Sandy Berger
From Conservapedia
Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger is a liberal Democrat bureaucrat who served as United States National Security Advisor to President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001.
Berger was reviewing classified documents at the National Archives in July, September and October of 2003 in connection with requests for documents made by the National Commission Investigating Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9-11 Commission). On September 2, 2003, and again on October 2nd, Berger concealed and removed a total of five copies of classified documents from the Archives. The documents were different versions of a single document. Berger, who possessed a United States government security clearance and was aware of the laws and rules regarding classified documents, knew he was not authorized to remove the classified documents from the Archives.
Berger took the documents to his office in Washington, D.C., where he destroyed three of the copies. Soon after the October visit, the Archives discovered that documents were missing and, two days later, contacted Berger. Initially, Berger did not tell the Archives staff that he had taken the documents but later that night told Archives staff that he had “accidentally misfiled” two of them. [1]
In April 2005, Berger was convicted of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material. The conviction stemmed from his theft and subsequent destruction of classified documents from the National Archives in Washington.
A Fox News Channel special, "Socks, Scissors, Paper: The Sandy Berger Caper," broadcast on March 31, 2007 detailed Berger's theft:
- There was a deep division inside the Justice Department about how to handle Berger, who ultimately was allowed to plead to misdemeanor charges, pay a small fine and avoid jail.
- DOJ lawyers involved in the case failed to let the 9/11 Commission know the scope and seriousness of the security breach, despite direct orders from top Justice officials.
- Contrary to the assurances the Justice Department made to Congress and to the 9/11 Commission, nobody but Berger can know whether he kept key documents and information about Clinton administration anti-terror efforts from the Commission.
- Berger's lies were far more extensive than previously revealed.
- That no full assessment of the damage to national security has been conducted.
- That the Justice Department, in a break with precedent and procedure, relied on Berger's statements despite a record that showed a history of lies.
Berger was responsible for bring Mary McCarthy [2] within the Clinton Administration. [3] McCarthy, who worked with CIA Inspector General John Helgerson[4], was later fired for leaking classified information.
Berger forfeited his law license on May 17, 2007. [5]
References
- ↑ Former National Security Advisor Samuel Berger Pleads Guilty to Knowingly Removing Classified Infromation from the National Archives, United States Department of Justice Press Release, April 1, 2005.
- ↑ The New McCarthyism, A look at the CIA leaker's independent streak and the al-Shifa intelligence, Thomas Joscelyn, The Weekly Standard, 04/25/2006.
- ↑ Berger Appoints McCArthy Special Assistant for Intelligence, USIS Washington File, 17 June 1998.
- ↑ Opinion Journal, A Real CIA Leak Case, James Taranto, April 24, 2006.
- ↑ Berger Forfeits Law License By Tom Fitton, May 23, 2007.
External links
- Sandy Berger's Theft of Classified Documents: Unanswered Questions. Staff Report. U.S. House of Representatives. 110th Congress. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. January 9, 2007.
