Nine indicted for accessing Obama's student loan files

The U.S. attorney's office said a grand jury has returned the indictments of nine people charged with improperly accessing President Obama's student loan records while they were employed by a contractor working for the Education Department, the Associated Press reported.

The individuals are accused of gaining entry into a computer while working at the Coralville, Iowa, office of contractor Vangent Inc. between July 2007 and March 2009. The employees are charged with accessing Obama's student loan records.

Vangent officials, who fired the workers last year, said they did not know why the employees had accessed the records and if the data was used for any other purpose. The company manages incoming calls from the public for federal agencies, including those on federal student aid for Education and calls regarding Medicare and Medicaid, which is managed by the Health and Human Services Department.