First Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton find out they're related to Brangelina. Now, it turns out the presidential contenders have something in common with Anna Nicole Smith.
Government snoops have peeked at their private information.
According to published reports, an internal State Department review has added the late Playboy Playmate's name to the list of high-profile Americans who have had their passport files accessed by staffers since January 2007. The news was first reported by the Associated Press.
However, it's not yet known whether such incidents were the result of curiosity or perhaps more sinister motives (cue the conspiracy theorists), or whether the person or persons looking at the computerized files had a legitimate purpose.
News of the potential breach comes one week after revelations surfaced that prying eyes had unlawfully viewed the passport information of Democratic presidential contenders Obama and Clinton and presumptive Republican nominee John McCain without proper approval.
U.S. passports typically contain such vital stats as date and place of birth, Social Security number, age and a complete list of the foreign countries a person has traveled during the time the passport is active. The files may also contain additional info such as marriages overseas, arrest warrants, court orders and the like.
Unauthorized access can pose a serious risk of fraud by identity thieves and cause other credit headaches.
Smith, whose real name was Vicki Lynn Marshall, was lumped in with the names of approximately 500 other American citizens whose files have been secretly flagged for extra security precautions given their high visibility as a public figure. Such people have included politicos, athletes and celebrities.
To search her electronic file, State Department employees and contractors must have a valid reason. Once a passport file is opened, an automatic notification alerts supervisors who may conduct a further investigation if one is warranted.
In Smith's case, a State Department rep says that officials in the Bahamas apparently made a lawful request for private information from the file to finish writing her death certificate.
Smith had taken up residence in the Caribbean island nation before she died of an accidental drug overdose in February, five months after the accidental drug death of her 20-year-old son Daniel. The Bahamas has since become the final resting place for both.
The State Department's internal watchdog is continuing its review to determine the extent and seriousness of the breaches.
In the presidential candidates' instances, the inspector general has said the privacy violations occurred as the result of "imprudent curiosity." Two contractors were eventually fired, while a third was given a warning.