Earlier this month, San Antonio staffers inadvertently published a batch of private data — including credit card and driver’s license numbers — of 10 candidates running for mayor and City Council.
City Clerk Debbie Racca-Sittre said the candidates all filed their campaign paperwork on Jan. 15, the first day office seekers could apply for a spot on the May 3 ballot. Twenty-four people filed to run for office that day.
The data was accessible on the city’s website — where officials typically post redacted candidate applications — for five hours that day.
“Upon realizing the mistake, the material was immediately taken down,” Racca-Sittre told the San Antonio Express-News. She added that “very few” people accessed the information.
Racca-Sittre said her office notified all affected applicants. She did not disclose which candidates from among the 14 who filed their candidacies on Jan. 15 saw their personal information released online.
“The city deeply regrets this incident and is taking steps to help prevent any future incidents of this nature,” she said.
Cybersecurity experts are checking to see if anyone captured the information, according to an email Racca-Sittre sent to those whose personal information was exposed. The city is also checking on whether employees have been trained on how to handle sensitive information.
Racca-Sittre also encouraged those candidates to monitor bank accounts for suspicious activity and to consider placing a fraud alert on their credit accounts.
The day of the bungle was a busy one at the city clerk's office. The department was juggling candidate ballot applications and uploading campaign finance reports that were due the same day.
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San Antonio Inadvertently Published Private Candidate Info
The city clerk told the local news that 10 City Council and mayoral candidates’ private information was exposed online for a short time.
