A Navy sailor was disciplined after he tried to access Biden's medical records 3 times 'out of curiosity'
The sailor, who was disciplined after a probe, said he only did it "out of curiosity." No records of the president were breached, per CBS News.
Evan Vucci/AP Photo
- A Navy sailor got into trouble for trying to access Joe Biden's medical records.
- But he ended up accessing the records of another person called "Joseph Biden," officials said.
- The sailor, who was disciplined after a probe, said he only did it "out of curiosity."
A Navy sailor was disciplined after he tried to access President Joe Biden's medical records.
The unnamed sailor was stationed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, serving in the Navy's hospital corps, CBS News reported.
On February 23, he looked up "Joseph Biden" on the military's Genesis Medical Health System three times, an official familiar with the situation told CBS News.
One of the sailor's coworkers reported the breach on February 26, prompting an investigation into the case.
But the sailor ended up pulling the record of another man with the same name as the president.
"He did not pull up the right Joe Biden," the official told CBS News.
"The MHS Genesis system is a secure health system, and at no time was the President's personal information compromised," Navy Commander Tim Hawkins said to CBS News.
The official told the outlet that the sailor admitted to the act, and said he had tried to access the records "out of curiosity."
The Associated Press reported that the sailor received administrative discipline but remained in the Navy after the probe.
Curiosity about the president's health may have peaked recently, particularly after his poor debate performance with former President Donald Trump left many questioning his fitness to run for a second term.
On Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham said that all presidential candidates should have to take cognitive tests to prove their fitness to run.
And a Monday White House press briefing turned heated when reporters probed Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for details of a neurologist's visits to the White House.
She confirmed that Biden had, in fact, seen a neurologist in January as part of his annual physical examination.
White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in a statement on Monday night that the president saw neurologist and Parkinson's expert Kevin Cannard yearly, and the most recent tests showed no sign of Parkinson's.
For his part, Biden has maintained that he is fit for the job and that he will not step aside.
Anonymous sources told Politico that during a Zoom call with his staffers on July 3, the president said: "Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can — as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running."
Biden reiterated this in a letter to House Democrats on Monday, writing: "I wouldn't be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024."
Representatives for Biden and the Navy didn't immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.