Company fired 9 charged with accessing Obama loans

Vangent says employees, since indicted, were sacked last year after peeking at president's records

Published May 13, 2010 10:20PM (EDT)

A Department of Education contractor in Iowa says it had fired nine employees who now face federal charges for accessing President Barack Obama's student loan records.

Vangent Inc. spokeswoman Eileen Rivera says the workers were fired last June after the company learned of what occurred.

The former employees were indicted this week on charges that they exceeded their authorized computer access while working at a Vangent office in Iowa and accessing Obama's student loan records.

Authorities have not said why the nine employees sought access to the records or if the information was then used in any way. Rivera also would not comment on that.

They are scheduled to be arraigned May 24. The charge is punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.


By Associated Press

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