, CLF is
redacting the document to exclude personal information such as home addresses, telephone
numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers, even though this information was released by
the USPS as part of the response to the FOIA request.

57f?l -3f72-4e94-955a-
47aa397b6373png]

CLF spokesperson Courtney Alexander made the following statement about Spanberger's politically?
motivated gambit today:

 ?It should surprise no one that Ms. Spanberger would want to hide from voters that she worked at
a school that produced some of the world?s most dangerous terrorists. CLF follows the letter of the
law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger was no different. That she?s
threatening legal action, however. should raise serious questions for voters about what else she is
trying to hide. For any interested parties, CLF is happy to provide redacted copies of the information
Ms. Spanberger is trying to hide from voters in Virginia."

BACKGROUND:

On July 9. 2018, America Rising Corp. submitted a FOIA request to the National Personnel
Records Center "for access to certain records contained in the official civilian personnel file of former
federal employee Abigail Spanberger. Specifically, this request seeks records re?ecting Ms.
Spanberger's employment dates, annual salaries, title. and position description."

By letter dated July 12, 2018. NPRCINARA forwarded the America Rising Corp. request to the
United States Postal Service.

On July 30, 2018, USPS responded to America Rising's request with their complete personnel file
(?entire official personnel folder"), which included Spanberger's SF-86.


0e5424f781a9png]


5.list-




3 D09970d7f05&d= 
vng?l 





5.list-


3A_congressionalleadershipfu nd.us?l 5 . 


3 
vng?l 




5.iist-


3A_congressionaileadershipfund . us?l 


3D09970d?f05&d= 
vng1 
-


Paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund 


3A__congressional leadershipfund . us?l 


vngi 
H-


1747 Ave NW. 5th Floor

Washington. DC 20006

Unsubscribe me from this mailing list 




3 
vng?l 


?IuAr4aK9k&e=>

Congressional Leadership Fund All Rights Reserved.

 

View this email in your browser 

ZDhiding-3Fe-





[ongressional leadership 




vngi 




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 28, 2018






ungi 



 

CLF Issues Statement: What is Abigail Spanberger Hiding
2

WASHINGTON In a desperate attempt to prevent Virginia voters from learning about her record
and background, Virginia's 7th Congressional District Democratic nominee, Abigail Spanberger, today
sent a ietterto the Congressional Leadership Fund 







- which her campaign then shared with select members of the media -
threatening legal action over information about Spanberger that was obtained through legal channels.
CLF is responding by releasing a copy 





vngi 

of that letter to voters in Virginia's 7th Congressional District as well as
documentation from the Freedom of information Request (FOIA) and the records that were obtained
from the United States Postal Service as the result of that request.

This included information about Spanberger?s tenure working at the Islamic Saudi Academy in
Northern Virginia. which the Associated Press reported was dubbed ?Terror High" after 12 US.
Senators and a federal commission wanted to shut it down. Spanberger's former employer produced
a number of well-known terrorists including Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, valedictorian of the academy in
1999, who was convicted in 2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist
network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This led US. Senate Democratic Leader Charles
Schumer to issue a press release in 2005 calling for a full-scale probe





vng?l 

of the controversial islamic school and
questioning whether the islamic Saudi Academy was ?another madrassa." In addition, CLF is
redacting the document to exclude personal information such as home addresses, telephone
numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers, even though this information was released by
the USPS as part of the response to the FOIA request.


47aa397b6373png]

CLF spokesperson Courtney Alexander made the following statement about Spanberger's politically-
motivated gambit today:

?It should surprise no one that Ms. Spanberger would want to hide from voters that she worked at
a school that produced some of the world?s most dangerous terrorists. CLF follows the letter of the
law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger was no different. That she's
threatening legal action, however, should raise serious questions for voters about what else she is
trying to hide. For any interested parties, CLF is happy to provide redacted copies of the information
Ms. Spanberger is trying to hide from voters in Virginia."

BACKGROUND:

On July 9, 2018, America Rising Corp. submitted a FOIA request to the National Personnel
Records Center "for access to certain records contained in the official civilian personnel file of former
federal employee Abigail Spanberger. Specifically. this request seeks records reflecting Ms.
Spanberger's employment dates, annual salaries, title, and position description."

By letter dated July 12. 2018. NPRCINARA forwarded the America Rising Corp. request to the
United States Postal Service.

On July 30, 2018, USPS responded to America Rising's request with their complete personnel file
("entire official personnel folder"). which included Spanberger's SF-86.


0e5424f781 a9.png]







vlgOt 









vlgO?l 

4











1 -


Paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund 


3A__congressionalleadershipfu nd . usl com_track_click-3Fu-


vng1 




1747 Ave NW, 5th Floor

Washington, DC 20006

Unsubscribe me from this mailing list 




3 
vng?l 

?luAr4aK9k&e=>

Congressional Leadership Fund All Rights Reserved.

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Walker. Janice - Washington. Dc 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 8:46 AM
To: Castorina, Janine - Washington. DC
Cc: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, Eyre, Jane Washington, Bonanno,

Natalie A Washington, Weidner, Keith Washington, Chavannes-Battle,
Nancy Washington, Adams, Jeffery A - Washington, Cottrell, Guy Marshall,
Thomas] - Washington, DC: Latham, Sandra Washington, Sultan, Steven -
Washington, DC

Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT 

Thank you,
Sent from my iPhone

On Au 29 2018 at 8:24 AM Castorina Janine?Washin ton DC

 

Janine Castorina

Chief Privacy and Records Officer
United States Postal Service

4?5 L'Enfant Plaza, SW

Washin ton DC 20260
lax

From: Walker, Janice - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 10:03 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC

 

Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION



C.I.A. Officer-Turned?Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in

any fashion.

 

 write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the Ietterthat she had ?clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted." she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria. Va. an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

3

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
C.LA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance. The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

?i personally don't see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it?s me.?

From: Eyre, Jane - Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:21 PM

 
   
 

 

a, Janine -
Washington, 
Cc: Bonanno

 
 
 

Weidner, Keith 
Chavannes-

  

Washington, DC

 

From:
Sent: Tuesday. August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

 
 
 

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She assets that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

   

The New York Times

 

 nytimes . co mi 20 1 8l08i2 8/ us! politicsicia-of??ce r-h ouse-electio n-super?pac. 

Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28. 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics."
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge. saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. 3 separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different." Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign. said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. "In this unredacted form. this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act." he said.
Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet." adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High? in an earlier news article -- to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent" certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted." she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation would be. I
am concerned about my privacy and security."
Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate. served in the CIA as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography

3

in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.LA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican?aligned groups
conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA. she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

Ma 
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on

this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine. I'm glad it's me.?

Sent: Tuesday. August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton, DC

Ject:

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger. a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 

Chavannes?Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Levin, Mary Washington, DC

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 9:49 AM

To: Sucich, Nicholas} Washington, DC

Subject: Re: NY Times Article

Attachments: image?Ol .jpg; imageDOijg; irnage003.png; image004jpg,? image005.png;

imageDOEjpg; image??ljpg; image008.png

On it

Mary Beth Levin

Manager, Social Listening and Insi A Social Business lntelli enoe Corporate Communications
United States Postal Service, HQ



 
   

On Aug 29, 2018, at 9:34 AM, Suoioh, Nicholas - Washington, DC

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancz Washington, DC

From: Levin, Mary - Washington, DC

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 9:49 AM

To: Goldstein, Noah Washington, Hallums, Kimberly Washington, Matyas,
Emilyr A Washington, DC

Subject: Fwd: NY Times Article

Attachments: imageOOing; imageOOEjpg; imageOOSpng; image004.jpg; imageDOSpng;
imageDGEjpg; imageOO'r'jpg; imageDOB.png

Please do a quick look at this now and a second look after the daily report

Mary Beth Levin

Manager, Social Listening and Insi A Social Business Intelligence Corporate Communications
United States Postal Service, 



Begin forwarded message:

From: "Sucich Nicholas - Washinton, 

 

 

 



Officer-Turned?Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former C.I.A. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and?desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.

3

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race. which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

"When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative. I assumed lwould be the target of attacks.? she said in the letter. "But I
expected these attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

4

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing.? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it?s me."

 

 

From: 
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:2

Partenheimer David A -Washin ton DC

Subject: Igl! 

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger. a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group American Rising. submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018. and that the postal service response
included an unredacted c0py for the SF86 That letter is dated July 30. 2018 and signed by Pamela

Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 

 



Officer-Turned?Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies ofthe form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet,? adding, ?i am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? in an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be

3

named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely signi?cant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

4

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place.? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence ofthis isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing.? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents.? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine. l?m glad it?s me.?

 


Sent: ues ay. ugus 

To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton. DC

!u!]ecl: QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document. then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service reSponse
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 301 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Timii

 

View this email in your browser 

2Dhrding-3Fe-





[ongressionaf leadership 


0e65043-263-





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 28. 2018





2



vng?l 

FV40dgplolJJU


 

CLF Issues Statement: What Is Abigail Spanberger Hiding

WASHINGTON In a desperate attempt to prevent Virginia voters from learning about her record
and background, Virginia's 7th Congressional District Democratic nominee, Abigail Spanberger, today
sent a letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund 
5.list-






which her campaign then shared with select members of the media -
threatening legal action over information about Spanberger that was obtained through legal channels.
CLF is responding by releasing a copy 






of that letter to voters in Virginia's 7th Congressional District as well as
documentation from the Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) and the records that were obtained
from the United States Postal Service as the result of that request.

This included information about Spanberger?s tenure working at the Islamic Saudi Academy in
Northern Virginia, which the Associated Press reported was dubbed ?Terror High" after 12 US.
Senators and a federal commission wanted to shut it down. Spanberger?s former employer produced
a number of well-known terrorists including Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, valedictorian of the academy in
1999, who was convicted in 2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist
network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This led US. Senate Democratic Leader Charles
Schumer to issue a press release in 2005 calling for a full-scale probe





3

 


of the controversial Islamic school and
questioning whether the Islamic Saudi Academy was ?another madrassa." In addition, CLF is
redacting the document to exclude personal information such as home addresses, telephone
numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers. even though this information was released by
the USPS as part of the response to the FOIA request.


47aa397b6373png]

CLF spokesperson Courtney Alexander made the following statement about Spanberger's politically-
motivated gambit today:

"It should surprise no one that Ms. Spanberger would want to hide from voters that she worked at
a school that produced some of the world?s most dangerous terrorists. CLF follows the letter of the
law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger was no different. That she's
threatening legal action, however, should raise serious questions for voters about what else she is
trying to hide. For any interested parties. CLF is happy to provide redacted copies of the information
Ms. Spanberger is trying to hide from voters in Virginia.?

BACKGROUND:

On July 9. 2018. America Rising Corp. submitted a FOIA request to the National Personnel
Records Center "for access to certain records contained in the official civilian personnel file of former
federal employee Abigail Spanberger. Specifically, this request seeks records reflecting Ms.
Spanberger's employment dates. annual salaries, title, and position description."

By letter dated July 12, 2018. NPRCINARA forwarded the America Rising Corp. request to the
United States Postal Service.

On July 30, 2018, USPS responded to America Rising's request with their complete personnel file
("entire of?cial personnel folder"). which included Spanberger's SF-BB.


0e5424f781a9png]







3 uw5thg&r=2XXorp
vng?l 

Roqun KXYqung 



5.list-


3A_congressiona leadersh ipfund.usl 5. 










22a-26e?





Paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund 




vng?l 
H-


1747 Ave NW, 5th Floor

Washington, DC 20006

Unsubsoribe me from this mailing list 



5



3022b373fdfa&d= 




1uAr4aK9k&e=>
Congressional Leadership Fund ?All Rights Reserved.

 

Officer~Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a ceasewand-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.

3

 

 follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different,? Courtney Alexander, a Spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." in an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. "i have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But i
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned grOUps
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service. the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"lt calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel
nytimes.coml20?  
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me.?

 

    

From:
Sent: Tuesday. August 28. 2018 5:28 PM


Jec: 

Mr. Partenheimer.

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted cepy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New rk Tim

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington. DC . 

From: Partenheimer. David A Washington, 
Sent: Wednesday, August 29. 2018 10:06 AM

To: Coleman, David Washington. DC
Subject: New York Times story
Attachments: imageOUlJpg; image002.jpg; image003.jpg; 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28. 2018
WASHINGTON - A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application - a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information - and then using it
for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics."
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge. saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different." Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. "In this unredacted form. this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act." he said.
Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet." adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the
school - called "Terror High" in an earlier news article - to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be

I

named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information i submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate. served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

"When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed i would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"it calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

Ma 
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

2

 

"This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form." Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing." said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this tepic.?

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents," lvls. Spanberger said. "l just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added. "l have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it's me."

Dave Partenheimer
Manager. Public Relations
U.S. Postal Service

  






Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Castorina, Janine Washington, 
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 10:07

To: Lind, Christopher - Washington, DC
Subject: FW: FOIA URGENT 


 

 

 

 

Janine Castorina

Chief Privacy and Records Officer
United States Postal Service

4?5 L'Enfant Plaza, SW

  
  

 

From: Walker, Janice - Washington, DC
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 8:46
To: Castorina, Janine - Washington, DC
Cc: Partenheim

 
   
  

  

Bonanno, Natalie ancyP?I. an .- II 1.-..
Jeffery A - Washington, DC Cottrell Guy 
Marshall, Thomas - Washington, I La am, an-ra -
Washin- .- Sultan, Steven - Washington, DC

    
 

  
 
 
  

   
   

  
 

 
   
 

Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone

On Au 29 2018 at8:24 AM Castorina JaninH-W I

   

 

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former C.LA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
?i write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet,? adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted,? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?
Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the C.LA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography

3

in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.
She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.
"When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 
Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria. Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.
A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check. which she was told could take at least six months.
She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave. Ms. Spanberger
said.
As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.
"it calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private. personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely signi?cant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.
Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

exposes-personnel-data.htmla. American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.
Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.
?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.
?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?
The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance. The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

4,

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.

But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. ?l just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me."

 

 

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: - 

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 301 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 



Of?cer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former C.I.A. officer running for Congress accused a SUper PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and~desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that SUSpioion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted,? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."
Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the lslamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents.? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. if they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me.?

ues-ay, I . 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David Washin ton DC

ubject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheirner,

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group American Rising, submitted a FOJA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

  

The New York Times

 

 



C.LA. Of?cer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of lnformation Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letterthat she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet,? adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the

?Wilma Packamuq

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inapection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel
nytimescom/Zot 
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

5

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy.
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. "i just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine. I?m glad it's me."

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

 

To: Partenheimer David A - Washin
Mme: g?ijl 

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger. a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document. then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group. American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018. and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy forthe SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thankyou

Haw !ork Times

  

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and~desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies ofthe form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporterfor The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel


5

 American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it's me."

 

From: Partenheirner, David A Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:02 PM

To: Castorina, Janine - Washin ton, DC

 
  
 

 

Eyre, Jane - Washington, DC

Co: Bonanno Natalie A - Washin ton 

 
   

Washington, DC
Subject: FW: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

6

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28. 2018 5:28 PM

To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton DC

Mr. Partenheimen

 

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group. American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger?s records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

  

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Sucich, NicholasJ Washington, DC 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29. 2018 10:15 AM

To: Levin. Mary Washington, DC

Subject: RE: NY Times Article

Attachments: imageOO1jpg; imageDOijg; imageOinng; imageUO4jpg; image-005mg;

imageDO?jpg; imageOU?.jpg; imageDOBpng

Ok, thanks

Nicholas J. Sucich
Managen Digital Communications
United States Postal Service. HQ

 

ttp: 

Follow USPS 








 

Follow USPS <http:llusps.comlnews>








Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

 
   

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 10:15 AM
To: Williamson, Jeffrey - Washin ton, DC
subject: Fwd; URGENT query from me-

FYI
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:

From: "Partenheimer

 
       

Subject: FW: UR query romt Daily Beast

From the New York Times story

 

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and~desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different,? Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?in this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.

4

Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet." adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was

"1 00 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted,? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation would be. I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate. served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District. which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries. not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter. Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria. Va.. an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism.? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check. which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave. Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service. the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic. 

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it?s me.?

 

To: Castorina, Janine - Washington, DC
Eyre, Jane (3 - Washington, DC


Cc: Bonanno, Natalie A - Washington. DC
Weidner, Keith -
Washington, DC 

Subject: FW: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Janine and Jane, please see below from the New York Times. I?m not sure what if anything we can
say about this Since the FOIA in question was not from a media outlet, I am not aware of the
details of this one. Direction on how to handle this is appreciated.

Thanks

Dave

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton DC
!u!Ject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document. then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

He 

 

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance

application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.

 

 

Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a Spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groUps associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican?aligned groups

conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the C.I.A., she took a job at the Postal Inapection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel
nytimescothO?l 
exposes-personnel-data.htmla. American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy.
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies. notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it?s me.?

6

 

Sent: Tuesday. August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David A Washin ton DC

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group. American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

   

The New York Times

 

 

C.I.A. Officer-Turned~Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28. 2018
WASHINGTON A former C.I.A. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease?and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She

 

demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet,? adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be. I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her suoporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a

5

school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information. and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence ofthis isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. ?i just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added. have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me."

 

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton, DC

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheirner,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group. American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Name: - Washington, DC

From: 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 10:21 AM
To: Merho, Eida Washington, DC
Subject: Fwd: URGENT QUESTION

3

Chris Lind
Manager, Privacy and Records

Begin forwarded message:

 

 



Officer-Turned?Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28. 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics."
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge. saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican?aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different.? Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson1 a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign. said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form. this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act.? he said.

3

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporterfor The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted,? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the CIA as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

"When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former C.I.A. operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries. not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va., an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris. a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form.? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?in this instance. The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

?i personally don't see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, l'm glad it?s me."

 

 

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

To: PartenheimerI David A .3

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted cepy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

   

The New York Times

 



Officer-Turnedeandidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease~and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in

any fashion.

