VA employees wrongly accessed the medical records for both vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz, according to The Washington Post.
Five things to know:
1. Both campaigns were notified of the breaches after the VA identified unauthorized access within its medical records system. The investigation is ongoing.
2. Physicians as well as a contractor inappropriately viewed the medical records for an "extended time," according to the report. Law enforcement indicated concern about their motives for viewing Mr. Walz's and Mr. Vance's medical records.
3. At least 12 employees used their VA computers to access the medical records, and the investigators haven't identified whether information from the records was shared with additional parties.
4. Some of the employees said they breached the medical records because they were "curious" about the candidates' history.
5. The employees who inappropriately viewed the medical records face penalties including removal from their posts as well as criminal charges. The amount of time employees spent viewing the files and stated intent are taken into consideration when deciding the consequences, according to the report.