White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest declined to confirm Thursday if the passport scan was genuine, saying that he was not prepared to comment on the leaked items.
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The group that posted the information, DCLeaks, was also responsible for publishing Colin Powell’s emails last week.
Among the problems with the passport are: Michelle Obama’s picture is not fully inside the border, nor is there ample white space around and above her head, as the State Department’s guidelines for passport photos require.
Mrs. Obama’s information was part of a batch of emails purportedly hacked from the Gmail account of a White House “advance” staffer who coordinated logistics for official trips spanning from February 2015 through July 2016.
Also posted is what appears to be an image of Michelle Obama’s passport.
The hacker adds, “We hope you will tell the people about this criminal negligence of White House Office staffers”.
The site tweeted out the scan after obtaining stolen emails it claims are from a White House aide named Ian Mellul.
“As a matter of policy, we do not provide information regarding investigations”, spokeswoman Nicole Mainor said, according to ABC News.
Not only do the emails contain sensitive information about the first lady and vice president – such as detailed schedules intended for their Secret Service protection – they also reveal details about Hillary Clinton’s campaign events, which the staffer was also apparently involved with.
The use of personal email accounts in the course of working on government-related issues or even at federal facilities has come up before.
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“The leaked files show the security level of our government”, the hackers wrote in an email to reporters, US News reports.