 

 write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request ?led with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District. which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican?aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in Decemberthat she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?it calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence ofthis isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?in this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it's me."

 

 

From:
Sent: ues-ay, ugust 1 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer. David A - Washington. DC

!u!]ecl: I QUESTION

  
 
 

   

Mr. Partenheimer.

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger. a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger?s records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

   
 

The New York Times



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael

Aug. 28, 2018

 

WASHINGTON former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.

Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics."
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge. saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican?aligned research firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different." Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign. said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form. this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act.? he said.

Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a cepy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet." adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporterfor The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a c0py of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information i submitted." she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation would be. I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate. served in the as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District. which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race. which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

"When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. "But I

expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican?aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel ?les, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy.
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the Opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. it they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it's me.?

4

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton. DC

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimer,
There is an urgent dispute over the release ofthe SFBG form of Abigail Spanberger. a Democratic

candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger?s records
through the normat channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018. and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30. 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

 

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 

 



Of?cer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of imprOperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different." Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion ofthe security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act.? he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letterthat she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that soapicion in Its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted,? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."
Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography

3

in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris. a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel
puter-system-
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an of?cial government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?in this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on

this topic."

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer. David A Washin ton DC

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger. a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document. then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 

 



Officer-Turned?Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former C.I.A. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?in this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clearevidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security Clearance application to ?at least one news

3

outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the C.LA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, i took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.LA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks,? she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
C.LA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

4

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form." Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance. The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trumps persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, l'm glad it?s me.?

 

From: Partenheimer, David A Washington, DC
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 6:02 PM

To: Castorina, Janine - Washin ton, DC

5

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28. 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC

Subject: FOIA URGENT 

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release ofthe SF88 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF88. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 

 

 

nytimescomiZUt 

Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael
nytimes. comiby/michael-tackett>

Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, 3 separate Republican?aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?in this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letterthat she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, ?i am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? in an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that sUSpicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. "i have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."
Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography

4

in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks,? she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the C.I.A., she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant." said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel
nytimescomiZOl 
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it's me.?

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

To: Partenheimer, David A Washington, DC

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018. and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


4

 

Aug. 28. 2018
WASHINGTON former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics."
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge. saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different." Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign. said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. "In this unredacted form. this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act." he said.
Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet." adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent" certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted." she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation would be. I
am concerned about my privacy and security."
Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate. served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District. which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.
She has made the race. which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.
?When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former CIA. operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. ?But I

5

expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism,? Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy.
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it?s me."

6

 

ues-ay, I18 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton 

Jec: A URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimer,
There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger. a Democratic

candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

 

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

llew limes

 

 



Officer~Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease-anddesist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge. saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. 3 separate Republicamaligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service did not ring true. "in this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

4

Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet.? adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted." she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation would be. I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger. a first?time candidate. served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District. which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race. which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former CIA. operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries. not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter. Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria. Va. an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism." Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check. which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave. Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service. the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information. and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

l?v?ls. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others. had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

exposes-personnei-datahtmla. American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence ofthis isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it's me.?

 

 

From:
Sent: 5 ay ugus

U6 I
To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton DC
!u!iect: 

Mr. Partenheimer,

   

          

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger?s records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nanc - Washin tan, DC

From: Bruce, Joseph Washington, DC

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 10:3? AM
To: Graham, Jeannine - Washington, DC
Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Sent from my iPhene

On Aug 29, 2018, at 10:29 AM, Graham, Jeannine - Washin

With him now.

Thanks,
Jeannine Graham

 

 



C.LA. Officer?Turned?Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28. 2018
WASHINGTON former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease-and?desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics.?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge. saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different." Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign. said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form. this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act.? he said.
Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet." adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its reaponse. going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

 am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted." she
said. "1 have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be. I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate. served in the as a covert of?cer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race. which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries. not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter. Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking reSpondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria. Va. an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism." Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check. which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave. Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service. the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private. personal information. and so to the person
whose information is at stake. it is extremely signi?cant." said David Kris. a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others. had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan. Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form." Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents," lvls. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, ?l have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me."

 

Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

 

 

ubject: URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group. American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

   

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington. DC

From: Graham, Jeannine Washington, DC 

Sent: Wednegday, August 29, 2018 10:39 AM
To: Bruce, Joseph Washington, DC
Subject: Re: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
Will do.

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 29, 2018, at 10:3? AM, Bruce Joseph - Washington, DC

Sent from my iPhone

On Au 29 2018 at 10:29 AM Graham Jeannine~Washin ton DC
_wr0te:

With him now.

 

 

Thanks1
Jeannine Graham

 

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be

named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the few
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particulariy troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?it calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Of?ce of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

6

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form." Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing." said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance. The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine I'm glad it?s me."

 

 
 
  
 

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David A - Washin ton DC

Subject: FOIA URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimer.

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document. then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 

 

View this email in your browser 

2Dhiding-3Fe-





[engressional leadership 




3009970d7f05&d=DwMGaO&c= 




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 28, 2018











 

CLF issues Statement: What Is Abigail Spanberger Hiding

WASHINGTON In a desperate attempt to prevent Virginia voters from learning about her record
and background. Virginia?s 7th Congressional District Democratic nominee, Abigail Spanbergen today
sent a letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund 


5. 


vng1 

which her campaign then shared with select members of the media 
threatening legal action over information about Spanberger that was obtained through legal channels.
CLF is resoonding by releasing a copy 






of that letter to voters in Virginia's ?th Congressional District as well as
documentation from the Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) and the records that were obtained
from the United States Postal Service as the result of that request.

This included information about Spanberger's tenure working at the lslamic Saudi Academy in
Northern Virginia, which the Associated Press reported was dubbed ?Terror High" after 12 US.
Senators and a federal commission wanted to shut it down. Spanberger's former employer produced
a number of well-known terrorists including Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, valedictorian of the academy in
1999. who was convicted in 2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist
network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This led US. Senate Democratic Leader Charles
Schumer to issue a press release in 2005 calling for a full-scale probe





vng?l 

of the controversial Islamic school and
questioning whether the Islamic Saudi Academy was "another madrassa." In addition, CLF is
redacting the document to exclude personal information such as home addresses, telephone
numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers, even though this information was released by
the USPS as part of the response to the FOIA request.


4Taa397b63?3.png]

CLF spokesperson Courtney Alexander made the following statement about Spanberger's politically-
motivated gambit today:

?It should surprise no one that Ms. Spanberger would want to hide from voters that she worked at
a school that produced some of the world?s most dangerous terrorists. CLF follows the letter of the
law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger was no different. That she's
threatening legal action. however, should raise serious questions for voters about what else she is
trying to hide. For any interested parties, CLF is happy to provide redacted copies of the information
Ms. Spanberger is trying to hide from voters in Virginia.?

BACKGROUND:

On July 9, 2018. America Rising Corp. submitted a FOIA request to the National Personnel
Records Center "for access to certain records contained in the official civilian personnel file of former
federal employee Abigail Spanberger. Specifically. this request seeks records reflecting Ms.
Spanberger's employment dates, annual salaries. title, and position description."

By letter dated July 12, 2018. NPRCINARA forwarded the America Rising Corp. request to the
United States Postal Service.

On July 30, 2018, USPS responded to America Rising?s request with their complete personnel file
("entire official personnel folder"), which included Spanberger's SF-86.


Ue5424f781a9png]





us?l 


vng1 


BWk&e=>


5.list-


1 5 . list-2Dmanage. com_track_click-3Fu?


vng?l 

4





5.Iist-





vng?l 

-

4CXHGOJ 

Paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund 


3A_congressionalleadershipfu nd. usi 5. Fu-


Vng?l 

KXYqungi8i5=levKAZH1 H-


1747 Ave NW, 5th Floor

Washington. DC 20006

Unsubscribe me from this mailing list 






1uAr4aK9k&e=>

Congressional Leadership Fund All Rights Reserved.

View this email in your browser 

ZDhiding-3Fe?

3D099?Od7f05&d= &r=2XXorp




[ongressional leadership 




vng?l 

KXYqungi&s=SGluu22chs CH 


 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 28. 2018

nd.usi 5. ist-



QeJdchi 




 

CLF Issues Statement: What Is Abigail Spanberger Hiding

WASHINGTON In a desperate attempt to prevent Virginia voters from learning about her record
and background, Virginia's 7th Congressional District Democratic nominee, Abigail Spanberger, today
sent a letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund 





3009970d7f05&d=DwMGaQ&c= 


which her campaign then shared with select members of the media 
threatening legal action over information about Spanberger that was obtained through legal channels.
CLF is responding by releasing a copy 




vng?l 

of that letter to voters in Virginia's 7'th Congressional District as well as
documentation from the Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) and the records that were obtained
from the United States Postal Service as the result of that request.

This included information about Spanberger's tenure working at the Islamic Saudi Academy in
Northern Virginia, which the Associated Press reported was dubbed ?Terror High? after 12 US.

3

Senators and a federal commission wanted to shut it down. Spanberger?s former employer produced
a number of well-known terrorists including Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, valedictorian of the academy in
1999, who was convicted in 2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist
network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This led US. Senate Democratic Leader Charles
Schumer to issue a press release in 2005 calling for a full-scale probe







of the controversial Islamic school and
questioning whether the Islamic Saudi Academy was "another madrassa.? In addition, CLF is
redacting the document to exclude personal information such as home addresses. telephone
numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers. even though this information was released by
the USPS as part of the response to the FOIA request.


47aa397b6373png]

CLF spokesperson Courtney Alexander made the following statement about Spanberger's politically-
motivated gambit today:

?It should surprise no one that Ms. Spanberger would want to hide from voters that she worked at
a school that produced some of the world's most dangerous terrorists. CLF follows the letter of the
law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger was no different. That she?s
threatening legal action, however, should raise serious questions for voters about what else she is
trying to hide. For any interested parties, CLF is happy to provide redacted copies of the information
Ms. Spanberger is trying to hide from voters in Virginia."

BACKGROUND:

On July 9, 2018, America Rising Corp. submitted a FOIA request to the National Personnel
Records Center ?for access to certain records contained in the official civilian personnel file of former
federal employee Abigail Spanberger. Specifically, this request seeks records reflecting Ms.
Spanberger?s employment dates, annual salaries, title, and position description."

By letter dated July 12, 2018, NPRCINARA forwarded the America Rising Corp. request to the
United States Postal Service.

On July 30, 2018, USPS responded to America Rising's request with their complete personnel file
("entire official personnel folder"), which included Spanberger's SF-86.


0e5424t781a9png]




























1 


Paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund 




5


ung?l 



1?47 Ave NW, 5th Floor

Washington, DC 20006

Unsubscribe me from this mailing list 




3022b3?3fdfa&d= 
vng?l 

1uAr4aK9k&e=>

Congressional Leadership Fund All Rights Reserved.

Chauannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

 
 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 10:56 AM

To: Coleman, David - Washington, DC

Subject: media monitoring report attached

Attachments: imageOOi .jpg,? image003.png; image004.jpg; imageOOS.png;

imageOO?Jpg; iinage00?.jpg; image008.png; media monitoring FOIAdocx

David P. Coleman

Public Relations Rapresentative
US. Postal Service
Headquarters, Washington DC

 

Follow USPS <http:liusp3.comlnews>




<http:llyoutube.comlusps>



Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Coleman, David Washington, DC 
Sent: Wednesday, August 29. 2018 10:57 A

   

To: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC
Subject: media monitoring report attached
Attachments: imageOOl .jpg; image002.jpg; imageOOBpng; image004jpg; image005.png;

image006.jpg; image00?.jpg; image008.png; media monitoring FOIAdocx

Dave see attached

David P. Coleman
Public Relations Representative
US. Postal Service

Head uarters Washin ton 

    

Follow USPS 




<http:ffvoutube.comlusps>

[cid:imageOO1 .jpg@010F5A21 


Chavannes-Battle. Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Coleman, David Washington, DC 
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 10:59 A

To: Partenhr-gin'ierr David A - Washington, DC
Subject: just found this story
Attachments: imageOO1.jpg; imageOOijg; image003.png; image004.jpg; imageDOS.png;

imageOD?jpg; image007jp9; image008.png


Iotsa?Iuck

David P. Coleman
Public Relations Representative
U.S. Postai Service

Headiuarters, Washiniton DC

Follow USPS 








 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From:

Sent:

To:

Cc:

Subject:
Attachments:

 

Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC <DavidA.Partenheimer@usps.gov>
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 11:00 AM

Walker, Janice - Washington, Adams, Jeffery A - Washington, DC
Coleman, David Washington, DC

FW: media monitoring report attached

media monitoring 

Just two stories so night's NY Times story and Buzzfeed (attached).

 



 

 

Thanks
Dave

 

Media Tracking

Links to Stories:

Nytimescom: C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security
Agglication

Buzzfeednewscem: in An Unprecedented Move, The US Postal Service Released
A Former CIA Officer?s Security Application To A Republican Group

Full Text of Stories:

Nytimescorn

C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC
Obtained Her Security Application

By Michael Tackett
- Aug. 28. 2018

WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned
with Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security
clearance application - a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information
and then using it for political purposes

Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia.
sent a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional
Leadership Fund. which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm
elections. She demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use
the information in any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of
politics." she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge.
saying that the document was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed with
the United States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican-aligned research
firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidates background and Ms.
Spanberger was no different." Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group. said in the
statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some
personal information.

Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign. said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form. this is not a document
that the government can provide under the Privacy Act." he said.

Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet,? adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi ArabiaThe super PAC validated that
soapicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the school called ?Terror High"
in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a iaw
enforcement job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she
was ?100 percent" certain it was here.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital
data like a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted.?
she said. have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation
would be. I am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger. a ?rst-time candidate. served in the OLA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her
biography in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District. which includes
the suburbs of Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made theater. a toasaoauhe?eok surprisingly
competitive.

"When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries. not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican?aligned groups
conducting "push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had
once taught at the lslamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria Va. an international baccalaureate
program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was
asked if she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had
taught at a school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for
terrorism.? Ms. Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the
United States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for
a job at the that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending
her background check. which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a
temporary job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave,
Ms. Spanberger said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service. the
law enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both
jobs at about the same time. She also said she informed the OLA. each time she took on new
employment.

National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential
document is particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private. personal information, and so to the
person whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of
Cuiper Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal
information may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of
American officials have said privately that they believe that the hacking
could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.

Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates
in his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should
have in its possession in its unredacted form." Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first
place,? Mr. Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding
policy, The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,"
said Bryan Baldwin. a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance. The AP. did not
publish a story on this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies. notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given
rise to complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the
president.

But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen
to be the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me."
Nytimescom

Buzzfeednews.com

In An Unprecedented Move, The US Postal
Service Released A Former CIA Officer?s Security
Application To A Republican Group

By Grace Wyler Jason Leopold

The former officer. Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger. has suggested the information was
released for partisan purposes. Documents shows USPS was responding to a FOIA request from
research group America Rising.

The United States Postal Service has released the entire federal security clearance application
of a former CIA officer running for Congress, in what experts say is a highly unusual. and
perhaps unprecedented. move. given the extensive. highly personal nature of the information
contained in such documents.

In an interview with the New York Times published Tuesday. the former officer, Abigail
Spanberger. accused the Congressional Leadership Fund. a super PAC aligned with House
Speaker Paul Ryan. of improperly obtaining the document. and suggested that the Trump
administration may have leaked the information for partisan purposes.

 

But BuzzFeed News can confirm that an unredacted copy of the federal security clearance
application was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by America Rising.
3 research group allied with the Republican Party. which then shared it with the Congressional
Leadership Fund. Spanberger. a Democrat. is challenging Republican Rep. David Brat in a
Virginia congressional race that has become surprisingly competitive going into the fall midterm
campaign.

Documents viewed by BuzzFeed News show that the request for Spanberger's entire civilian
personnel file was submitted early last month to the National Personnel Records Center. a
division of the National Archives. The request. which sought records related to the former CIA
officer?s employment dates. salaries. title. and position descriptions. did not explicitly mention
the federal security clearance application. known as an 

The FOIA request specifically sought records from Spanberger?s official personnel folder from
the US Postal Inspection Service. where she used to work. America Rising's FOIA request
included the first five numbers of Spanberger?s social security number. which the group
obtained from LexisNexis. BuzzFeed News has learned.

The documents show that on July 12. three days after the FOIA request was submitted. the
NPRC notified America Rising that the FOIA request had been forwarded to the US Postal
Service for processing. and that some information could be released under the FOIA ?without
consent from the individual.?

On July 30. the USPS provided America Rising with Spanberger?s entire personnel folder.
including the SF-86.

"America Rising submitted a standard Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking
information from the National Personnel Records Center which was referred to the United
States Postal Service. an independent agency, which provided us responsive documents."
America Rising CEO Joe Pounder said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. ?Why the USPS
disclosed certain information in response to the FOIA is for their response. At the end of the
day, this Democrat candidate is trying to block the one thing FOIA is meant to provide,
transparency."

BuzzFeed News has reached out to USPS for comment on why the unredacted file was
released but did not immediately receive a response.

According to the Times, the is one of two security clearance applications Spanberger
submitted when she first applied to work for the federal government in 2002law enforcement job at USPS, which she took while waiting to hear back about the job
at the intelligence agency.

The decision by USPS to release the unredacted document was unusual, FOIA and security
clearance eXpert Bradley Moss, an attorney with Mark S. Zaid, P.C.. told BuzzFeed News. The
SF-BS form is an extensive and probing questionnaire that asks applicants for all manner of
personal background details, including where the applicant has lived and worked, their history of
drug and alcohol use, and a number of other questions that could yield potentially embarrassing
facts. he said.

Spanberger has said that Republicans seemed to be looking for information related to her brief
stint as a teacher at the Islamic Saudi Academy, a private international baccalaureate program
in Alexandria. Virginia, funded by the Saudi Arabian government.

?Someone at the USPS FOIA office is getting fired," Moss said. ?If they truly managed to release
this file without noticing the Standard Form 86 paperwork in the file, there is justifiable cause to
fire that officer."

paperwork is categorically privacy-protected and to my knowledge has never been
released through OIA to a third party absent a privacy waiver," he added.

