Verizon Employees Peek at Obama's Records

CNN is reporting Friday morning that cell phone carrier Verizon Wireless has notified the U.S. Secret Service that some of its employees had "accessed and viewed" calling records from a cell phone used by President-elect Barack Obama.

According to Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless president and CEO, "All employees who have accessed the account -- whether authorized or not --- have been put on immediate leave, with pay."

In other words, they're on vacation.

To calm national security fears, Mr. McAdam made clear that the cell phone in question was a simple voice flip-phone, not a smartphone or Blackberry with e-mail capabilities, so no confidential e-mail records had been accessed.

In addition, Obama Transition team spokesman Robert Gibbs said the former Senator no longer uses the phone.

In an internal company e-mail, Mr. McAdam said an internal investigation had been launched to determine whether "the information of our customer had in any way been compromised outside our company." The memo also noted that employees employees who had reason to view the records would return to work, while those who did so improperly "will face appropriate disciplinary action... up to and including termination."

With pay?

B. Brandon Barker can also be found here.