Several Verizon Wireless employees gained unauthorized access to the cell phone account of President-elect Barack Obama, the provider revealed Thursday.
"This week we learned that a number of Verizon Wireless employees have, without authorization, accessed and viewed President-elect Barack Obama's personal cell phone account," Verizon said in a Thursday statement.
Verizon said the account has been inactive for several months and was tied to a flip phone, not a smart phone like the BlackBerry. Obama has been pictured several times talking on a Motorola Razr, a flip phone that is available through Verizon Wireless.
Obama has also been spotted with the BlackBerry and the Apple iPhone.
"All employees who have accessed the account – whether authorized or not – have been put on immediate leave, with pay," Verizon said. "As the circumstances of each individual employee's access to the account are determined, the company will take appropriate actions."
Employees found to have accessed Obama's account for legitimate reasons will be reinstated while those who did so without cause will "face appropriate disciplinary action," Verizon said.
"We apologize to President-elect Obama and will work to keep the trust our customers place in us every day," the company said.
There has been speculation in the past week about whether Obama will be able to keep his BlackBerry after he is sworn into office. For security reasons, U.S. presidents have traditionally surrendered their electronic devices while in office, and Thursday's Verizon incident highlights why that type of precaution might still be necessary.
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