Spanberger's campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have called
the release of the information troubling, and suggested that the documents may have been
improperly released by the Trump administration, noting the president?s persistent attacks on
US intelligence agencies and personnel.

In a letter to congressional candidates seen by the Times. Chair Ben Ray Lujan wrote
that Spanberger's SF-BB was "an official government document that only President Trump's
administration should have in its possession in its unredacted form."

"To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberge?s document in the first
place." Mr. Lujan conceded. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

 

   

 

 

 

From: Adams, Jeffery A Washington, 
Sent: Wednesday, Wugust 29, 2018 11:02
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, Walker, Janice Washington, DC
Cc: Coleman, David - Washington, Sucich, Nicholas} Washington, Levin, Mary 
- Washington, DC
Subject: RE: media monitoring report attached
Attachments: media monitoring FOIADOCX
(W5)
Jeff

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 11:00 AM
To: Walker, Janice - Washin ton DC
Washington, DC
Co: Coleman, Davl Ington, DC

Subject: FW: media monitoring report attac ed

 
 
  
  

Adams, Jeffery A -

Just two stories so night's NY Times story and Buzzfeed (attached).

 



 

 

 

Thanks
Dave

Media Tracking

Links to Stories:

Nytimes.com: C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security
Application

Buzzfeednews.cem: In An Unprecedented Move, The US Postal Service Released
A Former CIA Officer's Security Application To A Republican Group

Full Text of Stories:

Nytimescom

Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC
Obtained Her Security Application

By Michael Tackett
. Aug.28.2t}18

WASHINGTON A former officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned
with Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security
clearance application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information
-- and then using it for political purposes.

Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia,
sent a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional
Leadership Fund. which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm
elections. She demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies ofthe form and agree to not use
the information in any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of
politics." she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge.
saying that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with
the United States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican-aligned research
firm.

F. follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms.
Spanberger was no different." Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group. said in the
statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some
personal information.

Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign. said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form. this is not a document
that the government can provide under the Privacy Act." he said.

Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet.? adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi ArabiaThe super PAC validated that
suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the school called ?Terror High"
in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law
enforcement job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she
was ?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital
data like a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted."
she said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation
would be. I am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate. served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her
biography in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District. which includes
the suburbs of Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made is rated a tossup by the Cook Political Report. surprisingly
competitive.

 

"When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former C.LA. operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries. not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter. Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had
once taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria. Va. an international baccalaureate
program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was
asked if she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had
taught at a school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for
terrorism." Ms. Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the
United States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for
a job at the CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending
her background check. which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a
temporary job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave.
Ms. Spanberger said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service. the
law enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both
jobs at about the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new
employment.

National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential
document is particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information. and so to the
person whose information is at stake. it is extremely significant.? said David Kris. a founder of
Culper Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others. had been notified that her personal
information may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of
Personnel Management. American officials have said privately that they believe that the hacking
could be traced to the Chinese government.

 

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.

Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates
in his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should
have in its possession in its unredacted form." Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first
place." Mr. Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding
policy. The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing."
said Bryan Baldwin. a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance. The AP. did not
publish a story on this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies. notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given
rise to complaints that a "deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the
president.

But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. ?i just happen
to be the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added. have nothing to hide. Ifthey need a canary in the coal mine. I?m glad it?s me."
Nytimescom

Buzzfeednewscom

In An Unprecedented Move, The US Postal
Service Released A Former CIA Officer?s Security
Application To A Republican Group

By Grace Wyler Jason Leopold

The former officer. Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger. has suggested the information was
released for partisan purposes. Documents shows USPS was responding to a FOIA request from
research group America Rising.

The United States Postal Service has released the entire federal security clearance application
of a former CIA officer running for Congress, in what experts say is a highly unusual. and
perhaps unprecedented, move. given the extensive highly personal nature of the information
contained in such documents.

 

In an interview with theJyew York Times published Tuesday. the former officer. Abigail
Spanberger. accused the Congressional Leadership Fund. a super PAC aligned with House
Speaker Paul Ryan. of improperly obtaining the document and suggested that the Trump
administration may have leaked the information for partisan purposes.

But BuzzFeed News can confirm that an unredacted copy of the federal security clearance
application was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by America Rising.
a research group allied with the Republican Party. which then shared it with the Congressional
Leadership Fund. Spanberger. a Democrat. is challenging Republican Rep. David Brat in a
Virginia congressional race that has become surprisingly competitive going into the fall midterm
campaign.

Documents viewed by BuzzFeed News show that the request for Spanberger's entire civilian
personnel file was submitted early last month to the National Personnel Records Center. a
division of the National Archives. The request. which sought records related to the former CIA
officer?s employment dates. salaries. title. and position descriptions, did not explicitly mention
the federal security clearance application. known as an SF-BS.

The FOIA request specifically sought records from Spanberger's official personnel folder from
the US Postal Inspection Service, where she used to work. America Rising's FOIA request
included the first five numbers of Spanberger's social security number. which the group
obtained from LexisNexis. BuzzFeed News has learned.

The documents show that on July 12. three days after the FOIA request was submitted. the
NPRC notified America Rising that the FOIA request had been forwarded to the US Postal
Service for processing. and that some information could be released under the FOIA "without
consent from the individual."

On July 30. the USPS provided America Rising with Spanberger's entire personnel folder.
including the SF-86.

?America Rising submitted a standard Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking
information from the National Personnel Records Center which was referred to the United
States Postal Service, an independent agency, which provided us responsive documents,"
America Rising CEO Joe Pounder said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. ?Why the USPS
disclosed certain information in reaponse to the FOIA is for their response. At the end of the
day, this Democrat candidate is trying to block the one thing FOIA is meant to provide,
transparency."

BuzzFeed News has reached out to USPS for comment on why the unredacted file was
released. but did not immediately receive a response.

According to the Times, the is one of two security clearance applications Spanberger
submitted when she first applied to work forthe federal government in 2002law enforcement job at USPS, which she took while waiting to hear back about the job
at the intelligence agency.

The decision by USPS to release the unredacted document was unusual, FOIA and security
clearance expert Bradley Moss, an attorney with Mark S. Zaid, P.C., told BuzzFeed News. The
SF-BG form is an extensive and probing questionnaire that asks applicants for all manner of
personal background details, including where the applicant has lived and worked, their history of
drug and alcohol use, and a number of other questions that could yield potentially embarrassing
facts, he said.

Spanberger has said that Republicans seemed to be looking for information related to her brief
stint as a teacher at the Islamic Saudi Academy, a private international baccalaureate program
in Alexandria, Virginia, funded by the Saudi Arabian government.

"Someone at the USPS office is getting fired," Moss said. "If they truly managed to release
this file without noticing the Standard Form 86 paperwork in the file, there is justifiable cause to
fire that FOIA officer."

paperwork is categorically privacy-protected and to my knowledge has never been
released through FOIA to a third party absent a privacy waiver,? he added.

Spanberger's campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have called
the release of the information troubling, and suggested that the documents may have been
improperly released by the Trump administration, noting the president's persistent attacks on
US intelligence agencies and personnel.

In a letter to congressional candidates seen by the Times, Chair Ben Ray Lujan wrote
that Spanberger's SF-BS was "an official government document that only President Trump's
administration should have in its possession in its unredacted form."

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first
place," Mr. Lujan conceded. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

 nytimes. comf20?l 

Of?cer-Turned?Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
?i write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The groUp also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet,? adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."
Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.LA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va., an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added. have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me.?

 

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:28 PM
To: Partenheimer David A - 
iect: FOIA URGENT QUESTION

I?vlr. Partenheimer.

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group. American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger?s records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9. 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thankyou

   

The New York Times

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC


 

 
 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 11:15 AM

To: Partenheimer, David A - Washington DC

Subject: Media Monitoring 2nd report

Attachments: image001.jpg; imageUGZ.jpg; imageUOBpng; image004.jpg; imageOOSpng;

imageOO?jpg; irnage00?.jpg; imageOOS.png; media monitoring FOlAdoo-z

Dave see attached (3 stories so far)

David P. Coleman
Public Relations Representative
US. Postal Service

 

Follow USPS 


CFEDFE.F6631 

<http:Hyoutubecomluspse



Media Tracking 2nd Report

Links to Stories:

Nytimes.com: C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security
Application

Buzzfeednews.com: In An Unprecedented Move, The US Postal Service Released
A Former CIA Officer's Security Application To A Republican Group

Wonkette.com: Paul Ryan's PAC Wants To Fight Dirtv With CIA Agent Abigail
Spanberger? Lotsa Luck!

Full Text of Stories:

Nytimescorn

C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC
Obtained Her Security Application

By Michael Tackett
. Aug. 23. 

WASHINGTON A former C.I.A. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned
with Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security
clearance application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information
and lhen using it for political purposes.

Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia.
sent a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional
Leadership Fund. which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm
elections. She demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use
the information in any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of
politics." she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge.
saying that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with
the United States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican-aligned research
firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms.
Spanberger was no different." Courtney Alexander. a spokeswoman for the group. said in the
statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some
personal information.

Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign. said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form. this is not a document
that the government can provide under the Privacy Act." he said.

Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had "clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet." adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document" In an
interview. she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.The super PAC validated that
suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the school called ?Terror High"
in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law
enforcement lob at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press. who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she
was "100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital
data like a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted."
she said. "i have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation
would be. I am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate. served in the CIA as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her
biography in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District. which includes
the suburbs of Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made by the Cook Political Report. surprisingly
competitive.

?When i decided to run for Congress. i took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former C.I.A. operative. I assumed would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries. not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter. Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had
once taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria. Va. an international baccalaureate
program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was
asked if she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had
taught at a school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for
terrorism." Ms. Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the
United States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for
a job at the that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending
her background check. which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a
temporary job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave,
Ms. Spanberger said.

As she awaited final word from the C.I.A.. she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service. the
law enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both
jobs at about the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new
employment.

National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential
document is particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private. personal information. and so to the
person whose information is at stake. it is extremely significant." said David Kris. a founder of
Culper Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others. had been notified that her personal
information may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of
Personnel Management. American officials have said privately that they believe that the hacking
could be traced to the Chinese government.

 

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.

Representative Ben Ray Lujan. Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates
in his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should
have in its possession in its unredacted form." Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first
place." Mr. Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding
policy. The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing."
said Bryan Baidwin. a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance. The AP. did not
publish a story on this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies. notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given
rise to complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to Undermine the
president.

But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen
to be the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added. have nothing to hide. lfthey need a canary in the coal mine. I'm giad it?s me."
Nytimescom

Buzzfeednewscom

In An Unprecedented Move, The US Postal
Service Released A Former CIA Officer?s Security
Application To A Republican Group

By Grace Wyler 8. Jason Leopold

The former officer. Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger. has suggested the information was
released for partisan purposes. Documents shows USPS was responding to a FOIA request from
research group America Rising.

The United States Postal Service has released the entire federal security clearance application
of a former CIA officer running for Congress. in what experts say is a highly unusual, and
perhaps unprecedented. move. given the extensive. highly personal nature of the information
contained in such documents.

In an interview with the New York Times published Tuesday. the former officer. Abigail
Spanberger. accused the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House
Speaker Paul Ryan. of improperly obtaining the document. and suggested that the Trump
administration may have leaked the information for partisan purposes.

But BuzzFeed News can confirm that an unredacted copy of the federal security clearance
application was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by America Rising.
a research group allied with the Republican Party. which then shared it with the Congressional
Leadership Fund. Spanberger. a Democrat. is challenging Republican Rep. David Brat in a
Virginia congressional race that has become surprisingly competitive going into the fall midterm
campaign.

Documents viewed by BuzzFeed News show that the request for Spanberger's entire civilian
personnel file was submitted early last month to the National Personnel Records Center. a
division of the National Archives. The request. which sought records related to the former CIA
officerls employment dates. salaries. title. and position descriptions. did not explicitly mention
the federal security clearance application. known as an SF-BS.

The FOIA request specifically sought records from Spanberger's official personnel folder from
the US Postal Inspection Service. where she used to work. America Rising's FOIA request
included the first five numbers of Spanberger's social security number. which the group
obtained from LexisNexis. BuzzFeed News has learned.

The documents show that on July 12. three days after the FOIA request was submitted. the
NPRC notified America Rising that the FOIA request had been forwarded to the US Postal
Service for processing. and that some information could be released under the FOIA ?without
consent from the individual."

On July 30. the USPS provided America Rising with Spanberger's entire personnel folder.
including the SF-86.

?America Rising submitted a standard Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking
information from the National Personnel Records Center which was referred to the United
States Postal Service. an independent agency. which provided us responsive documents."
America Rising CEO Joe Pounder said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. ?Why the USPS
disclosed certain information in response to the FOIA is for their response. At the end of the
day. this Democrat candidate is trying to block the one thing is meant to provide.
transparency."

BuzzFeed News has reached out to USPS for comment on why the unredacted file was
released. but did not immediately receive a response.

According to the Times, the SF-85 is one of two security clearance applications Spanberger
submitted when she first applied to work for the federal government in 2002law enforcement job at USPS. which she took while waiting to hear back about the job
at the intelligence agency.

The decision by USPS to release the unredacted document was unusual. FOIA and security
clearance expert Bradley Moss. an attorney with Mark S. Zaid. PC. told BuzzFeed News. The
SF-SB form is an extensive and probing questionnaire that asks applicants for all manner of
personal background details. including where the applicant has lived and worked. their history of
drug and alcohol use. and a number of other questions that could yield potentially embarrassing
facts. he said.

Spanberger has said that Republicans seemed to be looking for information related to her brief
stint as a teacher at the Islamic Saudi Academy. a private international baccalaureate program
in Alexandria. Virginia. funded by the Saudi Arabian government.

?Someone at the USPS FOIA office is getting fired." Moss said. ?If they truly managed to release
this file without noticing the Standard Form 86 paperwork in the file. there is justifiable cause to
fire that FOIA officer.?

paperwork is categorically privacy-protected and to my knowledge has never been
released through FOIA to a third party absent a privacy waiver,? he added.

Spanberger's campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have called
the release of the information troubling. and suggested that the documents may have been
improperly released by the Trump administration. noting the president's persistent attacks on
US intelligence agencies and personnel.

In a letter to congressional candidates seen by the Times. Chair Ben Ray Lujan wrote
that Spanberger's was ?an of?cial government document that only President Trump?s
administration should have in its possession in its unredacted form.?

"To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first
place.? Mr. Lujan conceded. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

Wonkettecom

Paul Ryan's PAC Wants To Fight Dirty With CIA
Agent Abigail Spanberger? Lotsa Luck!

By Five Dollar Feminist

Yesterday the ?rms reported that Paul Ryan's pet SuperPAC got its hands on Virginia
congressional candidate Abigail Spanberger's unredacted security clearance application. and is
using it to pretend the former CIA agent worked in a madrassa. Because naturally those
unpatriotic bigots would take allegedly hacked data and try to paint a covert oounterterrorism
operative as a goddamn terrorist. Of fucking course!

Leaving aside the wisdom of using government personnel records to smear a federal agent in a
district with huge numbers of Defense Department employees who have filled out the exact
same form with the expectation that that shit is private, just how the hell did the Congressional
Leadership Fund get their grubby paws on a document that's illegal to release under the mag
Act?

Well, CLF has a very good answer for that question. It's the darnedest thing! They were walking
down the street the other day. and Ms. Spanberger's entire, unredacted SF86 form just fell off
the back of a truck! More or less.

If'in .liilv filg'Ei-f "ili'i?lnl :1 mu Corn submit-3d to the National l'i'orsonnL-rl
Records ("rm 1 in: r-i certain rort-orrla coritaim-rl In the:- oilrcral rziviliori file of
former Specifically this requuat seeks records retirmiing

Ms. Spanlwi'gya?r's dates; annual salaries, title. and position description."

Liy letter alriininl .Jni,? L: NIJRiTZ-?l?l?xli?r?t lorvrardaeai tire .i?xrnenca Rismg Corp request the

Ui'illeLl Stat-er. [13:25. 1! T1. rviru-z

{in July .Eitj: id litii to Amer :13 Rl?ll?g'? request With their personnel

file i'rgaitsre Um wl?ird'i :r:r:lerer;l Spanberger's SFleii

Yeah. their story is that their gppgiesearohw submitted a FOIA request to the Post Office.
where Spanberger had applied in to work in the security division in 2002, and the USPS happily
oyernighted them her entire, unredacted personnel file -- social security number, medical

records. and all.

. Spanberger sent CLF a saying am not aware of any legal way that
CLF could have this document." To which the PAC responded, NUH UH TERRORIST 

 

Just to be clear. Spanberger was a substitute AP English teacher at a school for Saudi kids in
Alexandria while she was waiting for her security clearance to be processed, after which she
went on to spend eight years working for the CIA. That's literally all these fuckers got on her.

But back to that ?personnel file" which CLF is still swearing the Post Office overnighted them in
response to a request.

 

According to former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics. Walter Shaub.
the SF86 isn't even a part of a government personnel file.

CLF's oppo goons may have put in a FOIA request with the Post Office, but we're highly
skeptical that?s how they netted Spanberger's SF86. And so is NatSec Twitter.T

If we had to guess. we'd speculate that this form was stolen in a 2015 Chinese hack of the

 

federal Office of Personnel Management, and someone is attempting to launder it through a
recent FOIA request. But would the very fine people at the Congressional Leadership Fund do a
lowdown, dirty thing like that? You bet your ass they would.l Those are the same guys who
happily gobbled up all the stolen 0000 emails that Russia could hack in 2016 and turned the-:31
into attack ads.

But this time. they may have bitten off a little more than they can chew. lt's one thing to hack a
political committee, but it?s quite another to hack the United States government. If this FOIA is
faked and the materials were either leaked or stolen, CLF is going to be exposed in about 12
hours. And even if someone at the Post Office really did fuck up and send them Spanberger's
unredacted file, they got literally nothing out of it but a giant black eye.

