The Collin County District Clerk has been barred indefinitely by the U.S. State Department from issuing new U.S. Passport applications.

District Clerk Lynne Finley reported that State Department officials took the action because of a 5-year passport fraud investigation, despite the agency’s own investigative arm having cleared the two passport offices she runs in Plano and McKinney.

The suspension by the Dallas Passport Agency, a subdivision of the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, took effect in late December.

Finley said that despite her office’s cooperation and being cleared of any wrongdoing or procedural missteps, both of her passport offices have been shut down, and at least four employees’ jobs are now at risk. Meanwhile, county residents must now make other arrangements at local post offices if they need passports for the upcoming travel season.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]

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