She pitched in for a high school teacher on maternity leave? 

The district is historically safe for the GOP. but Cook Political has moved the race from Leans
Republican to Toss Up. And Tea Party dipshit Dave Brat is running downballot from infamous
white sworemacigt senatorial candidate Cory Stewart. Meanwhile Spanberger is riding on Tim

 

Kaine?s popular coattails in a district that Trump only took by 50 percent. No wonder they're
scared!

 



C.I.A. Officer?Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion ofthe security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article - to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporterfor The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was here.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted.? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

"When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, assumed would be the target of attacks,? she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the C.I.A., she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

5

?To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies. notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents,? Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added. have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine. I'm glad it's me.?

From:
Sent: Tuesday, August 28. 2018 5:28 PM

 

 

Mr. Partenheimer.

There is an urgent diapute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

 

The New York Times

 

 



C.I.A. Officer-TurnedmCandidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

4

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.

Ms. Spanberger. 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, "i am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private lslamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information i submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginias Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But i
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in Decemberthat she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.

5

National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form.? Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it?s me."

 

 

Sent: ues ay, ugus
To: Partenheimer DavidA- Washin ton DC
I 

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanbergerl a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 91 20181 and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

HEW !Of!  lmES

 

Submit New Request
Requester Details
?o modify request details please update your requester profile or contact the our of?ce for assistance.

0311(5)

 

 

 

 

teportcr

Roll Call

875 Woodland Dr. NW
Iton. DC 20008

 

tequester Default Category: News Media

ieneral information

iequester Category News Media
iend Response Via Email
'ayment Mode

ihipping Address

tddress 2875 Woodland Dr. NW
tpartmentiSuite Number

:ity Washington

Ltate(US) District of Columbia
:ountry United States

Zip Code 20008

tequest Information

iescription Document

iescription of Request I request any and all electronic or written communications regarding FOIA requests by the
political action committee America Rising, as well as any and all electronic or written
communications pertaining to FOIA requests with regard to Abigail Spanberger.

late Range for Record 06i01i2018


late Range for Record 08t29i2018


'rivacy Waiver Authorization
'rooi of Identity

'ee Information

Willing Amount

'ee Waiver Requested

'ee Waiver Request Reason

Villing to Pay All Fees

Expedite Information
ixpedited Processing
tequested

lead for Expedited Processing

 

Submit New Request

Requester Details

'0 modifyr request details please update your requester pro?le er contact the our of?ce for assistanee.
(bile)

 

 

 

 


2i} 1" irst Street N13

th Floor
Vashington. DC 20002

tetluester Default Category: News Media

 

ieneral Information

lequester Category News Media
Lend Response Via E-mail
iayment Mode

Address

iddress 820 First Street NE
ipartmentiSuite Number 8th Floor

lity Washington
itateiUS} District of Columbia
lountry United States

Zip Code 20002

tequ est Information

Jescription Document 2018?08-29 USPS foia request Abigail Spanbergerpdf

Jescription of Request records previously produced in response to a request from America Rising Corporation for
the person nei files of Abigail Spanberger."

rate Range for Record 12i0?ii1900

iearohrFrom

iate Range for Record 08i29i2018



'rivacy Waiver 8t Authorization
?roof of IdentityI

'ee Information

Villing Amount

ee Waiver Requested

ee Waiver Request Reason
Villing to Pay All Fees

Expedite Information
Expedited Processing
tequested

lead for Expedited Processing

 

 

View this email in your browser 
Dis-ZDabigaii-2Dspanberger?
2Dhiding-3Fe-

3D09970d?f05&d= 1 9eJd 




[ongressional leadership 








FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 28, 2018





2

 







 

CLF Issues Statement: What Is Abigail Spanberger Hiding

WASHINGTON In a desperate attempt to prevent Virginia voters from learning about her record
and background. Virginia?s 7th Congressional District Democratic nominee, Abigail Spanberger, today
sent a letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund 



. ust 5 . list-2Dmanage. com_track_click-3Fu-




- which her campaign then shared with select members of the media 
threatening legal action over information about Spanberger that was obtained through legal channels.
CLF is responding by releasing a copy 






of that letter to voters in Virginia's 7th Congressional District as well as
documentation from the Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) and the records that were obtained
from the United States Postal Service as the result of that request.

This included information about Spanberger's tenure working at the Islamic Saudi Academy in
Northern Virginia, which the Associated Press reported was dubbed "Terror High" after 12 US
Senators and a federal commission wanted to shut it down. Spanberger?s former employer produced
a number of well-known terrorists including Ahmed Omar Abu Ali. valedictorian of the academy in
1999, who was convicted in 2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist
network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This led US Senate Democratic Leader Charles
Schumer to issue a press release in 2005 calling for a full-scale probe



3A_co ng ressio naileadersh ipfu nd. ust 5 . list-2 Dman age. com_track_click-3 Fu-


3


vng?l 

of the controversial lslamic school and
questioning whether the Islamic Saudi Academy was ?another madrassa." In addition, CLF is
redacting the document to exclude personal information such as home addresses, telephone
numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers, even though this information was released by
the USPS as part of the response to the FOIA request.


47aa397b6373png]

CLF spokesperson Courtney Alexander made the following statement about Spanberger's politically-
motivated gambit today:

?it should surprise no one that Ms. Spanberger would want to hide from voters that she worked at
a school that produced some of the world's most dangerous terrorists. CLF follows the letter of the
law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger was no different. That she's
threatening legal action, however, should raise serious questions for voters about what else she is
trying to hide. For any interested parties, CLF is happy to provide redacted copies of the information
Ms. Spanberger is trying to hide from voters in Virginia.?

BACKGROUND:

On July 9, 2018. America Rising Corp. submitted a FOIA request to the National Personnel
Records Center "for access to certain records contained in the official civilian personnel file of former
federal employee Abigail Spanberger. Specifically. this request seeks records re?ecting l?vls.
Spanberger's employment dates, annual salaries. title. and position description."

By letter dated July 12, 2018, NPRCINARA forwarded the America Rising Corp. request to the
United States Postal Service.

On July 30, 2018, USPS responded to America Rising?s request with their complete personnel file
("entire official personnel folder?), which included Spanberger's SF-BG.


0e5424f7 81 a9.png]









BWk&e=>

4


5.list-




ungi 

KXYqungl&s=RoklnM580kov-

UY63J 







vIng 



Paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund 





H-


174? Ave NW. 5th Floor

Washington, DC 20006

Unsubscribe me from this mailing list 



5





1uAr4aK9k&e=>

Congressional Leadership Fund All Rights Reserved.

 

C.I.A. Of?cer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael
Tackett< 

Aug.28,2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She

 

demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
eXploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, 3 separate Republican-aligned research ?rm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.

Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.

Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet,? adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.

The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called "Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted,? she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a

5

school funded by the Saudi royal family that had ?numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
C.LA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.LA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant,? said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a Spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, "l have nothing to hide. if they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it's me."

 

 

URGENT QUESTION
Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form ofAbigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thankyou

The New York Times

 

Submit New Request

Requester Details

?o modify request details please update your requester pro?le or contact the our of?ce for assistance.
030(5)

 

 

 

 

:eporter

?0 Roll Call
875 Woodland Dr. NW
Vashington, DC 20008

   
 
 

ews Media

teneral Information

tequester Category News Media
lend Response Via Email
*ayment Mode

lhipping Address

.ddress 2875 Woodland Dr. NW
.partmentl'Suite Number

:ity Washington

ltatelUS) District of Columbia
:ountry United States

iip Code 20008

request Information

tescription Document .

lescription of Request I request anyr and all electronic or written communications regarding FOIA requests by the
political action committee America Rising, as well as any and all electronic or written
communications pertaining to FOIA requests with regard to Abigail Spanberger.

late Range for Record 06l0?ll2018
learchiFrom

late Range for Record 0842912018
learch:To

lrivacy Waiver a Authorization
'roof of Identity

?ee Information

Uilling Amount

ee Waiver Requested

'ee Waiver Request Reason

Uilling to Pay All Fees

Expedite Information
Expedited Processing
tequested

teed for Expedited Processing

 

Submit New Request

Requester Details
"o modify request details please update your requester pro?le or contact the our of?ce for assistance.


 

 

 

 



30 First Street NE

th Floor

Vashingtom DC 20002

tequestcr Default Category: News Media

 

ieneral Information

:equester Category News Media
:end Response Via E-mail
'ayment Mode

ihipping Address

tddress 820 First Street NE
.partmentiSuite Number 8th Floor

:ity Washington
:tateiUS) District of Columbia
:ountry United States

Lip Code 20002

tsquest Information

iescription Document 2018-08-29 USPS foia request Abigail Spanbergerpdf

Jescription of Request records previously produced in response to a request from America Rising Corporation for
the personnel files of Abigail Spanberger."

late Range for Record 



late Range for Record 08292013

1eerch:Tc

?rivacy Waiver Authorization
'roof of Identity.i

'ee Information

Viiling Amount

'ee Waiver Requested

'ee Waiver Request Reason
1stilling to Pay All Fees

Expedite Information
Expedited Processing
tequested

teed for Expedited Processing

 

 

Requester Details

Submit New Request

'0 modify request details please update your requester pro?le or contact the our t?lf?CC? for assistance.

 

033(5)

 

 

Leportcr

70 Roll Call

87'5 Woodland Dr. NW
lWashington. DC 20008

 

teneral Information
tequester Category
lend Response Via
'ayment Mode

lhipping Address
.ddress

lpartmenUSuite Number
:ity

:tatelUS}

:ountry

Iip Code

tequest Information
lescription Document
lescription of Request

late Range for Record


late Range for Record


'rivacy Waiver Authorization
Proof of Identity

'ee Information

Villing Amount

'ee Waiver Requested

ee Waiver Request Reason

lililling to Pay All Fees

Expedite Information
:xpedited Processing
tequested

lead for Expedited Processing

ews Media

News Media
Email

2875 Woodland Dr. NW

Washington

District of Columbia
United States
20008

request any and all electronic or written communications regarding FOIA requests by the
polltical action committee America Rising, as well as any and all electronic or written
gargantzigications pertaining to FOIA requests with regard to Abigail Spanberger.

18

08t29l201 8

 

Submit New Request

Requester Details

'0 modify request details please update your requester pro?le or contact the our of?ce for assistance.

 

Irma) 
TNN
.20 First Street NE
th Floor

iJashinatol't. 20002
{Pita}

 

 

 

 

 

lequestcr Default Category: News Media

teneral Information

:equester Category News Media
:end Response Via E-mail
'ayment Mode

ihipping Address

iddress 620 First Street NE
ipartrnenthuite Number 8th Floor

:ity Washington
itate(US} District of Columbia
:ountry United States

Zip Code 20002

lequest lnformatlon

Jescription Document 2018-0829 USPS foia request Abigail Spanbergerpdf

Jescription of Request records previously produced in response to a request from America Rising Corporation for
the personnel ?les of Abigail Spanberger.?

late Range for Record 12i'01i1900



rate Range for Record 08i'29i2018



'rivacy Waiver Authorization
'roof of Identity

 



'ea Information

Amount

'ee Waiver Requested

'ee Waiver Request Reason
Viliing to Pay All Fees

Expedite Information
predited Processing
:equested

lead for Expedited Processing

 

 

 

 

View this email in your browser 

ZDhiding-SFe-





[ongressional leadership 

5. 






FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 28. 2018






3D09970d?f05&d= LrCAqt 9eJdchi 





 

CLF Issues Statement: What Is Abigail Spanberger Hiding

WASHINGTON In a desperate attempt to prevent Virginia voters from learning about her record
and background, Virginia?s 7th Congressional District Democratic nominee, Abigail Spanberger, today
sent a letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund 





vng'l 

which her campaign then shared with select members of the media 
threatening legal action over information about Spanberger that was obtained through legal channels.
CLF is responding by releasing a copy' 




3009970d7f05&d= 


of that letter to voters in Virginia's 7th Congressional District as well as
documentation from the Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) and the records that were obtained
from the United States Postal Service as the result of that request.

This included information about Spanberger's tenure working at the Islamic Saudi Academy in
Northern Virginia which the Associated Press reported was dubbed ?Terror High? after 12 US.
Senators and a federal commission wanted to shut it down. Spanberger's former employer produced
a number of wel ~known terrorists including Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, valedictorian of the academy in
1999, who was convicted in 2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist
network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This led US. Senate Democratic Leader Charles
Schumer to issue a press release in 2005 calling for a full?scale probe
5. ist?





3 
vng?l 

of the controversial Islamic school and
questioning whether the Islamic Saudi Academy was ?another madrassa." In addition, CLF is
redacting the document to exclude personal information such as home addresses, telephone
numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers, even though this information was released by
the USPS as part of the response to the FOIA request.


47aa39?b63?3.png]

CLF spokesperson Courtney Alexander made the following statement about Spanberger?s politically-
motivated gambit today:

?It should surprise no one that Ms. Spanberger would want to hide from voters that she worked at
a school that produced some of the world's most dangerous terrorists. CLF follows the letter of the
law in examining any candidate?s background and Ms. Spanberger was no different. That she's
threatening legal action, however, should raise serious questions for voters about what else she is
trying to hide. For any interested parties, CLF is happy to provide redacted copies of the information
Ms. Spanberger is trying to hide from voters in Virginia.?

BACKGROUND:

On July 9, 2018. America Rising Corp. submitted a FOIA request to the National Personnel
Records Center "for access to certain records contained in the official civilian personnel file of former
federal employee Abigail Spanberger. Specifically, this request seeks records reflecting Ms.
Spanberger's employment dates, annual salaries, title. and position description."

By letter dated July 12, 2018, NPRCINARA forwarded the America Rising Corp. request to the
United States Postal Service.

On July 30, 2018, USPS responded to America Rising's request with their complete personnel file
("entire official personnel folder"), which included Spanberger's SF-BB.


0e5424f781a9png]





3A_congressicnalleadersh ipfundus?l 5 . list~2Dmanage. 


LrCAql 

4


T7n 



5. ist?


usi 5. 


vngi 






5 . iist-2Dmanage. 


vngi 

1 -


Paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund 




vng?l 
H-


1747 Ave NW, 5th Floor

Washington, DC 20006

Unsubscribe me from this mailing list 




3022b373fdfa&d= 


1uAr4aK9k&e=>

Congressional Leadership Fund ?All Rights Reserved.



C.LA. Of?cer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
?l write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising. a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group. said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39. said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document.? In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent? certain it was here.
The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.
am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted." she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security.?
Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former operative, I assumed i would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?it calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been noti?ed that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place,? Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic.?

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine. I?m glad it?s me.?

 

From:
Sent: ues-ay, 2018 5:28 PM

To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin ton DC
?ll! 

Mr. Partenheimer.

 

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted cepy forthe SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

The New York Times

 

 



Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies ofthe form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. ?ln this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet," adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High? in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first?time candidate, served in the CIA. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race. which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks," she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the lslamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA, she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private. personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

5

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form,? Mr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding policy.
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. ?In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it?s me.?

 

   

From:
Sent: Tuesday. August 28, 2018 5:28 PM

In I FOIA URGENT QUESTION

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group, American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copy for the SF86. That letter is dated July 30, 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

   
 

The New York Times

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Partenheimer, David A Washington, 
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:26 PM

 

To: Walton, Carl A - Washington, DC
Subject: FW: New York Times story
Attachments: imageOOi Jpg,? image002jpg,? image003.jpg; image004.jpg; imageUUSjpg



C.I.A. Of?cer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON - A former C.LA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application - a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then using it
for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia. sent
a cease-and?desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,"
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act," he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet," adding, "i am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private lslamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that SUSpiCan in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school - called "Terror High" in an earlier news article - to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be

1

named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she was
"100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

"i am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted." she
said. l?l have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation would be. I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate. served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race. which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

"When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. "But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries. not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter. Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria. Va. an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism." Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
CIA. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check. which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave. Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the CIA. she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service. the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the OLA. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private. personal information. and so to the person
whose information is at stake. it is extremely significant." said David Kris. a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others. had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel

American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan. Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

2

"This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lujan said.

"To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place.? Mr.
Lujan said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing," said Bryan
Baldwin, a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance, The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him, have given rise to
complaints that a "deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added, have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, I?m glad it's me."

Dave Partenheimer
Manager, Public Relations

 






Chavannes-Battle, Nancy Wash?gton, DC

From: Smith, Paul - Eastern Area Office - Philadelphia, PA 
Sent: Wednesday, August 29. 2018 12:2? PM

To: Partenheimer, David A Washington, Adams, Jeffery A Washington, DC
Subjed: fyi


officer

News brief

US. Postal Service reportedly gave GOP group protected file on officer August 29, 2018 The
US. Postal Service handed conservative opposition-research group America Rising the privacy-
protected security clearance application of former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat
challenging Rep. Dave Brat (R) in Virginia's 7th Congressional District, in response to a Freedom of
Information Act request, BuzzFeed News reports. America Rising gave the unredacted document to
House Republican super PAC the Congressional Leadership Fund, which has used information from
it to target Spanberger, The New York Times says. Spanberger has sent the CLF a cease-and-desist
order. Before joining the CIA, Spanberger worked at the USPS Postal inspection Service, and she
filled out similar forms for both jobs. The extensive and invasive security applications are supposed to
be shielded from FOIA requests.

 



C.I.A. O?icer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application By Michael


Aug. 28, 2018
WASHINGTON A former CIA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned with
Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of impmperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance
application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information and then
using it for political purposes.
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.
write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
she wrote.
The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm.
follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger
was no different," Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the statement.
The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blacking out some personal
information.
Graham Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger?s campaign, said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. ?In this unredacted form, this is not a document that
the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.
Ms. Spanberger, 39, said in the letter that she had "clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet,? adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi Arabia.
The super PAC validated that suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the
school called ?Terror High" in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.
The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law enforcement
job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.
At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a cow of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be

4

named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she was
?100 percent" certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital data like
a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she
said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be. I
am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a first-time candidate, served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases, and has used that part of her biography
in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes the suburbs of
Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race, which is rated a tossup by the Cook Political
surprisingly
competitive.

?When I decided to run for Congress, I took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former C.I.A. operative, I assumed I would be the target of attacks,? she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress, like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting "push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had once
taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate program.
One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was asked if
she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had taught at a
school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for terrorism," Ms.
Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the United
States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for a job at the
that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending her background
check, which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a temporary
job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave, Ms. Spanberger
said.

As she awaited final word from the C.I.A., she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the law
enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both jobs at about
the same time. She also said she informed the C.I.A. each time she took on new employment.
National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential document is
particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private, personal information, and so to the person
whose information is at stake, it is extremely significant," said David Kris, a founder of Culper
Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she, like millions of others, had been notified that her personal information
may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of Personnel
nytimescomr'ZO?l 
American officials have said privately that they believe that the
hacking could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.
Representative Ben Ray Lujan, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates in
his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger?s complaint and urging caution.

5

"This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should have in its
possession in its unredacted form," lvlr. Lujan said.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any of your
personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first place," Mr.
Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. "As a matter of longstanding policy,
The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing,? said Bryan
Baldwin. a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance. The AP. did not publish a story on
this topic."

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given rise to
complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the president.
But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen to be
the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added. have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine, l?m glad it's me.?

 

 

Sent: ues ay1 ugus 
To: Partenheimer DavidA-Washin ton DC
!u!1ecl: El!? 

Mr. Partenheimer,

There is an urgent dispute over the release of the SF86 form of Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic
candidate for Congress in Virginia. She asserts that the Congressional Leadership Fund improperly
obtained the document, then shared it with the media for political purposes.

The fund said that another group American Rising, submitted a FOIA for Ms. Spanberger's records
through the normal channels in a letter dated July 9, 2018, and that the postal service response
included an unredacted copyr for the SF86. That letter is dated July 301 2018 and signed by Pamela
Gabriel.

Can you please put me in touch with the right person to ask about this?
Thank you

HEW 

 

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: panama-inter, David A - Washington, Dc 
Sent: Wednesday. August 29. 2018 12:28 PM

To: Coleman. David - Washington, DC
Subject: FW: fyi

For your report

From: Smith, Paul Eastern Area Office - Philadelphia. PA
Sent: Wednesday. August 29. 2018 12:2? 
To: Partenheimer David A ?Washin ton DC
Washington. DC
Subject: fyi

 
 
 
 

Adams. Jeffery A -


officer

News brief

U.S. Postal Service reportedly gave GOP group protected file on officer August 29. 2018 The
US. Postal Service handed conservative opposition-research group America Rising the privacy-
protected security clearance application of former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger. the Democrat
challenging Rep. Dave Brat (R) in Virginia's 7th Congressional District. in response to a Freedom of
Information Act request. BuzzFeed News reports. America Rising gave the unredacted document to
House Republican super PAC the Congressional Leadership Fund. which has used information from
it to target Spanberger. The New York Times says. Spanberger has sent the CLF a cease-and?desist
order. Before joining the CIA. Spanberger worked at the USPS Postal Inspection Service. and she
filled out similar forms for both jobs. The extensive and invasive security applications are supposed to
be shielded from FOIA requests.

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Coleman, David - Washington, DC 
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:32 

To: Pa rtenheimer, David A Washington, DC
Subject: RE: fyi
Got it.

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:28 PM
To: Coleman, David - Washington, DC
Subject: FW: fyi

 
 
 

For your report

From: Smith, Paul - Eastern Area Office - Philadelphia, PA
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:27 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A - Washin to

 
 
 

 

Subject: fyi 1

 


officer

News brief

US. Postal Service reportedly gave GOP group protected file on officer August 29, 2018 The
US. Postal Service handed conservative opposition-research group America Rising the privacy-
protected security clearance application of former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat
challenging Rep. Dave Brat (R) in Virginia?s 7th Congressional District, in response to a Freedom of
Information Act request, BuzzFeed News reports. America Rising gave the unredacted document to
House Republican super PAC the Congressional Leadership Fund, which has used information from
it to target Spanberger, The New York Times says. Spanberger has sent the CLF a cease-and~desist
order. Before joining the CIA, Spanberger worked at the USPS Postal Inspection Service, and she
filled out similar forms for both jobs. The extensive and invasive security applications are supposed to
be shielded from FOIA requests.

Chavannes?Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Hagen, Nikolaj 0 - Washington, DC 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29. 2018 12:39 PM

To: RELATIONS Hanlon, Bryan - Washington, DC
Cc: RELATIONS POLICY

Subject: Postal Service FOIA Mishap in VA Election

A former CIA officer and Postal Inspector running for Congress says that her security clearance was
handed to an opposing Super PAC by the Postal Service.

O?icer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application
nytimes. comI2D1 

"Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion."

"The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charger saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, 3 separate Republican-aligned research firm."

Sent from my iPhone

 

U30 410 

 

 

 

 


From:( H)

 

 

 

Date: August 29, 2018 at 10:38:30 AM EDT

To: 


Subject: request regarding personnel records of Ms. Spanberger

Good morning,

 

(bli?l
My name is a reporter at CNN covering federal government agencies.

 

 

 

I am reaching out regarding the recent release, apparently in response to a FOIA request, of
personnel records of Ms. Abigail Spanberger, a former USPIS employee.

Can you clarify for us how these records were requested, and what USPIS released in response to
the request? Additionally, has USPIS received authorization from Ms. Spanberger for the release of
the records regarding her employment?

I would appreciate a response, even if partial, as soon as you are able.

 

(blt?l

 

 

Thank you kindly,

 

 

 

blt?l

 

 

CNN
{bli?l

 

 

 

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Coleman, David Washington, 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 20l8 12:59 PM

To: Partenheimer, David A Washington, DC

Subject: updated Media monitoring FOJA 3rd report

Attachments: imageOUljpg; imageOOZJpg; image003.png; lmageUOS.png;

imageOO?jpg; irnage007.jpg; imageUO?png,? media monitoring FOIAdocx

Dave see attached stories

David P. Coleman
Public Relations Representative
.8. Postal Service

Head uaners, Washin ton DC

    

Follow USPS 








Media Tracking 3ml Report

Links to Stories:

Nytirnes.com: Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security
Application

Buzzfeednews.com: In An Unprecedented Move The US Postal Service Released
A Former CIA Officer?s Security Application To A Republican Group

Wonkette.com: Paul Ryan's PAC Wants To Fight Dirty With CIA Aqent Abioail
Spanberqer? Lotsa Luck!

Theweek.com: US. Postal Service reportedlyr gave GOP group protected file on
eat-CIA Officer

Thehill.com: House candidate accuses GOP super PAC of obtaining her
security application

TheDailyBeast.com: Officer and Candidate Save PAC Got Her Security-
Clearance Application

Full Text of Stories:

Nytimescom

C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC
Obtained Her Security Application

By Michael Tackett
. Aug. 28. 2018

WASHINGTON former C.I.A. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned
with Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security
clearance application - a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information
and then using it for political purposes.

Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia.
sent a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional
Leadership Fund, which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm
elections. She demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use
the information in any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of
politics," she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger's charge.
saying that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with
the United States Postal Service by America Rising, 3 separate Republican-aligned research
firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms.
Spanberger was no different.? Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group, said in the
statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application, blocking out some
personal information.

Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign. said that explanation, which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service, did not ring true. "In this unredacted form, this is not a document
that the government can provide under the Privacy Act,? he said.

Ms. Spanberger. 39, said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence? that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to ?at least one news
outlet." adding, am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi ArabiaThe super PAC validated that
suspicion in its response, going on at some length to try to link the school called ?Terror High?
in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions. for a law
enforcement job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month. Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis. meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email. and Ms. Spanberger said she
was percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital
data like a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service. and not ashamed of the information I submitted."
she said. "i have nothing to hide in my background. But. as any American in a similar situation
would be. I am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger. a first-time candidate. served in the as a covert officer overseas for eight
years. much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her
biography in her appeal to voters in Virginia?s Seventh Congressional District. which includes
the suburbs of Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made the race._wh_rgh_ is rated a to_ssup by the Cook Political Report. surprisingly
competitive.

 

 

?When I decided to run for Congress. I took stringent measures for my campaign because. as a
former operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks." she said in the letter. ?But I
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries. not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter. Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republican-aligned groups
conducting ?push polling? in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had
once taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria. Va. an international baccalaureate
program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was
asked if she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had
taught at a school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for
terrorism." Ms. Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time. Ms. Spanberger returned to the
United States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master's degree. She applied for
a job at the C.I.A. that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending
her background check. which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim. and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a
temporary job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor's maternity leave.
Ms. Spanberger said.

As she awaited final word from the C.I.A., she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service. the
law enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both
jobs at about the same time. She also said she informed the each time she took on new
employment.

National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential
document is particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

"It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private. personal information, and so to the
person whose information is at stake. it is extremeiy significant." said David Kris. a founder of
Culper Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others. had been notified that her personal
information may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of
American officials have said privately that they believe that the hacking
could be traced to the Chinese government.

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.

Representative Ben Ray Lujan. Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates
in his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

"This is an official government document that only President Trump's administration should
have in its possession in its unredacted form." Mr. Luja?n said.

?To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first
place." Mr. Luja'n said. "But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding
policy. The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing.?
said Bryan Baldwin. a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance. The AP. did not
publish a story on this topic."

President Trump?s persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies. notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given
rise to complaints that a "deep state? exists in the government that is working to undermine the
president.

But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don't see that they only have my documents." Ms. Spanberger said. just happen
to be the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention.?

She added. have nothing to hide. If they need a canary in the coal mine. I?m glad it?s me."
Nytimescom

Buzzfeednewscom

In An Unprecedented Move, The US Postal
Service Released A Former CIA Officer?s Security
Application To A Republican Group

By Grace Wyler Jason Leopold

The former officer, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger, has suggested the information was
released for partisan purposes. Documents shows USPS was responding to a FOIA request from
research grOUp America Rising.

The United States Postal Service has released the entire federal security clearance application
of a former CIA officer running for Congress, in what eXperts say is a highly unusual, and
perhaps unprecedented, move, given the extensive, highly personal nature of the information
contained in such documents.

In an interview with the New York Times published Tuesday, the former officer, Abigail
Spanberger, accused the Congressional Leadership Fund. a super PAC aligned with House
Speaker Paul Ryan, of improperly obtaining the document. and suggested that the Trump
administration may have leaked the information for partisan purposes.

 

But BuzzFeed News can confirm that an unredacted copy of the federal security clearance
application was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed by America Rising,
a research group allied with the Republican Party, which then shared it with the Congressional
Leadership Fund. Spanberger, a Democrat. is challenging Republican Rep. David Brat in a
Virginia congressional race that has become surprisingly competitive going into the fall midterm
campaign.

Documents viewed by BuzzFeed News show that the request for Spanberger's entire civilian
personnel file was submitted early last month to the National Personnel Records Center, a
division of the National Archives. The request, which sought records related to the former CIA
officer?s employment dates, salaries. title, and position descriptions, did not explicitly mention
the federal security clearance application, known as an SF-BB.

The FOIA request specifically sought records from Spanberger's official personnel folder from
the US Postal Inspection Service, where she used to work. America Rising's FOIA request
included the first five numbers of Spanberger's social security number, which the group
obtained from LexisNexis, BuzzFeed News has learned.

The documents show that on July 12, three days after the FOIA request was submitted, the
NPRC notified America Rising that the FOIA request had been forwarded to the US Postal
Service for processing, and that some information could be released under the FOIA ?without
consent from the individual."

On July 30. the USPS provided America Rising with Spanberger?s entire personnel folder,
including the SF-86.

?America Rising submitted a standard Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking
information from the National Personnel Records Center which was referred to the United
States Postal Service, an independent agency, which provided us responsive documents,?
America Rising CEO Joe Founder said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. ?Why the USPS
disclosed certain information in response to the FOIA is for their response. At the end of the
day, this Democrat candidate is trying to block the one thing FOIA is meant to provide,
transparency."

BuzzFeed News has reached out to USPS for comment on why the unredacted file was
released, but did not immediately receive a response.

According to the Times, the SF-86 is one of two security clearance applications Spanberger
submitted when she first applied to work for the federal government in 2002law enforcement job at USPS, which she took while waiting to hear back about the job
at the intelligence agency.

The decision by USPS to release the unredacted document was unusual, FOIA and security
clearance expert Bradley Moss, an attorney with Mark S. Zaid, told BuzzFeed News. The
form is an extensive and probing questionnaire that asks applicants for all manner of
personal background details, including where the applicant has lived and worked, their history of
drug and alcohol use, and a number of other questions that could yield potentially embarrassing
facts. he said.

Spanberger has said that Republicans seemed to be looking for information related to her brief
stint as a teacher at the Islamic Saudi Academy, a private international baccalaureate program
in Alexandria. Virginia, funded by the Saudi Arabian government.

?Someone at the USPS FOIA office is getting fired," Moss said. ?if they truly managed to release
this file without noticing the Standard Form 86 paperwork in the file, there is justifiable cause to
fire that FOIA officer."

paperwork is categorically privacy-protected and to my knowledge has never been
released through FOIA to a third party absent a privacy waiver," he added.

Spanberger's campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have called
the release of the information troubling, and suggested that the documents may have been
improperly released by the Trump administration, noting the president's persistent attacks on
US intelligence agencies and personnel.

in a letterto congressional candidates seen by the Times, Chair Ben Ray Lujan wrote
that Spanberger's SF-BS was ?an official government document that only President Trump's
administration should have in its possession in its unredacted form."

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first
place," Mr. Luja'n conceded. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

Wonkettecom

Paul Ryan's PAC Wants To Fight Dirty With CIA
Agent Abigail Spanberger? Lotsa Luck!

By Five Dollar Feminist

Yesterday the reported that Paul Ryan's pet SuperPAC got its hands on Virginia
congressional candidate Abigail Spanberger's unredacted security clearance application, and is
using it to pretend the former CIA agent worked in a madrassa. Because naturally those
unpatriotic bigots would take allegedly hacked data and try to paint a covert counterterrorism
operative as a goddamn terrorist. Of fucking course!

Leaving aside the wisdom of using government personnel records to smear a federal agent in a
district with huge numbers of Defense Department employees who have filled out the exact
same form with the expectation that that shit is private, just how the hell did the Congressional
Leadership Fund get their grubby paws on a document that's illegal to release under the My;

Well. CLF has a very good answer for that question. It's the darnedest thing! They were walking
down the street the other day, and Ms. Spanberger's entire, unredacted SFBG form just fell off
the back of a truck! More or less.

On WW trivia? Hit me Corp, a FOIA lo the National Personnel



(Tunic: to certain reconis contained in the official civilian personnel file of
former triads-ml Spanherger Specifically. this request seeks records reflecting

Ms. Ejpur'ibclnet's dates. annual salaries. title. and position description."

Hy Jul i if lil?R?Lh?i?JAlh?R the: Rising Corp request it. me

United 

Cin .lniv 3'3 ?(lit-i Iii-3i?? veer unified to Amer Lia Hisu'p's Wll?i their erjiinplete 

til-e oihmai pt: wi'iich included Si?JZli'iili'?l'g?l?S SF-SG

Yeah. their story is that their submitted a FOIA request to the Post Office,
where Spanberger had applied in to work in the security division in 20021 and the USPS happily
overnighted them her entire. unredacted personnel file social security numben medical
records. and all.

. Spanberger sent CLF a ceaseand izie_sijs_t_ e_t_le_r_ saying am not aware of any legal way that
CLF could have this document." To which the PAC responded, NUH UH TERRORIST 

 

Just to be clear, Spanberger was a substitute AP English teacher at a school for Saudi kids in
Alexandria while she was waiting for her security clearance to be processed, after which she
went on to spend eight years working for the That's literally all these fuckers got on her.

But back to that "personnel file," which CLF is still swearing the Post Office overnighted them in
response to a FOIA request.

 

According to former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub,
the SF86 isn't even a part of a government personnel file.

CLF's oppo goons may have put in a FOIA request with the Post Office, but we're highly
skeptical that's how they netted Spanberger's SF86. And so is NatSec Twitter!

If we had to guess, we'd speculate that this form was stolen in a 2015 Chinese hack of the
federal Office of Personnel Management, and someone is attempting to launder it through a
recent FOIA request. But would the very fine people at the Congressional Leadership Fund do a
lowdown, dirty thing like that? You be! your ass they would! Those are the same guys who
happily gobbled up all the stolen emails that Russia could hack in 2016 and turned them
into attack ads.

But this time. they may have bitten off a little more than they can chew. It's one thing to hack a
political committee, but it's quite another to hack the United States government. if this FOIA is
faked and the materials were either leaked or stolen, CLF is going to be exposed in about 12
hours. And even if someone at the Post Office really did fuck up and send them Spanberger's
unredacted file, they got literally out of it but a giant black eye.

She pitched in for a high school teacher on maternity leave? 

The district is historically safe for the GOP, but Cook Political has the race from Leans
Republican to Toss Up. And Tea Party dipshit Dave Brat is running downballot from infamous
white supremacist senatorial candidate Cory Stewart. Meanwhile Spanberger is riding on Tim
Kaine's popular coattails in a district that Trump only took by 50 percent. No wonder they're
scared.l

Theweek. com

U.S. Postal Service reportedly gave GOP group
protected file on officer

The U.S. Postal Service handed conservative opposition-research group America Rising the
privacy-protected security clearance application of former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger, the
Democrat challenging Rep. Dave Brat (R) in Virginia's ?th Congressional District. in response to
a Freedom of Information Act request. BuzzFeed News reports. America Rising gave the
unredacted document to House Republican super PAC the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has used information from it to target Spanberger. The New York Times says.
Spanberger has sent the CLF a cease-and-desist order. Before joining the CIA. Spanberger
worked at the USPS Postal Inspection Service. and she filled out similar forms for both jobs.
The extensive and invasive security applications are supposed to be shielded from FOIA
requests.

Thehill.com

House candidate accuses GOP super
PAC of obtaining her security application

By Megan Keller

Abigail Spanberger. a former CIA of?cer 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.

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 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 Of?ce (USPS). The application was
reportedly one of two she filled out while applying forjobs with USPS and the CIA.

In the statement, CLF spokeswoman Courtney Alexander said, 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."

Spanberger told the Times that she took the English teacher job at the Islamic Saudi Academy
as a temporary position while she was waiting to hear back on her background check for a
conditional offer at the CIA.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files, nor are we certain how CLF got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first

place,? Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Rep. Ben Ray Luj?n
(D-NM.) told the Times. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling.?

Thedailybeastcom

Officer and Candidate Says PAC Got Her
Security-Clearance Application

A former CIA officer now running for Congress as a Democrat has accused a Republican super
PAC of ?improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance application" and ?using it for
political purposes.? The New York Times reports that Abigail Spanberger, who is challenging
Rep. David Brat sent a cease-and?desist letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund to
?destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in any fashion." Spanberger
alleges the PAC had shared its content with ?at least one news outlet." The PAC responded that
it had obtained her application through a Freedom of Information Act request, and released a
part of the form?only redacting Spanberger's personal information. am not aware of any legal
way that CLF could have this document." she said. Spanberger also told the Times she
suspected the PAC wanted to politically exploit the fact that she taught at a ?private Islamic
school funded by Saudi Arabia" for a short time. am proud of my background and my service,
and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she said. have nothing to hide in my
background. But, as any American in a similar situation would be, I am concerned about my
privacy and security."

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC 

From: Partenheimer, David A Washington, DC 
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 1:00 PM

To: Walker, Janice - Washington, Adams, Jeffery A Washington, Sucich, Nicholas
Washington, Levin, Mary - Washington, DC

Subject: FW: updated Media monitoring 3rd report

Attachments: imageUOl .jpg; image002.jpg,' image003.png; image004.jpg; image005.png;

image-006.jpg; image007.jpg; image008.png; media monitoring FOlAdocx

Latest monitoring report.

From: Coleman, David - Washington, DC
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:59 


Subject: updated Media monitoring FOIA 3rd

 

To: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, 

Dave see attached stories

David P. Coleman
Public Relations Representative
US. Postal Service

Head uarters Washin ton 

    

Follow USPS 








Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

  

From: Levin, Mary - Washington, DC

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 1:23 PM

To: Goldstein, Noah Washington, Matyas, Emily A - Washington, Hailums,
Kimberly Washington, DC

Subject: FW: updated Media monitoring FOIA 3rd report

Attachments: imageOO?l.jpg; image-002.jpg; image003.png; image004.jpg; image005png;

image006.jpg; image00?.jpg; media menitoring FOlAdocx

Please cross reference with daily report and the one we sent this morning

From: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 1:0
To: Walker, Janice - Washin ton DC Adams, Jeffery A -

Washington, DC Sucich, Nicholas - Washin ton, DC
Levin, Mary - Washington, DC 
edla monitoring FOIA 3rd report

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    

Latest monitoring report.

From: Coleman, David Washington, DC
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:59 PM
To: Partenheimer, David A Washington, DC

gugiecl: up!ale! Mela monitoring 3rd report

 
 

Dave see attached stories

David P. Coleman
Public Relations Representative
US. Postal Service

Head uarters Washin ton DC

    

Follow USPS 






CFEDFE.F6631 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Sucichr Nicholasl - 'il?t'ashingtonr DC

  

- 

Sent: Wednesday. August 29, 2018 1:44 

To: Walker, Janice - Washington, DC

Subject: FW: Social Listening 8t insights - CIA. Officer-Turned-Candidate and the Release of Her
Security Application

Attachments: imageDUi.png; imageOOang; imageOleng; imageOinng; image019.png;

image02l .png; image024png; image026.png;
image-021mg image029.png; image030.png; imageOS?lpng;
image032.png; image033.png; image034.png; image035.png; image036.png;
imageOngng; image003.png; image004.png;
imageOUS.png; imageODEpng; imageOOHpg; imageol?gpng;
imageDlOJpg; image?i .png; image012.jpg; image013.jpg; imageO?l4.png

latest

Nicholas J. Sucich
Manager, Digital Communications
United States Postal Service, HQ

p: 
Follow USPS 




<http:fiyoutube.comiusps>



 

 

Social Listening Insights - C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate and the Release of Her Security
Application

Data analysis
There have been 81 mentions of Abigail Spanberger for an estimated reach of 552k.

While the New York Times article came out last night, this story did not start to trend until this
morning. Coverage peaked at 53 mentions today following a tweet from a BuzzFeed journalist.
Coverage appears to be trending upwards.

This story has drawn the most interest on Twitter. Twitter has accounted for 79% of mentions
and 49% of reach.

News

News coverage was mostly informative in nature and did not express favorability to any party
involved in the allegations. The only outlets that indicated an opinion were the Congressional
Leadership Fund and Blue Virginia.

0 Blue Virginia provided a full copy of Abigail Spanberger's statement in which she voiced her
displeasure that any "political group would improperly obtain a copy? of her unredacted National
Security Questionnaire. Commentary was not enabled on the site.

0 Whereas the Congressional Leadership Fund described her ?desperate attempt to prevent Virginia
voters from learning about her record and background.? The article also provided an image of the
letter from confirmed USPS employee, Pamela Gabriel, which accompanied the Official Personnel
Folder sent to the American Rising Corporation on July 30. Commentary was not enabled on the site.
(see bottom of report for letter and info on postal employee)

The Richmond Times Dispatch focused more on Spanberger's work at the lslamic school,
attributing it as the motivation for the FOIA request, and providing a timeline of events. it states that
the alleged incident occurred on July 9 when ?the Congressional Leadership Fund sent reporters a
letter." Then on July 30, ?according to CLF, the National Personnel Records Center forwarded the

2

request to the US. Postal Service, which responded by providing the personnel Comments on
the article were unable to be viewed without a subscription.

Comments under the NYT article mainly focused on the ethics of the request and the process
?get information this way and to distribute it."

0 Two readers condemned the Postal Service writing ?if the information was indeed obtained by a
Freedom of Information Act request then the blame is on the agency that supplied it unredacted. The
PAC was trying to do research on a candidate and went after a reasonable source of information. Get
mad at the Postal Service, not the 

0 The second concurred replying. ?shame on whoever disseminated this document."

Alternet?s reporting also received commentary; however. they were not relevant to USPS.
Instead the commenters argued over which political party was more corrupt.

The Mic Network Inc. included in its reporting that this is not the first time CLF was accused of
obtaining information on competitors in a ?shady manner.? It went on to reference an incident in 2016
where ?the PAC used information from emails that were released as part of Russia's hacking of
Democratic candidates in a handful of House contests.? There were no comments on the article.

The Hill published an article which was similar in tone and content as the New York Times
article. Majority of the commentary focused on other hot button political issues. Comments that
focused on USPS expressed confusion as to how the Postal Service is involved and questioned the
confidentiality of federal government applications and background check forms.

0 One person commented" ?The Post Office? Sorry, CLF, but that's not to whom FOIA requests are
sent. They may be MAILED via the USPS, but that?s about the only relevance to an FOIA request.
Big, fat, STUPID, fail."

0 Another person said "You can file the request but it should not have been honored. The only thing
they should have given was the dates of employment.

BuzzFeed News wrote an article discussing the perceived unprecedented move by USPS to
release the entire federal security clearance application of a former employee given "the SF-86 form
is an extensive and probing questionnaire that asks applicants for all manner of personal background
details." A quote from FOIA and security clearance expert attorney Bradley Moss stated that
"someone at the USPS FOIA office is getting fired if they truly managed to release this file without
noticing the Standard Form 86 paperwork in the file, there is justifiable cause to fire that FOIA officer.?
BuzzFeed reported that they reached out to USPS for comment but did not immediately receive a
response. There was no relevant commentary.

Social media

There have been a number of trending tweets (20+ retweets or 50+ likes) from notable political
on Twitter. Sentiment was varied.

A Buzzfeed journalist blamed USPS "We confirmed that the US Postal Service released via
(and ikely up doing 

A National security lawyer with 50k followers blamed someone at the USPS FOIA office,
?Someone at the USPS FOIA office is getting fired. If they truly managed to release this file without
noticing the standard form 86 paperwork in the file there is justifiable cause to fire that FOIA officer."

Norm Eisen, a Sr. Fellow at the Brookings Institute tweeted ?it is a serious crime to illegally
disclose these docs. Implausible that Post Office produced this in unredacted form. But if that's the
case, let America Rising show the production letter attachment to prove it. Otherwise we will draw
our inferences"

A former congressional candidate, Dr. Dena Grayson speculated that the documents may have
been released by hackers. ?There is NO WAY that a federal agency should release an
UNREDACTED version of a Congressional candidate's SF-86 national security clearance form. So
WHO gave it to the The US postal service via a FOIA request, or hackers from #China or

elsewhere?"

Private citizens commenting on Twitter had an ovenivhelming sense of confusion that USPS
would have any involvement in holding sensitive clearance forms. Users assigned blame to the PAC
involved in opposition research, and not USPS.

A user who identified as a USPS employee tweeted ?I'm a USPS employee? under FOIA,
USPS must make records available to the public unless covered by exemption. However, when
requesting records about individual other than self. that person needs to complete a Privacy Waiver
and Authorization. The PAC is lying about its source." We could not find this employee in the
directory.

One commenter noted recent meetings between the President Trump and USPS ?Trumps has
recently been meeting with postal service." There was only one instance of a commenter making this
connection.

Abigail Spanberger released a statement. It did not mention USPS.

For a complete list of recent verbatims, with retweets and similar mentions removed, please
see the attached Word document.

Cumulative data

A search of Abigail Spanberger's name yields 81 mentions for an estimated reach of 55.2k. Coverage
appears to be trending upwards:

[cidzimageOOt .png@01 D43F7E.A1 879320]

Twitter has the most mentions 09%) and the widest reach 


News

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Conservative PAC releases document on Spanberger teaching at
Saudi-funded school: 

a72e3c4fbch.html (Comments not available)

Alternet: Democratic Candidate Slams GOP Super PAC for Alleged Breach After It
Obtains Her Secret Security Clearance Records: 
(No relevant
commentary)

Daily Beast: Officer and Candidate Says PAC Got Her Security-Clearance Application:

application (No comments)

The Daily Progress: PAC attacks Spanberger's work at Saudi?backed school using file she
says was obtained illegally: 
(No
comments)

The Week: Major GOP super PAC appears to be using CIA officer-turned-Democratic
candidate's security form in campaign: 
(No comments)

The Week: The US. Postal Service handed GOP opposition researchers officer's
private federal security application: 
(No comments)

The Mic Network Inc: Today in Trump?s America: Andrew Gillum wins stunning upset in Florida
Democratic governor primary: 
(No comments)

claims it obtained the security clearance form through a Freedom of Information Act request
with the US. Postal Service."

Buzz Feed News: In Unprecedented Move, The US Postal Service Released A Former CIA
Officer?s Security Application to Republican Group:

application (No comments)

0 Repost: The USA Bulletin: 
(No comments)

Blue Virginia: Abigail Spanberger?s Statement on the Acquisition of her Full, Unredacted
National Security Questionnaire by the Congressional Leadership Fund:

(No comments)

Congressional Leadership Fund: CLF ISSUES STATEMENT: WHAT IS ABIGAIL
SPANBERGER HIDING:



(No comments)

New York Times: C.I.A. Officer-Turned?Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security
Application: 

5

Noteworthy comments:

[cidzimage017.png@01 D43 F87. 
D43 F87. 


The Hill: House candidate accuses GOP super PAC of obtaining her security
application: 


Noteworthy comments (on The Hill article) 

[cid:imageOZ'l .png@01 D43 F87. 

 

Information regarding employee who issued FOIA response Employee Information:


Image of the Letter:



Link to article sharing this image:

nd .orglolf?issues?


WASHINGTON In a desperate attempt to prevent Virginia voters from learning about her record
and background, Virginia?s 7th Congressional District Democratic nominee. Abigail Spanberger, today
sent a letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund 





3D09970d?f05&d LrCAq?l QeJd 


which her campaign then shared with select members of the media 
threatening legal action over information about Spanberger that was obtained through legal channels.
CLF is responding by releasing a copy 





vng?l 

of that letter to voters in Virginia's ?th Congressional District as well as

3

 

documentation from the Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) and the records that were obtained
from the United States Postal Service as the result of that request.

This included information about Spanberger's tenure working at the lslamic Saudi Academy in
Northern Virginia, which the Associated Press reported was dubbed ?Terror High? after 12 US.
Senators and a federal commission wanted to shut it down. Spanberger?s former employer produced
a number of well-known terrorists including Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, valedictorian of the academy in
1999, who was convicted in 2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist
network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This led US. Senate Democratic Leader Charles
Schumer to issue a press release in 2005 calling for a full-scale probe







of the controversial Islamic school and
questioning whether the lslamic Saudi Academy was ?another madrassa." in addition. CLF is
redacting the document to exclude personal information such as home addresses, telephone
numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers, even though this information was released by
the USPS as part of the response to the FOIA request.


47aa397b83?3.png]

CLF spokesperson Courtney Alexander made the following statement about Spanberger?s politically-
motivated gambit today:

"It should surprise no one that Ms. Spanberger would want to hide from voters that she worked at
a school that produced some of the world?s most dangerous terrorists. CLF follows the letter of the
law in examining any candidate's background and Ms. Spanberger was no different. That she?s
threatening legal action, however, should raise serious questions for voters about what else she is
trying to hide. For any interested parties, CLF is happy to provide redacted copies of the information
Ms. Spanberger is trying to hide from voters in Virginia."

BACKGROUND:

On July 9, 2018, America Rising Corp. submitted a FOIA request to the National Personnel
Records Center "for access to certain records contained in the official civilian personnel file of former
federal employee Abigail Spanberger. Specifically, this request seeks records reflecting Ms.
Spanberger?s employment dates, annual salaries, title, and position description."

By letter dated July 12, 2018, NPRCINARA forwarded the America Rising Corp. request to the
United States Postal Service.

On July 30, 2018, USPS responded to America Rising's request with their complete personnel file
("entire official personnel folder"), which included Spanberger's SF-86.


035424f78139png]

















vng1 









VIQQ1 


4CXHGOJ K0CthEsh0827E&e=>

Paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund 


3A_congressienalleadershipfund . usl 5 . list-2Dmanage.co m_track_click-3Fu-


3009970d7f05&d=DwMGaQ&c= 

H-


1747 Ave NW, 5th Floor

Washington. DC 20006

Unsubscribe me from this mailing list 




vng?l 

1uAr4aK9k&e=>

Congressional Leadership Fund All Rights Reserved.

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washirlgton, DC

From: Adams, Jeffery A Washington, DC 

 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 2:40 PM
To: Pa rtenheimer, David A Washington, DC
Cc: Walker, Janice Washington, Reid-DeMeo, Darleen A - New York, Sucich,

NicholasJ Washington, Levin, Mary Washington, Coleman, David 
Washington, DC

Subject: Re: Washington Post story on Spanberger issue
Attachments: image001.jpg; image002jpg; image003.jpg; 
Dave

On Au 29, 2018 at 2:39 PM Partenheimer David A - 


1e8-


 

Virginia 

officer running for Congress says GDP obtained her unredacted personnel file with sensitive
information By Laura 

August 29 at 2:14 PM

RICHMOND ~Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA of?cer challenging Rep. Dave Brat (R) in
Virginia's 7th Congressional district, says a conservative super PAC aligned with House Speaker
Paul Ryan illegally obtained sensitive personal information about her from a questionnaire she
submitted to the federal government years ago while seeking security clearance.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and in anger, that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of politics,?
Democrat Abigail Spanberger, wrote in a letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund, in which she
demanded that the group destroy any capies of the form, which included her unredacted Social
Security number.

CLF said it obtained a copy of the questionnaire legally through a Freedom of Information request
submitted by a GOP consultant. It provided a copy of the FOIA request and a reply from the Postal
Service saying it was providing her personnel file in response. Spanberger worked as a postal
inspector, job that also required security clearance, before joining the CIA.

The release of Spanberger?s full security questionnaire was first reported by The New York Times.
CLF suggested that Spanberger was trying distract from a fact of her work history that she had
once taught English at Islamic Saudi Academy, a Northern Virginia school dubbed ?Terror High"
because some of its students later joined al Qaeda.

David Partenheimer, a spokesman for the Postal Service, said he was looking into the matter but did
not have an immediate response.

Brat's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Brat and Spanberger are engaged in an increasingly competitive race in the 7th District, a formerly
solid GOP seat which the Cook Political Report has moved into ?tossup? territory.

Brat won the seat four years ago after pulling off a shocking upset
ry-in-his-back-
yard/2014f05/1OIOdefOOc-d884-1 in

1

the GOP primary. snagging the nomination from then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. But he
faces stiff headwinds this year given President Trump's unpopularity in the largely suburban district
as well as the fact that some Cantor supporters remain cool to him, and his past comments that
enraged some female constituents.

[Rep Dave Brat: ?The women are in my grill no matter where I go"] Spanberger mentions on the
campaign trail that she once worked as a substitute teacher at a "private school.? but that hardly
seemed like the most intriguing part of the former CIA officer's biography. She filled in for a teacher
was on maternity leave during the 2002-2003 school year. a job she took after she'd gotten a
conditional job offer from the CIA and was waiting out the long security~clearance process.

Her first inkling that someone was looking into her teaching stint came in early August, when a
campaign staffer happened to get a call from a Republican pollster, Jones said.

?One of the questions was along the lines. ?Would you or would you not support Spanberger [if] she
worked at an Islamic Saudi school funded by the Royal Family,? said her spokesman, Justin Jones.
Herfirst thought was, ?Someone has my Jones said.

She got confirmation of that on August 16, when an Associated Press reporter approached her and
Jones at an event. saying he had received copies of the form from CLF on ?background," meaning
the material had been offered on condition that the source not be revealed. The reporter said that AP
decided to break the background agreement after its lawyers reviewed the material and concluded
that CLF could not have obtained it legally. Jones said.

"This is awkward. but we got an oppo dump from Jones recalled the reporter saying. ?Our legal
team reviewed it and are willing to break [the] background {agreement} because they had no capacity
to obtain this legally.?

Jones said the reporter then pulled the SF86 up on his phone and Spanberger saw enough to confirm
that it was hers. Jones said that in follow-up emails with the reporter, the campaign was able to
confirm that the form contained Spanberger?s unredacted social security number and medical history.
?It?s the whole. entire document. It's the whole shebang," Jones said. "You?re putting your faith in the
government that they?re going to protect this information. so it?s an attack on civil servants. It's a
national security risk to some degree."

AP spokesman Bryan Baldwin declined to comment on that account.

?As a matter of long-standing policy. The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its
newsgathering methods or sourcing,? Baldwin said. ?In this instance the AP did not publish a story on
this topic.?

In 2002, Spanberger had gotten a conditional job offer with the CIA. contingent on her passing an
exhaustive background check. She also sought work as a Postal Inspector and for both jobs. filled out
a questionnaire, known as SF-BB, as part of that process. She then looked around for other work
since it could take years for clearance to come through.

She waited tables and then heard. from a fellow waitress who taught part-time at lslamic Saudi
Academy, that there was an opening there for an English teacher while the instructor took maternity
leave. Spanberger took the job, working there from 2002 to 2003.

But her work there did not stop her from receiving a security clearance and employment. She updated
her SF-BB to note that she had left waitressing for the teaching job, identifying the school by name.
She later got a job as a postal inspector, and finally started with the CIA in 2006.

On Tuesday, Spanberger sent a letter to CLF threatening legal action if it did not "destroy every copy
of my unredacted and agree not to share any information obtained from it.

CLF responded by releasing a copy of a Freedom of Information request that America Rising Corp, a
consultant to CLF, submitted to the National Personnel Records Center July 9. The center on July 12
forwarded that request to the Postal Service. which responded July 30 with Spanberger's ?entire
personnel folder." CLF contends the material provided included her SF86 form.

?By attempting to divert attention from the fact that she was employed by a Saudi government?funded
high school that produced two students who were accused of preparing for suicide bombings, as well
as a valedictorian who was convicted on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda

2

terrorist network as part of a conspiracy to assassinate then-President George W. Bush, Abigail
Spanberger is trying to stifle vital political Speech about her qualifications for public office, which is
protected under the First Amendment,? CLF wrote in a reply to Spanberger's campaign.

The school later became highly controversial because a number of students went on to become
terrorists. CLF notes that Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the school?s 1999 valedictorian, was convicted in
2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Emily?s List, the political group trying to elect more Democratic women, accused CLF of
?weaponizing? Spanberger?s security questionnaire.

?It?s the season for political attacks and Abigail Spanberger knew they were coming. What's shocking
is that Paul Ryan?s super PAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund, would cross ethical lines in using
information inappropriately obtained from her security clearance application and weaponizing it as a
political attack," Christina Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the organization said in a statement. ?The
Republicans are clearly willing to do anything to win, but this shameful act is beyond the pale and
every Republican currently benefiting from attack ads should have to answer for their actions."

Dave Partenheimer
Manager, Public Relations
US. Postal Service

 





Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washi_ngton, DC

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 2:44 PM
To: Pagano, Catherine Washington, DC

Subject: FW: Postal Service FOIA Mishap in VA Election

 

 

From: Hagen, Nikolaj - Washington, DC

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 12:
To: RELATIONS MANAGERS 
Washington, DC
Co: RELATI
Subject: Postal Service FOIA Mishap In

 
  
  
  

Hanlon, Bryan 

A former CIA officer and Postal inspector running for Congress says that her security clearance was
handed to an opposing Super PAC by the Postal Service.

Officer-Turned~Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application


"Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss, the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion."

?The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, 3 separate Republican-aligned research firm.?

Sent from my iPhone

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy Washington, DC

From: Coleman, David Washington, Dc:

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 2:54 PM

To: Partenheimer, David A - Washington, DC

Subject: Media Monitoring FOIA Report 4th report

Attachments: image001.jpg; imageOO2Jpg; image003.png; image004jpg; imageDOSpng;

image006.jpg; image007.ipg; media monitoring 

Dave,
See attached (7 stories)

David P. Coleman
Public Relations Representative
US. Postal Service

Headquarters, Washington DC

Follow USPS 






[cid:image001 .jpg@010F5A21 


   
 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC.

From:
Sent:
To:

Cc:
Subject:

Attachments:

Partenheimer, David A Washington, 
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 2:5? PM

Walker, Janice Washington, Adams, Jeffery A - Washington, ReideeMeo,
Darleen A New York, Sucich, NicholasJ - Washington, Levin, Mary -
Washington. DC

Coleman, David Washington, Walton, Carl A - Washington, DC

FW: Media Monitoring FOIA Report 4th report

media monitoring FOIAdocx

This report includes the Washington Post story.

Media Tracking 4th Report

Links to Stories:

Nytimes.com: C.I.A. Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security
Application

Buzzfeednews.corn: In An Unprecedented Move, The US Postal Service Released
A Former CIA Officer?s Security Application To A Republican Group

Wonkette.com: Paul Ryan's PAC Wants To Fight Dirty With CIA Agent Abigail
Spanberger? Lotsa Luck!

Theweekcom: U.S. Postal Service reportedly gave GOP group protected file on
Officer

Thehill.com: House candidate accuses GOP super PAC of obtaining her
security application

 

TheDailyBeast.com: Officer and Candidate Savs PAC Got Her Security-
Clearance Application

Washingtonpost.com: officer running for Congress savs GOP obtained
her unredacted personnel file with sensitive information

Full Text of Stories:

Nytimescom

Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC
Obtained Her Security Application

By Michael Tackett
. Aug. 28. 2018

WASHINGTON A former OLA. officer running for Congress accused a super PAC aligned
with Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday of improperly obtaining her entire federal security
clearance application a highly sensitive document containing extensive personal information
and then using it for political purposes.

Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia.
5th a cease~and~desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional
Leadership Fund. which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm
elections. She demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use
the information in any fashion.

write as a former civil servant and as an American. in shock and anger. that you have tried to
exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of
politics." she wrote.

The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying tvls. Spanberger's charge,
saying that the document was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed with
the United States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research
firm.

follows the letter of the law in examining any candidate's background and Ms.
Spanberger was no different." Courtney Alexander, a spokeswoman for the group. said in the
statement.

The group also released a portion of the security clearance application. blacking out some
personal information.

Graham Wilson. a lawyer for Ms. Spanberger's campaign. said that explanation. which laid the
mistake on the Postal Service. did not ring true. ?in this unredacted form. this is not a document
that the government can provide under the Privacy Act.? he said.

Ms. Spanberger. 39. said in the letter that she had ?clear evidence" that the Congressional
Leadership Fund had provided a copy of her security clearance application to "at least one news
outlet.? adding. am not aware of any legal way that C.L.F. could have this document." In an
interview, she said that she suspected that the group was trying to exploit a brief time when she
taught at a private Islamic school funded by Saudi ArabiaThe sniper PAC validated that
suspicion in its response. going on at some length to try to link the school called ?Terror High"
in an earlier news article to terrorist activity.

The application was one of two that she completed for government positions, for a law
enforcement job at the Postal Service and for her position with the Central Intelligence Agency.

At a political event this month, Ms. Spanberger said she was approached by a reporter for The
Associated Press, who showed her a copy of the security form and said the leadership fund had
provided the document on a background basis, meaning that the source would typically not be
named. The reporter pulled up a copy of the form on his email, and Ms. Spanberger said she
was ?100 percent? certain it was hers.

The forms ask for detailed personal information about work and health and also include vital
data like a Social Security number.

am proud of my background and my service, and not ashamed of the information I submitted,"
she said. have nothing to hide in my background. But, as any American in a similar situation
would be, I am concerned about my privacy and security."

Ms. Spanberger, a ?rst-time candidate. served in the C.I.A. as a covert officer overseas for eight
years, much of it investigating international terrorism cases. and has used that part of her
biography in her appeal to voters in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District, which includes
the suburbs of Richmond and extends north to far reaches of exurban Washington.

She has made a tossup by the Cook Political Report, surprisingly
competitive.

 

?When i decided to run for Congress, i took stringent measures for my campaign because, as a
former CIA. operative. I assumed I would be the target of attacks,? she said in the letter. "Butl
expected those attacks to come from foreign adversaries, not domestic groups associated with
members of Congress. like 

Even before being approached by a reporter, Ms. Spanberger said in the interview that she had
become suspicious that the application had been leaked because Republicannaligned groups
conducting ?push polling" in the race had been asking respondents whether they knew she had
once taught at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Alexandria, Va, an international baccalaureate
program.

One of her supporters received a call from the polling company and reported that she was
asked if she would be less likely to support Ms. Spanberger if she knew that the candidate had
taught at a school funded by the Saudi royal family that had "numerous students arrested for
terrorism,? Ms. Spanberger said.

A recent graduate from the University of Virginia at the time, Ms. Spanberger returned to the
United States in 2002 after teaching in Germany and earning a master?s degree. She applied for
a job at the that year and was told in December that she had a conditional offer pending
her background check. which she was told could take at least six months.

She waited tables in the interim, and a colleague asked her if she would be interested in a
temporary job teaching English at the academy to cover for another instructor?s maternity leave,
Ms. Spanberger said.

As she awaited final word from the she took a job at the Postal Inspection Service, the
law enforcement arm of the Postal Service. She said she filled out the federal forms for both
jobs at about the same time. She also said she informed the CIA. each time she took on new
employment.

National security experts said that the unauthorized release of such a highly confidential
document is particularly troubling if it turns out to not be an isolated episode.

?It calls for a tremendous amount of extremely private. personal information. and so to the
person whose information is at stake. it is extremely significant.? said David Kris, a founder of
Culper Partners and a former assistant attorney general for national security.

Ms. Spanberger noted that she. like millions of others, had been notified that her personal
information may have been compromised in 2015 during a breach at the federal Office of
Persongel Margagegregt. American officials have said privately that they believe that the hacking
could be traced to the Chinese government.

 

Ms. Spanberger is among more than a dozen Democratic candidates this year with strong
background in national security through service in the military or at the intelligence agencies.

Representative Ben Ray Lujan. Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committeer sent a letter on Tuesday to more than a dozen candidates
in his party making them aware of Ms. Spanberger's complaint and urging caution.

?This is an official government document that only President Trump?s administration should
have in its possession in its unredacted form," Mr. Lulan said.

?To be clear. we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files. nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first
place.? Mr. Lujan said. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

The Associated Press declined to comment directly on the issue. ?As a matter of longstanding
policy. The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its news gathering methods or sourcing.?
said Bryan Baldwin. a spokesman for the news organization. "In this instance. The AP. did not
publish a story on this topic."

President Trump's persistent attacks on the intelligence agencies, notably in connection with its
assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign to help him. have given
rise to complaints that a ?deep state" exists in the government that is working to undermine the
president.

But Ms. Spanberger is looking at that from the opposite perspective.

personally don?t see that they only have my documents," Ms. Spanberger said. ?i just happen
to be the canary in the coal mine and we had someone bring it to my attention."

She added. have nothing to hide. Ifthey need a canary in the coal mine, I'm glad it's me."
Nytimescom

Buzzfeednewscom

In An Unprecedented Move, The US Postal
Service Released A Former CIA Officer?s Security
Application To A Republican Group

By Grace Wyler Jason Leopold

The former of?cer. Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger. has suggested the information was
released for partisan purposes. Documents shows USPS was responding to a FOIA request from
research group America Rising.

The United States Postal Service has released the entire federal security clearance application
of a former CIA officer running for Congress. in what experts say is a highly unusual. and
perhaps unprecedented. move. given the extensive. highly personal nature of the information
contained in such documents.

In an interview with the New York Times published Tuesday. the former officer. Abigail
Spanberger. accused the Congressional Leadership Fund. a super PAC aligned with House
Speaker Paul Ryan, of improperly obtaining the document. and suggested that the Trump
administration may have leaked the information for partisan purposes.

 

But BuzzFeed News can confirm that an unredacted copy of the federal security clearance
application was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by America Rising.
a research group allied with the Republican Party. which then shared it with the Congressional
Leadership Fund. Spanberger. a Democrat, is challenging Republican Rep. David Brat in a
.Virginia congressional race that has become surprisingly competitive going into the fall midterm
campaign.

Documents viewed by BuzzFeed News show that the request for Spanberger's entire civilian
personnel file was submitted early last month to the National Personnel Records Center. a
division of the National Archives. The request. which sought records related to the former CIA
officer's employment dates. salaries. title. and position descriptions. did not explicitly mention
the federal security clearance application. known as an 

The FOIA request specifically sought records from Spanberger's official personnel folder from
the US Postal Inspection Service. where she used to work. America Rising's FOIA request
included the first five numbers of Spanberger's social security number. which the group
obtained from LexisNexis. BuzzFeed News has learned.

The documents show that on July 12. three days after the FOIA request was submitted. the
NPRC notified America Rising that the FOIA request had been forwarded to the US Postal
Service for processing. and that some information could be released under the FOIA ?without
consent from the individual."

On July 30. the USPS provided America Rising with Spanberger?s entire personnel folder.
including the 

?America Rising submitted a standard Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking
information from the National Personnel Records Center which was referred to the United
States Postal Service, an independent agency. which provided us responsive documents,?
America Rising CEO Joe Pounder said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. ?Why the USPS
disclosed certain information in response to the FOIA is for their response. At the end of the
day, this Democrat candidate is trying to block the one thing FOIA is meant to provide.
transparency."

BuzzFeed News has reached out to USPS for comment on why the unredacted file was
released. but did not immediately receive a response.

According to the Times. the SF-86 is one of two security clearance applications Spanberger
submitted when she first applied to work for the federal government in 2002law enforcement job at USPS, which she took while waiting to hear back about the job
at the intelligence agency.

The decision by USPS to release the unredacted document was unusual. FOIA and security
clearance expert Bradley Moss. an attorney with Mark S. Zaid, P.C., told BuzzFeed News. The
SF-BB form is an extensive and probing questionnaire that asks applicants for all manner of
personal background details. including where the applicant has lived and worked, their history of
drug and alcohol use. and a number of other questions that could yield potentially embarrassing
facts, he said.

Spanberger has said that Republicans seemed to be looking for information related to her brief
stint as a teacher at the Islamic Saudi Academy, a private international baccalaureate program
in Alexandria. Virginia. funded by the Saudi Arabian government.

"Someone at the USPS FOIA office is getting fired.? Moss said. ?If they truly managed to release
this file without noticing the Standard Form 86 paperwork in the file. there is justifiable cause to
fire that FOIA officer."

paperwork is categorically privacy-protected and to my knowledge has never been
released through CIA to a third party absent a privacy waiver,? he added.

Spanberger's campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have called
the release of the information troubling, and suggested that the documents may have been
improperly released by the Trump administration, noting the president's persistent attacks on
US intelligence agencies and personnel.

In a letter to congressional candidates seen by the Times. Chair Ben Ray Lujan wrote
that Spanberger?s SF-BB was "an official government document that only President Trump's
administration should have in its possession in its unredacted form.?

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files, nor are we certain how C.L.F. got Ms. Spanberger?s document in the first
place," Mr. Lujan conceded. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

Wonkette.oom

Paul Ryan's PAC Wants To Fight Dirty With CIA
Agent Abigail Spanberger? Lotsa Luck!

By Five Dollar Feminist

Yesterday the reported that Paul Ryan's pet SuperPAC got its hands on Virginia
congressional candidate Abigail Spanberger?s unredacted security clearance application, and is
using it to pretend the former CIA agent worked in a madrassa. Because naturally those
unpatriotic bigots would take allegedly hacked data and try to paint a covert oounterterrorism
operative as a goddamn terrorist. Of fucking course!

Leaving aside the wisdom of using government personnel records to smear a federal agent in a
district with huge numbers of Defense Department employees who have filled out the exact
same form with the expectation that that shit is private, just how the hell did the Congressional
Leadership Fund get their grubby paws on a document that's illegal to release under the mag

Act?

Well, CLF has a very good answer for that question. It's the darnedest thing! They were walking
down the street the other day, and Ms. Spanberger's entire. unredacted SFBG form just fell off
the back of a truck! More or less.

tin July .- 'l than?; (loiiu a F?lh?t rerun-:5! to the National Persortrte'
a J: records ll'i Hat-2 Offlolill tilt} of
torturzil the request seeks; records reflecting

Ms. Si'irainitirsigit dates. annual salaries title, and position description 

Ry loin-2  riutoct July 2: fiu torwarcieu the America Rising Corp. request to the

Unite-cl l-i watt! 

{in ?July Tilt] ii rota; .inrieri to ftrnierng'a Hil?ll?ql? request With their complete pifll'St'Jl'l'it-Ei

tilt? i"er: rt: which irrelucieri Suanberger?s 

Yeah, their story is that their rggqipgijesea?gs submitted a FOIA request to the Post Office,
where Spanberger had applied in to work in the security division in 2002, and the USPS happily
overnighted them her entire unredacted personnel file -- social security number. medical
records. and all)

. Spanberger sent CLF a cease ?tt?jl?sj? l_ett_er saying, am not aware of any legal way that
CLF could have this document.? To which the PAC responded NUH UH TERRORIST 

Just to be clear, Spanberger was a substitute AP English teacher at a school for Saudi kids in
Alexandria while she was waiting for her security clearance to be processed, after which she
went on to spend eight years working for the CIA. That*s literally all these fuckers got on her.

But back to that "personnel file," which CLF is still swearing the Post Office overnighted them in
response to a FOIA request.

 

According to former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics,  Walter Shaub.
the SF86 isn't even a part of a government personnel file.

CLF's oppo goons may have put in a FOIA request with the Post Office, but we're highly
skeptical that's how they netted Spanberger?s SF86. And so is NatSec Twitter!

If we had to guess, we'd speculate that this form was stolen in a 2015 Chinese hack of the
federal Office of Personnel Management, and someone is attempting to launder it through a
recent FOIA request. But would the very fine people at the Congressional Leadership Fund do a
lowdown. dirty thing like that? You bet your ass they would! Those are the same guys who
happily gobbled up all the stolen emails that Russia could hack in 2016 and turned them
into attack ads.

But this time. they may have bitten off a little more than they can chew. lt's one thing to hack a
political committee, but it's quite another to hack the United States government. If this FOIA is
faked and the materials were either leaked or stolen. CLF is going to be exposed in about 12
hours. And even if someone at the Post Office really did fuck up and send them Spanberger's
unredacted file. they got literally nothing out of it but a giant black eye.

She pitched in for a high school teacher on maternity leave? 

The district is historically safe for the GOP. but Cook Political has mgv_ed_ the race from Leans
Republican to Toss Up. And Tea Party dipshit Dave Brat is running downballot from infamous
Kaine?s popular coattails in a district that Trump only took by 50 percent. No wonder they're
scared!

Theweekcom

U.S. Postal Service reportedly gave GOP group
protected file on officer

The US. Postal Service handed conservative opposition-research group America Rising the
privacy-protected security clearance application of former CIA of?cer Abigail Spanberger, the
Democrat challenging Rep. Dave Brat (R) in Virginia's 7th Congressional District, in response to
a Freedom of Information Act request, BuzzFeed News reports. America Rising gave the
unredacted document to House Republican super PAC the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has used information from it to target Spanberger. The New York Times says.
Spanberger has sent the CLF a cease-and-desist order. Before joining the CIA, Spanberger
worked at the USPS Postal Inspection Service. and she filled out similar forms for both jobs.
The extensive and invasive security applications are supposed to be shielded from FOIA
requests.

Thehill.com

House candidate accuses GOP super
PAC of obtaining her security application

By Megan Keller

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.

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 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, 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.?

Spanberger told the Times that she took the English teacher job at the Islamic Saudi Academy
as a temporary position while she was waiting to hear back on her background check for a
conditional offer at the CIA.

?To be clear, we have no reason to believe that Republican groups have illegally obtained any
of your personnel files, nor are we certain how CLF got Ms. Spanberger's document in the first

place,? Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Rep. Ben Ray Lujan
(D-NM.) told the Times. ?But even the evidence of this isolated incident is deeply troubling."

Thedailybeastcom

Officer and Candidate Says PAC Got Her
Security?Clearance Application

A former CIA officer now running for Congress as a Democrat has accused a Republican super
PAC of ?improperly obtaining her entire federal security clearance application" and ?using it for
political purposes." The New York Times reports that Abigail Spanberger, who is challenging
Rep. David Brat (R-VA), sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund to
?destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in any fashion." Spanberger
alleges the PAC had shared its content with "at least one news outlet." The PAC responded that
it had obtained her application through a Freedom of Information Act request, and released a
part of the form??only redacting Spanberger's personal information. am not aware of any legal
way that CLF could have this document," she said. Spanberger also told the Times she
su5pected the PAC wanted to politically exploit the fact that she taught at a "private Islamic
school funded by Saudi Arabia" for a short time. am proud of my background and my service.
and not ashamed of the information I submitted," she said. have nothing to hide in my
background. But as any American in a similar situation would be. I am concerned about my
privacy and security.?

 officer running for Congress says GOP
obtained her unredacted personnel file with
sensitive information

By Laura Vozzella

August 29 at 2:14 PM

RICHMOND ?Democrat Abigail Spanberger. a former CIA officer challenging Rep. Dave Brat
(R) in Virginia's 'i?th Congressional district. says a conservative super PAC aligned with House
Speaker Paul Ryan illegally obtained sensitive personal information about her from a
questionnaire she submitted to the federal government years ago while seeking security
clearance.

write as a former civil servant and as an American, in shock and in anger, that you have tried
to exploit my service to our country by exposing my most personal information in the name of
politics," Democrat Abigail Spanberger, wrote in a letter to the Congressional Leadership Fund,
in which she demanded that the group destroy any copies of the form. which included her
unredacted Social Security number.

CLF said it obtained a copy of the questionnaire legally through a Freedom of Information
request submitted by a GOP consultant. It provided a cepy of the FOIA request and a reply from
the Postal Service saying it was providing her personnel file in response. Spanberger worked as
a postal inspector. job that also required security clearance. before joining the CIA.

The release of Spanberger?s full security questionnaire was first reported by The New York
Times.

CLF suggested that Spanberger was trying distract from a fact of her work history that she
had once taught English at Islamic Saudi Academy, a Northern Virginia school dubbed ?Terror
High" because some of its students laterjoined al Qaeda.

David Partenheimer, a spokesman for the Postal Service. said he was looking into the matter
but did not have an immediate response.

Brat?s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Brat and Spanberger are engaged in an increasingly competitive race in the 7th District. a
formerly solid GOP seat which the Cook Political Report has moved into "tossup" territory.

Brat won the seat four years ago after pulling off a shocking ugset in the GOP primary, snagging
the nomination from then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. But he faces stiff headwinds this
year given President Trump's unpopularity in the largely suburban district as well as the fact that
some Cantor supporters remain cool to him, and his past comments that enraged some female
constituents.

[Rep Dave Brat: ?The women are in my grill no matter where i 

Spanberger mentions on the campaign trail that she once worked as a substitute teacher at a
?private school,? but that hardly seemed like the most intriguing part of the former CIA officer's
biography. She filled in for a teacher was on maternity leave during the 2002-2003 school year.
a job she took after she?d gotten a conditional job offer from the CIA and was waiting out the
long security-clearance process.

Her first inkling that someone was looking into her teaching stint came in early August. when a
campaign staffer happened to get a call from a Republican pollster, Jones said.

?One of the questions was along the lines. 'Would you or would you not support Spanberger [if 
she worked at an Islamic Saudi school funded by the Royal Family.? said her spokesman,
Justin Jones.

Her first thought was. ?Someone has my Jones said.

She got confirmation of that on August 16. when an Associated Press reporter approached her
and Jones at an event. saying he had received copies of the form from CLF on ?background."
meaning the material had been offered on condition that the source not be revealed. The
reporter said that AP decided to break the background agreement after its lawyers reviewed the
material and concluded that CLF could not have obtained it legally. Jones said.

?This is awkward. but we got an oppo dump from Jones recalled the reporter saying. ?Our
legal team reviewed it and are willing to break [the] background [agreement] because they had
no capacity to obtain this legally."

Jones said the reporter then pulled the SF86 up on his phone and Spanberger saw enough to
confirm that it was hers. Jones said that in follow-up emails with the reporter. the campaign was
able to confirm that the form contained Spanberger's unredacted social security number and
medical history.

"It's the whole. entire document. It?s the whole shebang." Jones said. "You're putting your faith
in the government that they?re going to protect this information. so it's an attack on civil
servants. It's a national security risk to some degree.?

AP spokesman Bryan Baldwin declined to comment on that account.

?As a matter of long?standing policy. The Associated Press does not publicly discuss its
newsgathering methods or sourcing." Baldwin said. "In this instance the AP did not publish a
story on this topic."

In 2002. Spanberger had gotten a conditional job offer with the CIA. contingent on her passing
an exhaustive background check. She also sought work as a Postal Inspector and for both jobs.
filled out a questionnaire, known as SF-SB. as part of that process. She then looked around for
other work since it could take years for clearance to come through.

She waited tables and then heard. from a fellow waitress who taught part-time at lslamic Saudi
Academy. that there was an opening there for an English teacher while the instructor took
maternity leave. Spanberger took the job. working there from 2002 to 2003.

But her work there did not stop her from receiving a security clearance and employment. She
updated her SF-86 to note that she had left waitressing for the teaching job. identifying the

school by name. She later got a job as a postal inspector, and finally started with the CIA in
2006.

On Tuesday, Spanberger sent a letter to CLF threatening legal action if it did not "destroy every
copy of my unredacted and agree not to share any information obtained from it.

CLF responded by releasing a copy of a Freedom of Information request that America Rising
Corp, a consultant to CLF, submitted to the National Personnel Records Center July 9. The
center on July 12 forwarded that request to the Postal Service, which responded July 30 with
Spanberger's ?entire personnel folder. CLF contends the material provided included her SFBB
form.

?By attempting to divert attention from the fact that she was employed by a Saudi government-
funded high school that produced two students who were accused of preparing for suicide
bombings. as well as a valedictorian who was convicted on charges of providing material
support to the al Qaeda terrorist network as part of a conspiracy to assassinate then?President
George W. Bush. Abigail Spanberger is trying to stifle vital political speech about her
qualifications for public of?ce. which is protected under the First Amendment," CLF wrote in a
reply to Spanberger?s campaign.

The school later became highly controversial because a number of students went on to become
terrorists. CLF notes that Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, the school's 1999 valedictorian, was convicted
in 2005 on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda and sentenced to 30 years in
pnson.

Emily's List, the political grouo trying to elect more Democratic women. accused CLF of
?weaponizing? Spanberger's security questionnaire.

"It's the season for political attacks and Abigail Spanberger knew they were coming. What's
shocking is that Paul Ryan's super PAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund. would cross
ethical lines in using information inappropriately obtained from her security clearance application
and weaponizing it as a political attack,? Christina Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the
organization said in a statement. "The Republicans are clearly willing to do anything to win, but
this shameful act is beyond the pale and every Republican currently benefiting from 
attack ads should have to answer for their actions."

 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From:
Sent:
To:

Subject:

Attachments:

   

Levin, Mary Washington. 
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 2:

Goldstein, Noah Washington, Haliums, Kimberiy - Washington, Matyasr
Emily A - Washington, DC

FW: Media Monitoring FOIA Report 4th report

media monitoring FOIAdocx

Please cross reference with the daily report you just gave me. Aiready added WaPo.

From: Partenheirner, David A - Washington, DC

Sent: Wednesda Au ust 29 2018 2:57 PM

Subject: FW: Media Monitoring FOIA Report 4th report

  
   

This report includes the Washington Post story.

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:

Attachments:

Jones, Barry] 
Wednesday, August 29. 2018 4:1

Graham. Jeannine - Washington, DC
OPF Requests 
OPF Requests 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Hallums, Kimberly - Washington, 
Sent: Wednesday. August 29, 2018 4:28 PM

To: Goldsteih, Noah - Washington, DC
Subject: Spanberger Articles
Attachments: image001.jpg; image002jpg; image003.png; image004.jpg; image005.png:

in1age006jpg; irnage00?.jpg; image008.png

San Francisco Chronicle (Pacific Area): officer seeking Va. House seat says GOP
obtained personnel file with sensitive data: 


NBC Raleigh Affiliate {Capital Metro Area): CIA Officer-Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained
Her Security Application: 
security-application? 7802482!

Washington Examiner: USPS released former Democratic candidate's security clearance
application to Republican group: 


POLITICO: Gillum scores major win in Florida Democratic gubernatorial primary:



OPPO BOOK - Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who is running against GOP Rep. Dave Brat in
Virginia's 7th District, is accusing the Congressional Leadership Fund of 'improperly obtaining her
entire federal security clearance application.? The New York Times? Michael Tackett: Spanberger 'sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss: the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.?

Kimberly Hallurns

Social Media Analyst

Social Business Intelligence
Corporate Communications
United States Postal Service. HO

'wwlwuspmrIscom p: so 

Follow USPS 




<http:ifyoutube.comfusps>



 

Chavannes-Battle. Nancy - Washington. DC

From- wwaoc?

 

Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 4:32 PM

To: Goldstein, Noah Washington, DC

Subject: Updated Abigail Spanberger News Mentions

Attachments: imageOU?i.png: image002.png; image003.png; image004.png; image005.png;
image-006.an

 

 

   

033(5)

 

 

?The Times story left unclear whether it was really true that American Rising had successfully gotten
the SF-86 from the Post Office"

Washington Post: officer running for Congress says GOP obtained her unredacted
personnel file with sensitive information: 

1e8-a8d7-


Wonkette: Paul Ryan's PAC Wants To Fight Dirty With CIA Agent Abigail Spanberger? Lotsa
Luckl: 
spanberger?Iotsa-luck

Best

Emily A. Matyas
Social Media Analyst
Headquarters USPS 10th Floor Room 502

475 L'Enfant Plazal SW, Washiniton 0.0., 20260

[cid:image001 apng@01 D1 E1 :image002.png@mpsfe 




[cidzimage006.png@01 D1 E1 

Chavannes-Battle, Nancy - Washington, DC

From: Goldstein, Noah Washington, 
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 4:35 

To: Levin, Mary Washington, DC

Subject: Abigail Spanberger news update

Abigail Spanberger news

Alternet: Republican PAC Publishes Security Application of Former CIA Agent Running As
Democrat in Virginia: 


Washington Post: officer running for Congress says GOP obtained her unredacted
personnel file with sensitive information: 

informationi'201 teB-aBdT-

0f63ab8b?l 3?0_storv. dac49080

Breitbart: 'Deep State' Democrat Abigail Spanberger Challenging Dave Brat Exposed for Ties
to Terrorism-Linked Group: 


obtained this information through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in conjunction with
America Rising, a Republican campaign research and rapid response group and through information
obtained from the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a result of the request."

Daily Beast: CIA Analyst Turned Candidate Fears She'll Get Doxxed Next:


"The US. Postal Service provided Spanberger's information to America Rising, according to
BuzzFeed. In response to extensive questions from The Daily Beast, David A. Partenheimer, a
spokesperson for the Postal Service, said, "we're looking into the matter."

The Week: Major GOP super PAC appears to be using CIA officer-turned-Democratic
candidate's security form in campaign: 


Clearance Jobscom: What Was A Congressional Candidate's SF-BS Doing In the Hands of
Her Political Opponents?: 


Mother Jones: Republican Super PAC Tries to Tie Dem Candidate to "Terror High":

to?terror?highiI

Mic: Today in Trump's America: Andrew Gillum wins stunning upset in Florida Democratic
governor primary: 


1

 claims it obtained the security clearance form through a Freedom of Information Act request
with the US. Postal Service. But experts say such a form would never be given through a FOIA
request, especially in an unredacted form CLF had it."

San Francisco Chronicle (Pacific Area): officer seeking Va. House seat says GOP
obtained personnel file with sensitive data: 


NBC Raleigh Af?liate (Capital Metro Area): CIA Officer~Turned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained
Her Security Application: 
security?applicationl?l 7?8024821l

Washington Examiner: USPS released former Democratic candidate's security clearance
application to Republican group: 


POLITICO: Gillum scores major win in Florida Democratic gubernatorial primary:

politico. 


OPPO BOOK - Democrat Abigail Spanberger. who is running against GOP Rep. Dave Brat in
Virginia's 7th District, is accusing the Congressional Leadership Fund of 'improperly obtaining her
entire federal security clearance application.? The New York Times' Michael Tackett: Spanberger 'sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion.?

Talking Points Memo: Let's Pull This Thread: 
thread
"The Times story left unclear whether it was really true that American Rising had successfully gotten
the SF-86 from the Post Office."

Wonkette: Paul Ryan?s PAC Wants To Fight Dirty With CIA Agent Abigail Spanberger? Lotsa
Luckl: 
spanberger-Iotsa?luck

 

A former CIA officer and Postal Inspector running for Congress says that her security clearance was
handed to an opposing Super PAC by the Postal Service.

OfficeruTurned-Candidate Says PAC Obtained Her Security Application


"Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate challenging Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, sent
a cease-and-desist letter to Corry Bliss. the executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund,
which has raised more than $100 million to help Republicans in the midterm elections. She
demanded that the super PAC destroy all copies of the form and agree to not use the information in
any fashion."

"The super PAC released a statement on Tuesday strongly denying Ms. Spanberger?s charge, saying
that the document was obtained through a Freedom of information Act request filed with the United
States Postal Service by America Rising, a separate Republican-aligned research firm."

Sent from my iPhone

Reps. Connolly and Cummings Request lG Investigation into Postal Service's Reported Release of
Congressional Candidate?s SF-BB and Personnel File

Washington. D.C.?Today, Vice Ranking Member Gerry Connolly (DNA) and Ranking Member Elijah
E. Cummings (D-MD) of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to
the Acting Inapeotor General for the United States Postal Service requesting an investigation into the



 

Postal Service?s reported release of a former employee and current Congressional candidate's
unredacted Standard Form 36 Press reports indicate that the unredacted Standard Form 86
(SF-86) and personnel ?le of Abigail Spanberger. the Democratic candidate for the Commonwealth of
Virginia?s 7th Congressional District, was released by the Postal Service to a conservative PAC
through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Ms. Spanberger, an officer, is also a
former employee of the Postal Service. The personal information obtained through the FOIA request
was subsequently used by a Super PAC working against Ms. Spanberger.

?We write to request that your office conduct an investigation into the reported release by the United
States Postal Service of a former employee's unredacted Standard Form 86 and any other
related personal information that was released in violation of privacy statutes and other laws and
regulations." the Ranking Members wrote.

They also wrote,

?The release of Ms. Spanberger's unredacted SF-86 to any individual or entity without her permission
in violation of the law would call into question the Postal Service's processes for responding to FOIA
requests."

The Members requested that the Office of the Inspector General address at least the following
questions:

(1) Did anyone at the Postal Service disclose Ms. Spanberger's If so, who and what
were the circumstances of the disclosure?
(2) Did the disclosure of Ms. Spanberger?s or any other documents provided under

America Rising?s FOIA request violate any laws, regulations, or policies governing disclosure of such
materials?

(3) What. if any, information provided under America's Rising?s FOIA request should

not have been provided?

(4) Why did the Postal Service not seek a privacy waiver from Ms. Spanberger before releasing
her personnel file and SF-86 pursuant to a FOIA request?

(5) Were any individuals in the Postal Service who handled America Rising's FOIA request
aware of Ms. Spanberger?s candidacy for Virginia's 7th Congressional District or the political nature of
America Rising's request?

(6) Does the Postal Service have adequate procedures in place to process FOIA requests and
prevent disclosure of protected information?
(7) What actions, if any. has Postal Service management taken to prevent unauthorized and

impermissible disclosures of such information in the future?

The full letterfollows and is available 


August 29, 2018

Ms. Tammy L. Whitcomb
Acting Inspector General
United States Postal Service
1735 N. Street
Alexandria. VA 22209-2029